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Director Software Development Jobs in Colorado (NOW HIRING)

Our teams ship in cross-functional pods, lean heavily on AI in our development workflow, and value ... Paid Parental leave The Opportunity We are hiring a Director of Engineering to lead our software ...

Our teams ship in cross-functional pods, lean heavily on AI in our development workflow, and value ... Paid Parental leave The Opportunity We are hiring a Director of Engineering to lead our software ...

Software Engineer 3

Englewood, CO

$56.75 - $76.25/hr

... development environment and processes. • Provides technical assistance on software products and other technologies to team members, contractors, and vendors as directed. • Conducts original ...

Experience with Scaled Agile software development * Have experience with Test Driven Development * Have an intense passion for innovating and designing technology solutions and mentoring their teams

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Showing results 1-20

Director Software Development information

See Colorado salary details

$109.9K

$187.1K

$253.4K

How much do director software development jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for director software development in Colorado is $187,148.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $160,900.00 and $217,100.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a Director of Software Development do?

A Director of Software Development leads and manages software engineering teams to deliver high-quality software products and solutions. They are responsible for setting technical direction, establishing development processes, and aligning projects with business goals. This role involves overseeing project timelines, mentoring engineering managers, collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders, and ensuring teams have the resources needed for success. The Director also plays a key role in recruiting talent, evaluating team performance, and implementing best practices to drive innovation and efficiency.

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.

How does a Director of Software Development typically balance technical leadership with people management responsibilities?

As a Director of Software Development, you are expected to provide both technical direction and effective team leadership. This often means splitting your time between high-level architecture decisions, code reviews, and staying updated on emerging technologies, while also focusing on coaching managers, developing talent, and fostering a collaborative team environment. Balancing these areas requires strong delegation skills, setting clear goals and expectations, and maintaining open communication channels. Many directors find success by empowering technical leads to own day-to-day technical decisions, allowing them to focus on strategic planning, cross-functional alignment, and organizational growth.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Director of Software Development, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Director of Software Development, you need extensive experience in software engineering, leadership, project management, and a relevant technical degree. Familiarity with development frameworks, cloud platforms, Agile methodologies, and certifications like PMP or Scrum Master are highly valuable. Strong communication, strategic thinking, and team-building skills help drive cross-functional alignment and motivate high-performing teams. These skills are essential for delivering successful software products, managing complex projects, and fostering innovation within the organization.
What are the most commonly searched types of Software Development jobs in Colorado? The most popular types of Software Development jobs in Colorado are:
What cities in Colorado are hiring for Director Software Development jobs? Cities in Colorado with the most Director Software Development job openings:
Infographic showing various Director Software Development job openings in Colorado as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 82% Full Time, 15% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $187,148 per year, or $90 per hour.
Director, Software Engineering (Denver)

Director, Software Engineering (Denver)

Cengage Group

Denver, CO • On-site

$138K - $180K/yr

Full-time

This job post has expired today. Applications are no longer accepted.


Job description

Director of Software Engineering – Cengage

We believe in the power and joy of learning. At Cengage, we help students around the world discover the power of learning. As a Director of Software Engineering, you will lead innovative products and shape AI-driven engineering teams.

Responsibilities
  • Work with multiple leaders, including the Digital leadership team and business partners, to craft a convincing technical strategy and roadmap(s) to achieve business unit goals.
  • Collaborate across functions to align on priorities for scaling and building our products globally.
  • Identify scalable products and deliver them to support our global customer base, incorporating new technologies and industry trends.
  • Partner with multi-functional leaders, through POM, to standardize and improve development, testing, and release processes, ensuring timely delivery of quality products.
  • Drive product and technology strategy reviews with Product Leaders and senior collaborators, leading strategic technological discussions.
  • Lead high-performing engineering teams, developing a pipeline of high-caliber talent and encouraging leaders to achieve priorities.
  • Cultivate a high-performance, transparent environment passionate about accountability and results.
  • Reinvent and optimize the SDLC using modern frameworks, principles, automation, and generative AI.
  • Champion a culture of continuous learning and professional development, offering team members opportunities to grow.
Skills you will need
  • 5+ years of leadership experience in developing technology strategies and driving innovation.
  • 10+ years of progressive software development experience.
  • Experience leading a global workforce of employees and contractors across different time zones.
  • Expertise in AWS (EC2, S3, Lambda, RDS, CloudFormation), cloud-native development (Kubernetes, Docker, microservices), and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, AWS CDK).
  • Solid understanding of AI concepts, technologies and methods, including machine learning, language, reasoning & multimodal models, prompt & context engineering, developing and using skills & agent frameworks, RAG, and vector databases.
  • Hands‑on experience integrating or experimenting with commercial and open‑source GenAI technologies and toolkits (e.g., coding assistants, OpenAI, Hugging Face, LangChain).
  • Strong experience in modernizing monolithic architectures, implementing hybrid cloud strategies, and crafting APIs to bridge legacy systems with cloud‑native platforms.
  • Proven ability to compose and build scalable, secure, high‑availability enterprise systems using CI/CD pipelines and automated testing frameworks.
  • Skilled in agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe) and customer‑centric product models to drive iterative development and rapid time‑to‑market.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Preferred
  • Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field, or equivalent combination of education and recent, relevant work experience.
Compensation

Base salary range: $138,200.00 – $180,000.00 USD. You will also be eligible for the company’s discretionary incentive bonus program, with a target of 25% of base salary. Note that the bonus is not guaranteed and is dependent on performance.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Cengage is committed to working with broad talent pools to attract and hire strong and the most qualified individuals. Our job applicants are considered regardless of any classification protected by applicable federal, state, provincial or local laws.

Accommodations

Cengage is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities during our application process. If you are an applicant with a disability and require reasonable accommodation, please contact us at accommodations.ta@cengage.com.

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