Explore senior software development engineer jobs with Ladders, where you can find vetted professional opportunities paying $100,000 or more. Senior software development engineers design, build, and maintain complex software systems while helping teams deliver reliable, scalable products. Browse roles across industries, technologies, and levels of technical leadership.
These experienced engineers translate product and business needs into robust technical solutions. Their work may include designing system architecture, writing and reviewing code, improving application performance, troubleshooting production issues, and guiding engineering teams through complex projects. Many roles also involve mentoring developers and partnering with product, design, security, and operations teams.
Employers commonly look for strong software design and programming experience, expertise in relevant languages and frameworks, and a record of delivering production systems. Depending on the role, useful qualifications may include cloud infrastructure, distributed systems, databases, API design, automated testing, DevOps practices, and security. Communication, technical judgment, and the ability to lead through influence are also important at the senior level.
Senior software development engineers work in technology, financial services, healthcare, e-commerce, media, and other sectors. Opportunities may focus on backend services, mobile or web applications, data platforms, infrastructure, machine learning systems, or developer tools. With experience, engineers can grow into staff or principal engineering roles, architecture positions, or engineering management.
Use Ladders to search vetted professional openings with salaries of $100,000 or more. Compare roles by technology, industry, location, and scope, then focus on opportunities that match your experience and career goals.
Principal Forward Deployed Engineer
$145K - $175K *
Shape the future of AI engineering by leading technical solutions, mentoring teams, and driving production outcomes in a collaborative environment focused on innovation and operational excellence...
1 week ago
$108K - $178K *
Innovate your career by joining a dynamic team to enhance game design workflows, bridging design and engineering to streamline processes and elevate player experiences in a collaborative environment...
Today
Senior Enterprise Implementation Consultant
$100K - $153K *
Join our Strategic Customer Success team to guide enterprise clients in deploying IoT solutions, enhancing business value. You'll manage relationships, ensuring a successful launch and continuous enga...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
$200K - $240K *
Join a dynamic team as you provide technical expertise, drive enterprise opportunities, and architect innovative solutions that meet client needs while showcasing the value of our cutting-edge product...
1 week ago
Senior Manager Software Development Engineering
$106K - $213K *
Oversee and enhance software engineering teams, ensuring delivery of secure, scalable solutions. Drive talent development, resource management, and engineering quality while collaborating with cross-f...
1 week ago
Director Software Engineering - Central Security
$180K - $220K *
Drive the development of innovative security systems using AI/ML, managing risk across identity and access management. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance security while maintaining ope...
6 days ago
$108K - $130K *
Build and maintain scalable backend services in a microservices architecture, leveraging modern programming languages and technologies to enhance critical banking domains and support product developme...
2 weeks ago
$190K - $200K *
Lead the charge in electrical engineering excellence across multiple campuses, ensuring robust design, validation, and energization of critical infrastructure while integrating onsite generation solut...
2 weeks ago
$133K - $181K *
Champion innovative software solutions for optimal customer experiences. Lead development of full-stack web applications, enhancing shipping logistics. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive...
4 weeks ago
$90K *
Innovate with a dynamic team to develop and maintain applications that integrate engineering systems with campus data, ensuring high-quality data access for operational workflows and enhancing user ex...
1 week ago
$85K - $100K *
Collaborate with a dynamic team to enhance and maintain the PeopleSoft Campus Solutions SIS, ensuring a robust technological infrastructure that supports student success and institutional goals throug...
1 week ago
Senior Java Developer - Enterprise API Integrations
$140K - $150K *
Transform integrations as a Senior Developer, focusing on reliable APIs that connect with customers and partners. Collaborate across teams to engineer secure, scalable solutions, tackling production c...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
$120K - $145K *
Transform cloud infrastructure for higher education products by designing, building, and operating AWS and Azure environments. Collaborate with teams to enhance reliability, automate processes, and me...
3 weeks ago
Software Engineer - Agent Team
$122K - $160K *
Transform the future of endpoint management by developing innovative solutions that enhance security and performance across diverse platforms, collaborating with a dynamic team to deliver impactful so...
Reposted yesterday
$128K - $165K *
Lead reliability initiatives across complex systems, driving automation and observability. Collaborate with teams to enhance operational outcomes, manage incidents, and mentor engineers, ensuring comp...
3 weeks ago
Senior Backend Engineer, External
$199K - $235K *
Innovate backend solutions by designing, building, and maintaining scalable services for external pentesting. Collaborate across teams to enhance user experience and ensure system performance, reliabi...
1 week ago
Senior Software Engineer: Back-end
$125K - $165K *
Lead the charge in designing and scaling foundational APIs and backend services, optimizing cloud data stores, and ensuring high-availability for a robust platform. Elevate technical standards while s...
2 weeks ago
Senior Product Manager, Device Experience
$130K - $219K *
Drive the vision for Samsara device installations, enhancing user experiences and ensuring rapid, accurate setups. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to optimize the install process, making impac...
Reposted 1 week ago
$220K - $250K *
Drive the product roadmap for Unify Release Orchestration, enhancing developer experience while coordinating releases across multiple services, engaging customers, and leading initiatives for AI-nativ...
Reposted 1 week ago
Senior Application Security Engineer
$125K - $150K *
Unlock potential by enhancing application security across web apps and APIs. Collaborate with engineering teams to assess risks, conduct reviews, and drive secure software practices throughout the dev...
2 weeks ago
$110K - $115K *
Innovate testing strategies and enhance software quality through automated and manual verification. Collaborate across teams to ensure compliance and optimize processes while leveraging AWS and full-s...
3 weeks ago
Senior ML Operations Engineer II - Monetization
$211K - $248K *
Lead the charge in managing the complete ML model lifecycle, ensuring robust deployment, monitoring, and continuous improvement. Collaborate with data scientists to enhance model performance and opera...
1 week ago
$112K - $150K *
Shape the future of communication technology by providing expert technical support and training to diverse clients. Collaborate with sales and engineering teams to deliver innovative solutions while m...
1 week ago
Full Stack Software Engineer - Secret
$103K - $181K *
Shape the future of secure software by developing full-stack applications that support critical government missions. Collaborate with diverse teams to deliver reliable, scalable solutions in dynamic e...
2 weeks ago
$95K - $115K *
Take ownership of building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines while administering Linux/Windows servers. Engage in configuration management and mentor team members to enhance platform standards and secur...
Today
What does a senior software development engineer do?
A senior software development engineer designs, builds, tests, and maintains software systems. They often make architecture decisions, solve complex technical problems, review code, mentor teammates, and coordinate with other departments to deliver reliable products.
What qualifications are typically required for senior software development engineer jobs?
Requirements vary, but employers generally seek substantial professional software engineering experience, proficiency in one or more programming languages, and a history of delivering production applications or systems. Familiarity with system design, cloud platforms, databases, testing, and technical leadership may also be expected.
How much do senior software development engineer jobs pay?
Compensation depends on factors such as location, industry, experience, and technical specialty. Ladders focuses on vetted professional jobs paying $100,000 or more, including senior software development engineer opportunities.
What is the difference between a senior software engineer and a senior software development engineer?
The titles often describe similar work, and employers may use them interchangeably. Responsibilities typically include designing and developing software, though the exact emphasis depends on the company and team.
What career paths can follow a senior software development engineer role?
Experienced engineers may advance to staff or principal engineer, software architect, or other technical leadership positions. Those interested in people management may move into engineering manager or director roles.