Explore Lead Engineer Jobs

Lead Engineers guide technical teams, shape engineering decisions, and help turn complex requirements into reliable products and systems. Browse vetted Lead Engineer opportunities on Ladders, including roles paying $100,000 or more across software, hardware, infrastructure, and other engineering disciplines.

What Does a Lead Engineer Do?

A Lead Engineer combines deep technical expertise with team leadership. Responsibilities may include designing system architectures, reviewing code or technical work, setting engineering standards, mentoring team members, coordinating delivery, and partnering with product, design, and business stakeholders. The exact scope varies by company and specialty.

Qualifications for Lead Engineer Roles

Employers commonly seek substantial experience in a relevant engineering discipline, a record of delivering complex projects, and strong problem-solving and communication skills. Many roles require expertise in specific programming languages, platforms, tools, or engineering methods. People leadership may be part of the job, though some Lead Engineers lead through technical direction rather than direct management.

Lead Engineer Salary and Career Outlook

Compensation depends on industry, location, specialization, company size, and the role’s scope. Lead Engineer positions can offer competitive salaries, bonuses, and benefits, with many opportunities on Ladders paying $100,000 or more. Experienced professionals may progress into Staff or Principal Engineer, Engineering Manager, Director of Engineering, or other technical leadership roles.

Find Lead Engineer Jobs on Ladders

Search Lead Engineer openings to find roles aligned with your skills, experience, and career goals. Review job requirements and responsibilities, then tailor your résumé to highlight technical impact, project leadership, and measurable outcomes. Ladders focuses on vetted professional jobs paying at least $100,000.

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$135K - $160K *

Innovate your career by leading the development of backend systems and APIs that empower customer interactions. Collaborate across teams to drive technical solutions and mentor engineers, ensuring sea...

CanadaRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$205K - $231K *

Join a team that's redefining software supply chain security. As a Staff Software Engineer, you'll lead backend system design, API development, and cross-team collaboration, driving impactful solution...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$185K - $344K *

Engage in system engineering excellence by designing and maintaining SAP S/4 solutions. Collaborate across teams to optimize business processes and ensure robust integration, delivering scalable solut...

Three Rivers, TXRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$272K - $431K *

Lead the charge in architecting and scaling data acquisition infrastructure for foundation models. Collaborate across teams to enhance web crawling, ingestion, and data quality, ensuring reliable, hig...

RemoteRemote

1 week ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$80K - $95K *

Lead technical discovery and deliver tailored demos to showcase solutions, partnering with sales teams to drive client success and enhance the buying journey for educational institutions...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Education, Government & Non-Profit

$150K - $180K *

Transform the developer experience by leading AI-native architecture, guiding engineers in adopting innovative practices, and enhancing collaboration through cutting-edge tools and workflows. Drive im...

RemoteRemote

Today

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$110K - $130K *

Join a dynamic team as a Sales Engineer, where you'll lead technical discussions, map customer architectures, and drive enterprise integrations. Collaborate with engineering to deliver tailored soluti...

RemoteRemote

2 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$180K - $200K *

Champion innovation by developing scalable backend solutions and troubleshooting complex issues within our Cyber-Physical Systems platform. Collaborate with global teams to enhance performance and ens...

New York, NYRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$120K - $145K *

Elevate your career by leading cloud infrastructure design and automation. As a senior technical leader, you'll mentor engineers, optimize systems, and ensure robust, secure solutions for clients whil...

United StatesRemote

Yesterday

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$226K - $271K *

Transform the future of autonomous driving by leading the TorcOS engineering team. Drive the development of foundational embedded software platforms, ensuring high-quality, scalable solutions through...

Ann Arbor, MIRemote

Yesterday

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$150K - $180K *

Shape the future of embedded systems engineering by leading a high-performance team, defining technical roadmaps, and integrating AI-driven workflows to deliver innovative, reliable solutions across d...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$217K - $303K *

Advance the Android Platform by leading technical direction and cross-team initiatives, focusing on client health, developer experience, and app architecture to enhance performance and reliability for...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Media

$145K - $225K *

Lead the charge in software development, driving innovation and collaboration across teams. Oversee strategic planning and team development to enhance product quality and efficiency, while fostering a...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$119K - $143K *

Elevate public infrastructure by leading critical capital projects, overseeing design and delivery from concept to completion. Collaborate with teams to ensure timely, cost-effective outcomes while ma...

Pasco, WARemote

2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Education, Government & Non-Profit

$107K - $195K *

Lead multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-voltage substation EPC projects, ensuring integrated design and technical excellence from concept to energization while mentoring future engineering leader...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$110K - $130K *

Engineer secure, scalable cloud platforms and automate workflows. Lead migrations, implement observability, and mentor junior engineers while driving cloud-native adoption in a collaborative environme...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$83K - $155K *

Explore a dynamic role combining application engineering with hands-on field support. Collaborate with customers and teams to troubleshoot and optimize solutions, ensuring successful installations and...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$88K - $154K *

Champion the successful execution of field projects, ensuring adherence to budget, timeline, and quality standards while leading teams and coordinating with stakeholders in a dynamic environment...

United StatesRemote

6 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$110K - $130K *

Elevate your career by leading a dynamic engineering team in fire alarm design. Drive innovative solutions, optimize project performance, and collaborate across departments to ensure compliance and qu...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$110K - $130K *

Empower your career as a Platform Engineer, driving innovation in system architecture and cloud technologies. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance platform efficiency and guide junior en...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$140K - $197K *

Lead the charge in managing strategic client relationships and projects, leveraging your extensive cost management expertise in the data centre sector. Empower teams through mentorship while driving b...

Birmingham, ALRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$125K - $135K *

Drive the evolution of critical DNS infrastructure, ensuring operational excellence, collaborating across teams, and enhancing production services through automation and API development...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$135K - $160K *

Transform healthcare technology by owning core products, driving architectural decisions, and ensuring high-quality code. Collaborate across teams to deliver impactful solutions that enhance patient c...

United StatesRemote

6 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$150K - $200K *

Develop and maintain robust data pipelines and models, collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance data practices and ensure quality. Drive modernization efforts in data engineering, optimizi...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$92K - $116K *

Empower progress at the core of payment processing by developing and deploying production code. Collaborate with senior engineers to enhance transaction routing systems and gain hands-on experience in...

RemoteRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • What is a Lead Engineer?question toggle

    A Lead Engineer is an experienced technical professional who guides engineering work, helps make design and implementation decisions, and often mentors or coordinates a team. The role may or may not include direct reports.

  • What does a Lead Engineer do?question toggle

    Common duties include defining technical approaches, designing systems, reviewing engineering work, resolving complex problems, mentoring colleagues, and coordinating with other teams to deliver projects.

  • What qualifications do Lead Engineer jobs require?question toggle

    Requirements vary by specialty, but employers often look for significant relevant engineering experience, strong technical skills, a history of successful project delivery, and effective communication. Some positions also require people-management experience.

  • How much do Lead Engineers earn?question toggle

    Pay varies by location, industry, specialization, and seniority. Ladders features vetted professional jobs paying $100,000 or more, including Lead Engineer opportunities.

  • What is the difference between a Lead Engineer and an Engineering Manager?question toggle

    A Lead Engineer typically focuses on technical direction and engineering execution, while an Engineering Manager often emphasizes team operations, staffing, and performance. In some organizations, responsibilities overlap.

  • How can I find Lead Engineer jobs paying $100,000 or more?question toggle

    Browse Lead Engineer listings on Ladders, review each role’s compensation and requirements, and highlight relevant technical achievements and leadership experience in your application.