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Director Software Development Jobs in California

OneSpan

Director, Software Development

San Jose, CA · On-site

We're looking for a Director of Software Development to join our team in San Jose, CA Candidates must reside in the San Jose area . You will own the delivery of scalable, secure backend services for ...

Agilent

Software Development Director

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$213K - $333K/yr

About the Role 3 days onsite - hybrid schedule (flexible) We are seeking a Software Development Director to lead global software R&D teams within the Productivity Solutions Division. This role ...

Agilent

Software Development Director

Santa Clara, CA · Hybrid

$213K - $333K/yr

About the Role 3 days onsite - hybrid schedule (flexible) We are seeking a Software Development Director to lead global software R&D teams within the Productivity Solutions Division. This role ...

NetApp

Sr Director, Software Engineer AI BU

San Jose, CA · On-site

$296K/yr

Job Summary As the Senior Director of Software Development for NetApp AI business unit, you will lead and scale a high-performing engineering organization to deliver innovative, large-scale services ...

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All JobsSoftware Development JobsDirector Software Development JobsDirector Software Development Jobs in California

Director Software Development information

See California salary details

$103.1K

$175.6K

$237.8K

How much do director software development jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 31, 2026, the average yearly pay for director software development in California is $175,648.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $151,000.00 and $203,800.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Director Software Development vs Software Engineering Manager?

AspectDirector Software DevelopmentSoftware Engineering Manager
ResponsibilitiesOversees multiple teams, strategic planning, and long-term goalsManages day-to-day team operations, project delivery, and technical guidance
FocusHigh-level leadership, cross-team coordination, and business alignmentTeam management, technical mentorship, and project execution
Required CredentialsBachelor’s or Master’s in CS or related, extensive experience, leadership skillsBachelor’s or Master’s in CS or related, strong technical background, leadership experience

The main difference is that the Director Software Development focuses on strategic leadership and overseeing multiple teams, while the Software Engineering Manager concentrates on managing individual teams and project execution. Both roles require technical expertise and leadership skills, but the director role involves broader organizational responsibilities.

What are the most commonly searched types of Software Development jobs in California?

The most popular types of Software Development jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Director Software Development jobs?

Cities in California with the most Director Software Development job openings:

What are popular job titles related to Director Software Development jobs in CA?

For Director Software Development jobs in CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Director Software Development jobs near you
Infographic showing various Director Software Development job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 86% Full Time, 11% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 89% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $175,648 per year, or $84.4 per hour.

Director, Software Development

OneSpan

San Jose, CA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 23 days ago

Job description

At OneSpan, we specialize in digital identity and anti-fraud solutions that create exceptional and secure experiences.

OneSpan helps the world's leading banks, enterprises, and governments secure digital identities, transactions, and agreements.  We empower critical infrastructure organizations to thrive by enabling secure, compliant, and frictionless digital interactions. Trusted by 60% of the world's top 100 banks, we protect over 300 million endpoints globally with award-winning authentication, mobile app security, and anti-fraud solutions. Our Passkey Solution — built on FIDO2/WebAuthn — represents a cornerstone of our next-generation authentication portfolio and a recognized market-leading product. Join us in shaping the passwordless future.

We're looking for a Director of Software Development to join our team in San Jose, CA Candidates must reside in the San Jose area.  You will own the delivery of scalable, secure backend services for our authentication and identity platforms. You'll set technical direction, lead distributed engineering teams, and partner closely with Product, Security, and Platform to ship features that protect our customers' most sensitive transactions.

What You'll Do

  • Set technical and product strategy for our authentication and identity platforms, partnering with Product Management on roadmap and priorities.
  • Lead distributed engineering teams through the design, development, and delivery of scalable, secure REST APIs and backend services.
  • Provide technical leadership through architecture reviews, mentoring, and hands-on guidance for engineering managers and senior engineers.
  • Drive scalability, reliability, and security across distributed systems, including zero-downtime deployments, observability, and resilience practices.
  • Partner with Product, Security, and Platform teams to deliver high-impact features on schedule.
  • Present and demonstrate product capabilities and technical vision to internal stakeholders, customers, and partners.
  • Champion the adoption of AI-assisted development practices to improve engineering velocity and quality.

What You'll Bring

  • 15+ years of software product delivery experience, building and operating products at scale for SaaS and/or on-premise customers.
  • 8+ years leading distributed, multi-team engineering organizations.
  • Proven experience with identity and authentication platforms.
  • Strong background designing and scaling distributed systems and APIs.
  • Experience with zero-downtime deployments and production-grade, highly available systems.
  • Experience delivering products backed by both relational and NoSQL databases.
  • Hands-on experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud-based deployment (AWS, Azure, or GCP).

Preferred

  • Experience leading engineering teams in adopting AI-assisted development tools and workflows.

Why Join OneSpan

  • Lead the product strategy for a market-leading passkey solution trusted by some of the world's largest banks.
  • Work at the frontier of FIDO2/passkey technology with a team that has been in the space from the beginning.
  • Collaborate with a global team of security experts and make a tangible impact protecting hundreds of millions of users.
  • The opportunity to shape a category-defining product at the forefront of the passwordless movement, with real impact on how hundreds of millions of people authenticate.
  • Be part of a company recognized as a KuppingerCole 2026 Leadership Compass leader in Passwordless Authentication for Enterprises.

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis without the need for employer sponsorship.

Salary: $230,000 - $315,000 (depending on experience and qualifications) with bonus.

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