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.

Remote
caret down
Compensation
caret down
Position Level
caret down
Time Posted
caret down
Industries
caret down
Locations
caret down
More
1
caret down

$110K - $130K *

Join a team that's redefining web platform management by driving innovation and adoption. You'll translate stakeholder needs into actionable roadmaps, partner with engineering teams, and enhance platf...

Toronto, ONIn-Person

6 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$68K - $93K *

Champion project execution by coordinating cross-functional teams to meet milestones and customer commitments. Drive accountability and proactively manage risks to ensure successful delivery of semico...

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$68K - $93K *

Drive project execution for semiconductor capital equipment, ensuring timely delivery and quality. Collaborate across teams to manage schedules, mitigate risks, and uphold customer commitments while s...

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$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

$149K - $275K *

Elevate your career by leading optimization strategies for AI software solutions. Collaborate across teams to enhance performance and scalability of AI inference workloads on Intel GPU platforms, driv...

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Telecommunications & Hardware

$149K - $275K *

Drive innovation in AI systems by optimizing software solutions for high-performance inference workloads. Collaborate across teams to enhance scalability and efficiency, while mentoring engineers and...

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Telecommunications & Hardware

$149K - $275K *

Unlock potential by leading optimization strategies for AI software solutions. Drive performance across compilers, runtimes, and GPU architectures, collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance...

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Telecommunications & Hardware

$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

$250K - $300K *

Lead engineering innovation to optimize large language models for performance, scalability, and cost-efficiency. Balance team management with hands-on coding in a dynamic, customer-facing environment...

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$370K - $425K *

Elevate your career by leading a large engineering team to enhance our ecommerce platform. Drive innovation, ensure operational excellence, and collaborate cross-functionally to deliver exceptional fa...

Today

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

$231K - $378K *

Architect database performance strategies to optimize LinkedIn's data infrastructure. Lead initiatives across online and offline systems, enhancing query execution and storage efficiency while mentori...

6 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$130K - $150K *

Elevate your career with impactful application development in Azure. Join us to design, build, and optimize cloud-native solutions, lead technical initiatives, and mentor a team focused on innovation...

Markham, ONIn-Person

4 weeks ago

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

$130K - $155K *

Innovate and enhance a Kubernetes-native application, driving backend and frontend development with Go, TypeScript, and Python. Collaborate across teams to ensure operational excellence and maintain c...

2 days ago

  •   15+ years exp.  •   Information Technology

$120K - $145K *

Unlock potential by leading the development of a Kubernetes-native application, enhancing backend services and web frontends while collaborating across teams to ensure operational excellence and innov...

2 days ago

  •   15+ years exp.  •   Information Technology

$160K - $190K *

Elevate quality assurance in a cutting-edge AI initiative by leading a team of applied scientists and engineers. Drive evaluation strategies, develop metrics, and ensure product reliability through in...

5 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$100K - $130K *

Join a team that's dedicated to developing innovative software solutions. Contribute to feature design, coding, and testing while collaborating in an agile environment to enhance product quality and p...

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$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

$100K - $120K *

Lead the charge in managing high-profile New Generation programs and projects, collaborating across departments to analyze data, optimize project performance, and ensure timely completion within budge...

Reposted yesterday

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Hospitality & Recreation

$112K - $225K *

Drive innovative software solutions by designing and deploying Drupal-based applications. Collaborate with stakeholders and mentor junior developers while ensuring security and quality in a dynamic De...

4 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$120K - $145K *

Drive successful execution of a multi-year Lead-to-Cash transformation program, managing diverse workstreams while ensuring strategic alignment and effective communication across stakeholders and exec...

Reposted 5 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Business Services

$110K - $130K *

Shape the future of Sales & Operations Planning by leading S&OP and IBP processes, aligning demand, supply, and financial plans, and driving cross-functional collaboration to enhance operational effic...

Ottawa, ONIn-Person

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

$120K - $145K *

Champion transformation initiatives by leading complex programs that optimize business processes across diverse teams, driving significant results in operational efficiency and customer experience...

Reposted 5 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Business Services

$158K - $232K *

Join a dynamic Cloud & Production Engineering team to design, operate, and enhance highly available PostgreSQL platforms that power critical services globally. Leverage your expertise to drive automat...

4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Consumer Technology

$208K - $312K *

Lead the charge in revolutionizing software development automation with AI agents. Shape product vision and workflow for continuous improvement, while collaborating with design partners and customers...

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Aerospace & Defense

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.