Senior Manager, Software Development Jobs

Explore senior manager, software development opportunities on Ladders, where professionals can find vetted roles paying $100,000 or more. Senior managers guide engineering teams, shape technical direction, and help organizations deliver reliable software that meets business needs.

What Does a Senior Manager of Software Development Do?

Senior managers oversee software development teams and programs, translating organizational priorities into technical plans and delivery goals. Depending on the company, they may manage multiple teams, partner with product and design leaders, guide architecture decisions, and establish practices for quality, security, and dependable releases.

Common Responsibilities

  • Lead, coach, and develop software engineers and engineering managers.
  • Set team priorities, delivery plans, and measurable performance goals.
  • Collaborate with product, design, security, and business stakeholders.
  • Guide technical strategy, architecture, and modernization initiatives.
  • Improve engineering processes, code quality, and release reliability.
  • Manage staffing, budgets, risks, and cross-team dependencies.

Skills and Qualifications Employers Seek

Employers commonly look for substantial software engineering experience, a record of leading teams, and the ability to balance technical judgment with business priorities. Useful strengths include people management, strategic planning, systems design, clear communication, and experience with modern development practices. Requirements vary by organization, industry, and the scope of the role.

Find Senior Software Development Leadership Roles

Use Ladders to explore senior manager, software development jobs and discover opportunities that match your experience and career goals. Compare role requirements, leadership scope, and compensation details as you search for your next software engineering management position.

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$108K - $216K *

Transform software solutions by leading collaborative teams to design, develop, and maintain scalable applications. Drive innovation through AI/ML integration while ensuring alignment with business ob...

Bellevue, WARemote

Today

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Retail & Consumer Goods

$125K - $225K *

Create innovative data solutions by designing scalable pipelines and AI tools. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance data quality and security, driving impactful analytics and machine lea...

United StatesRemote

5 days ago

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

$115K - $275K *

Manage the delivery of GPU clusters for AI workloads by coordinating teams across engineering, networking, and operations. Develop strategies, manage risks, and ensure timely, quality launches to scal...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$125K - $150K *

Champion scalable deal operations by leading the Global Deal Desk, optimizing complex agreements across sales, finance, and legal. Drive AI integration to enhance workflows and ensure compliance while...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$100K - $120K *

Lead the charge in optimizing project management processes for a VHA client team. Utilize your expertise to enhance strategic planning, decision-making, and execution while collaborating with senior s...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$90K - $100K *

Transform software delivery by managing cross-functional teams, aligning sprints, and optimizing project timelines. Drive clarity in processes and foster collaboration to ensure successful product exe...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$135K - $160K *

Join a team that's shaping the future of backend storage solutions on AWS. You'll design, build, and optimize scalable systems, ensuring high performance and reliability while collaborating with cross...

RemoteRemote

2 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$135K - $160K *

Architect robust Kubernetes solutions to enhance cloud infrastructure. Drive multi-cloud initiatives and implement cell-based architecture for scalable, reliable services. Join a team dedicated to bui...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$132K - $181K *

Drive the development of an innovative Excel plugin, integrating AI-driven market intelligence for financial professionals. Collaborate with teams to optimize performance and enhance user experience...

CanadaRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$132K - $181K *

Join a team that's redefining financial technology by integrating AI into Excel. You'll develop a powerful plugin that enhances decision-making for financial professionals, ensuring seamless performan...

CanadaRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$155K - $180K *

Drive successful delivery of complex, multi-year programs in a dynamic environment. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to manage scope, budget, and timelines while ensuring client satisfaction an...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$158K *

Lead the charge in delivering impactful solutions for Veterans by managing a cross-functional agile team, driving product direction, and fostering collaboration across multiple stakeholders to enhance...

United StatesRemote

5 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$125K - $187K *

Transform energy efficiency initiatives by leading a skilled engineering team. Drive project execution, mentor talent, and enhance program delivery across multiple states, ensuring impactful cost savi...

RemoteRemote

5 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$125K - $150K *

Build high-performing software teams that drive critical project success while managing technical architecture and mentorship. Collaborate with leadership to align solutions with business needs and en...

Overland Park, KSRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$188K - $235K *

Develop AI-powered systems from concept to production, collaborating with clients to identify needs, prototype solutions, and ensure quality. Engage closely with users to iterate and enhance product f...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$124K - $156K *

Shape the future of AI Services by owning product strategy and execution. Collaborate with engineering teams to define agentic capabilities, drive tool strategies, and establish AI quality standards t...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$195K - $307K *

Take ownership of critical technical programs, transforming strategic business objectives into actionable systems solutions while leading cross-functional teams to optimize and enhance platform perfor...

Seattle, WARemote

4 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$150K - $300K *

Transform the future of cloud-native applications by designing and developing scalable web solutions. Leverage your expertise in full stack development and cloud technologies to drive innovation and o...

Boston, MARemote

1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$150K - $190K *

Drive member activation by leading a cross-functional team to optimize outreach, incentives, and messaging strategies. Own the activation roadmap and funnel metrics to enhance engagement and ensure sc...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$145K - $175K *

Join our team to drive the technical direction of our Internal Developer Platform, enhancing workflows and tooling for engineering teams. You'll lead multi-quarter strategies, ensuring reliable delive...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Media

$127K - $260K *

Transform your career by leading the design and implementation of a comprehensive learning ecosystem for Assurance teams, fostering high-performance and collaboration across the organization to enhanc...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 5 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Legal & Accounting

$150K - $180K *

Innovate a high-performance AI training platform, enhancing ML workflows for autonomous vehicles. Collaborate across teams to optimize model development, ensuring reliability and scalability while pro...

Pittsburgh, PARemote

3 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Transportation

$109K - $151K *

Pioneer strategies in Amazon marketplace for diverse beauty brands, driving growth and optimizing performance. Lead and develop teams while managing P&L, fostering collaboration, and enhancing brand v...

RemoteRemote

Reposted yesterday

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Retail & Consumer Goods

$173K - $313K *

Shape the future of customer-facing applications and APIs by leading engineering teams to enhance DNS and IP Acceleration services, ensuring performance, reliability, and usability at Internet scale...

Cambridge, MARemote

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$135K - $160K *

Unlock potential by joining a cross-functional team to design and implement scalable AI workflows on a multi-cloud data platform, ensuring secure data governance and integration for enterprise applica...

CanadaRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • What does a senior manager of software development do?question toggle

    A senior manager leads software development teams, sets delivery priorities, supports team growth, and works with stakeholders to align engineering work with business goals. The role may also include technical strategy, architecture oversight, budgeting, and coordination across teams.

  • What qualifications are typically required for senior manager, software development jobs?question toggle

    Employers often seek significant software engineering experience, demonstrated people leadership, and strong communication and planning skills. Some roles also require experience with particular technologies, industries, or large-scale systems; qualifications differ by employer.

  • How is a senior manager of software development different from an engineering manager?question toggle

    Titles vary across companies. Senior managers often oversee a broader scope, such as multiple teams, engineering managers, or cross-organization initiatives, while engineering managers may focus on one team. Responsibilities depend on the organization’s structure.

  • Do senior manager, software development jobs pay $100,000 or more?question toggle

    Ladders focuses on vetted professional jobs paying $100,000 or more. Actual compensation for a specific role can vary based on location, company, industry, experience, and responsibilities; review each listing for available salary information.

  • Where can I find senior manager, software development jobs?question toggle

    Browse Ladders for senior manager, software development openings and review listings for role scope, qualifications, location, and compensation details.