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Director Software Development Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Capital One

Sr Director, Software Engineering

Mclean, VA

$255.70K/yr

Sr Director, Software Engineering As a Capital One Senior Director of Software Engineering, you'll ... Mentor and guide the professional and technical development of engineers on your team * Encourage ...

Capital One

Sr Director, Software Engineering

Richmond, VA

$250.40K/yr

Sr Director, Software Engineering As a Capital One Senior Director of Software Engineering, you'll ... Mentor and guide the professional and technical development of engineers on your team * Encourage ...

Capital One

Sr Director, Software Engineering

Mclean, VA · On-site

$255.70K/yr

Sr Director, Software Engineering As a Capital One Senior Director of Software Engineering, you'll ... Mentor and guide the professional and technical development of engineers on your team * Encourage ...

MasterCard

Director, Software Engineering

Arlington, VA · Hybrid

$291.10K/yr

Title and Summary Director, Software Engineering Overview: Mastercard's Data Analytics and AI Program is seeking a Director, Software Engineering to lead the design and delivery of full-stack ...

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Director Software Development information

See Virginia salary details

$103.6K

$176.5K

$238.9K

How much do director software development jobs pay per year?

As of May 30, 2026, the average yearly pay for director software development in Virginia is $176,452.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $151,700.00 and $204,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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.

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 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.

What are the most commonly searched types of Software Development jobs in Virginia? The most popular types of Software Development jobs in Virginia are:
What cities in Virginia are hiring for Director Software Development jobs? Cities in Virginia with the most Director Software Development job openings:
What are popular job titles related to Director Software Development jobs in VA? For Director Software Development jobs in VA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Director Software Development jobs near you
Director, Software Engineer - Card Tech AI

Director, Software Engineer - Card Tech AI

Capital One

Mclean, VA

$255.70K/yr

Full-time

Posted 12 hours ago

Capital One rating

7.7

Company rating: 7.7 out of 10

Based on 134 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

74th of 141 rated banks

Job description

Director, Software Engineer - Card Tech AI

We are seeking a Director of Software Engineering to join our team and fundamentally redefine the speed and quality of software development. We are a high-velocity, mission-driven group obsessed with bridging the gap between Intent and Execution (I=E). In this role, you won't just manage; you will operate as a "Player-Coach," functioning both as a high-leverage developer who ships production-ready code in hours as well as mentoring a team to become elite AI-native builders. You will own the technical benchmark, leveraging agentic development tools to its absolute limits through rigorous, spec-driven design to solve complex problems with unprecedented urgency.

This leader must have the ability to attract top-tier talent and the technical "whisperer" skills to ensure AI-generated output is flawless, secure, and scalable. Success requires an innovative mind, a proven track record of delivering next-generation products, and a passion for AI-native execution. You are a master of technical specifications who can translate complex architectures into simple, actionable reality. If you are a high-agency leader ready to define the 100x engineer era and make a massive, visible impact on our company trajectory, this is your team.

Our Directors Are:

  • Technologists: Strong engineering and technology background with the ability to learn quickly and go deep into our product and engineering solutions - will have a DevOps mindset

  • Effective Communicators: Excellent listener; proven collaborator with senior leaders, peers and staff

  • Partnership Attitude: Have the competencies to build very strong partnerships with other technology leaders that enable your team's ability to stay on the leading edge of industry solutions

  • Curious: Hands-on, "roll up your sleeves" collaborative style of working

  • Passionate: Bring energy and enthusiasm to the job and organization

  • Bold: History of taking smart, calculated risks and aggressively leading through change

  • Achievers: Consistently attain/exceed individual and team goals

You Will:

  • Lead, mentor, and grow a high-velocity team of engineers, fostering a culture of AI adoption and rapid execution

  • Embrace and incubate AI-native workflows, leveraging Claude and LLMs to fundamentally change the math on development speed

  • Operate as a "Player-Coach," remaining deeply hands-on to ship production-ready code and solve complex technical problems

  • Collaborate with product teams to transform intent into functional reality using rigorous, spec-driven design

  • Partner with stakeholders to explain AI-generated architectures, ensuring the final product matches initial intent flawlessly

  • Work within Agile cycles to design, audit, and support technical solutions, serving as the ultimate fail-safe for AI output

  • Lead efforts to bridge I=E (Intent = Execution), guaranteeing high-leverage output without technical debt or hallucinations

  • Conduct design and code reviews to ensure AI-generated code meets world-class standards for quality and integrity

Basic Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's Degree

  • At least 7 years' experience in software development

  • At least 5 years' experience in people management
    At least 3 years of experience with cloud-based data platforms (Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform)

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Master's Degree

  • 7+ years of experience in software engineering or data engineering

  • 1+ years of experience with LLM coding assistance tools such as Claude, Windsurf, Copilot or comparable tools

  • 3+ years of experience with AWS

Capital One will consider sponsoring a new qualified applicant for employment authorization for this position.

The minimum and maximum full-time annual salaries for this role are listed below, by location. Please note that this salary information is solely for candidates hired to perform work within one of these locations, and refers to the amount Capital One is willing to pay at the time of this posting. Salaries for part-time roles will be prorated based upon the agreed upon number of hours to be regularly worked.

Chicago, IL: $244,700 - $279,200 for Director, Software Engineering


McLean, VA: $269,100 - $307,200 for Director, Software Engineering


New York, NY: $293,600 - $335,100 for Director, Software Engineering


Richmond, VA: $244,700 - $279,200 for Director, Software Engineering


San Francisco, CA: $293,600 - $335,100 for Director, Software Engineering







Candidates hired to work in other locations will be subject to the pay range associated with that location, and the actual annualized salary amount offered to any candidate at the time of hire will be reflected solely in the candidate's offer letter.

This role is also eligible to earn performance based incentive compensation, which may include cash bonus(es) and/or long term incentives (LTI). Incentives could be discretionary or non discretionary depending on the plan.

Capital One offers a comprehensive, competitive, and inclusive set of health, financial and other benefits that support your total well-being. Learn more at theCapital One Careers website. Eligibility varies based on full or part-time status, exempt or non-exempt status, and management level.

This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days.No agencies please. Capital One is an equal opportunity employer (EOE, including disability/vet) committed to non-discrimination in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Capital One promotes a drug-free workplace. Capital One will consider for employment qualified applicants with a criminal history in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable laws regarding criminal background inquiries, including, to the extent applicable, Article 23-A of the New York Correction Law; San Francisco, California Police Code Article 49, Sections 4901-4920; New York City's Fair Chance Act; Philadelphia's Fair Criminal Records Screening Act; and other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding criminal background inquiries.

If you have visited our website in search of information on employment opportunities or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation, please contact Capital One Recruiting at 1-800-304-9102 or via email at RecruitingAccommodation@capitalone.com. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.

For technical support or questions about Capital One's recruiting process, please send an email to Careers@capitalone.com

Capital One does not provide, endorse nor guarantee and is not liable for third-party products, services, educational tools or other information available through this site.

Capital One Financial is made up of several different entities. Please note that any position posted in Canada is for Capital One Canada, any position posted in the United Kingdom is for Capital One Europe and any position posted in the Philippines is for Capital One Philippines Service Corp. (COPSSC).

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