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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Staff Software Engineer (Customer Platform)
$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...
3 weeks ago
Staff Software Engineer (Customer Platform)
$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...
3 weeks ago
$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...
1 week ago
Principal Engineer - Data Retrieval
$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...
1 week ago
$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...
Today
Principal Architect, AI-Native Developer Experience
$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...
Today
$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...
2 days ago
Senior Software Engineer, Public Sector
$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...
2 weeks ago
$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...
Yesterday
Director of Engineering, TorcOS
$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...
Yesterday
Director of Embedded Systems Engineering
$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...
3 weeks ago
Staff Android Engineer, Android Platform
$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...
3 weeks ago
Senior Manager, Software Development
$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...
2 weeks ago
$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...
2 days ago
Lead Substation Engineer – Technical Project Lead
$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...
1 week ago
$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...
2 weeks ago
$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...
2 weeks ago
$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...
6 days ago
Fire Alarm Engineering Manager
$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...
2 weeks ago
$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...
3 weeks ago
Associate Director - Senior Construction Program Manager
$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...
3 weeks ago
$125K - $135K *
Drive the evolution of critical DNS infrastructure, ensuring operational excellence, collaborating across teams, and enhancing production services through automation and API development...
Reposted 1 week ago
$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...
6 days ago
$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...
1 week ago
Software Engineer II, Core Edge Processing
$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...
4 weeks ago
What is a Lead Engineer?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
Browse Lead Engineer listings on Ladders, review each role’s compensation and requirements, and highlight relevant technical achievements and leadership experience in your application.