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Director Software Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Join Carbon, a trailblazer in Additive Manufacturing technology, as our Head of Software Engineering. This role calls for a visionary leader capable of merging advanced software solutions with ...

Lucid is seeking a Director, Software Programs to provide senior functional and execution leadership for all Software Programs teams , within the Technical Programs organization. This role is ...

Director, Software

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$240K - $478K/yr

Lead and grow the software engineering organization, focusing on high-level strategy, technical architecture, and team management while being comfortable digging into and understanding the underlying ...

They are seeking a Director, Software Programs to lead the Software Programs teams, ensuring that complex vehicle software is delivered with the right scope, quality, and timing across their vehicle ...

Director, Software Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$296K/yr

Job Summary As the 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 for ...

The Director of Software Engineering reports to Director of Product Development and leads Diality's Software Engineering and Software Verification & Validation organizations. This role serves as the ...

Director, Software Engineering

Irvine, CA · On-site

$223K - $260K/yr

The Director of Software Engineering reports to Director of Product Development and leads Diality's Software Engineering and Software Verification & Validation organizations. This role serves as the ...

Director, Software Engineering

San Diego, CA · On-site

$268K/yr

Position Summary & Responsibilities The Software Lead Director will provide strategic leadership and direction for the development of software solutions across the Logos Space architecture, which ...

Director, Software Manufacturing

San Jose, CA · On-site

$296K/yr

Position Overview Lumilens is seeking a Director of Software Manufacturing to lead the strategy, development, and execution of software systems that enable high-volume manufacturing of next ...

Director, Software Engineering

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$288K/yr

As the Director of Software Engineering, you are a hands-on, "rock star" Java developer and visionary leader responsible for driving the development of enterprise-grade cloud SaaS/PaaS distributed ...

Director, Software Engineering

Irvine, CA · On-site

$271K/yr

Cotality is seeking a highly experienced and strategic Director of Software Engineering to lead our Digital Gateway initiatives. In this critical leadership role, you will hold ultimate ...

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Showing results 1-20

Director Software information

See California salary details

$137.2K

$250.7K

How much do director software jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 3, 2026, the average yearly pay for director software in California is $240,723.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $249,700.00 and $249,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are Director Software roles?

A Director of Software is a senior leadership position responsible for overseeing the software development teams and guiding the strategic direction of software projects within an organization. They manage engineering managers and developers, set technical vision, ensure projects are aligned with business goals, and often collaborate with other departments like product management and operations. The role requires strong technical expertise, leadership skills, and the ability to balance innovation with operational efficiency. Directors of Software are also tasked with recruiting top talent, mentoring team members, and ensuring software quality and security standards are met.

What are some typical challenges a Director of Software faces when leading cross-functional teams?

A Director of Software often encounters challenges such as aligning priorities across engineering, product, and design teams, ensuring clear communication, and managing competing deadlines. Balancing technical debt reduction with new feature development is also a common concern. Successful Directors build strong relationships with stakeholders, foster a culture of collaboration, and implement processes that support transparency and efficient decision-making.

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

To thrive as a Director of Software, you need extensive experience in software development, strong leadership abilities, and a relevant degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with technical tools such as project management software (e.g., Jira), cloud platforms, and agile methodologies, as well as certifications like PMP or Scrum Master, is highly beneficial. Exceptional problem-solving, communication, and team management skills set outstanding candidates apart. These competencies are crucial for guiding teams, delivering high-quality products, and aligning software initiatives with organizational goals.

What is the difference between Director Software vs Software Engineer?

AspectDirector SoftwareSoftware Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in CS or related field, leadership experienceBachelor's or higher in CS or related field, coding skills
Work EnvironmentLeadership, strategic planning, cross-team collaborationHands-on coding, development, debugging
Employer & Industry UsageTech companies, software firms, startupsAlmost universal across tech industries
Common Search & ComparisonOften compared for career progression, responsibilitiesEntry to mid-level roles, technical focus

The main difference between a Director Software and a Software Engineer lies in their responsibilities and experience. Directors focus on strategic planning, team leadership, and project oversight, often requiring leadership credentials. Software Engineers are primarily involved in coding and technical development. While Software Engineers are more hands-on with daily technical tasks, Directors oversee multiple projects and teams, guiding overall software development strategies.

What are the most commonly searched types of Software jobs in California? The most popular types of Software jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Director Software jobs? Cities in California with the most Director Software job openings:
Infographic showing various Director Software job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 82% Full Time, 13% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $240,723 per year, or $115.7 per hour.

Sr. Director, Software Engineering - Finance Tech

Capital One

San Francisco, CA • On-site, Remote

$298K/yr

Full-time

Posted 6 days ago


Capital One rating

7.7

Company rating: 7.7 out of 10

Based on 146 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

92nd of 170 rated banks


Job description

Sr. Director, Software Engineering - Finance Tech

As a Capital One Senior Director of Software Engineering, you'll work on everything from customer-facing web and mobile applications using cutting-edge open source frameworks, to highly-available RESTful microservices, to back-end Java based systems using the hottest techniques in Big Data. You'll bring solid experience in emerging and traditional technologies such as: node.js, Java, GO, AngularJS, React, Python, REST, JSON, XML, Ruby, Perl, NoSQL databases, relational databases, Hadoop, Chef, Maven, iOS, Android, and AWS/Cloud Infrastructure to name a few.

You will:

  • Lead, manage and grow multiple teams of product focused software engineers

  • Mentor and guide the professional and technical development of engineers on your team.

  • Work with product managers to understand desired application capabilities and testing scenarios

  • Continuously improve software engineering practices

  • Work within and across Agile teams to design, develop, test, implement, and support technical solutions across a full-stack development tools and technologies

  • Lead the craftsmanship, availability, resilience, and scalability of your solutions

  • Bring a passion to stay on top of tech trends, experiment with and learn new technologies, participate in internal & external technology communities, and mentor other members of the engineering community

  • Encourage innovation, implementation of cutting-edge technologies, inclusion, outside-of-the-box thinking, teamwork, self-organization, and diversity

  • Work across to improve the velocity of your and other teams

  • Lead efforts to deploy new and existing applications into AWS environments

  • Break existing monolithic applications into micro service architectures and build new microservices

Basic Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's Degree

  • At least 9 years of experience in software engineering

  • At least 7 years of experience in people management

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Master's Degree in Computer Science or a Master's Degree in Software Engineering

  • 13+ years of experience in software engineering

  • 8+ years of experience in Agile practices

  • Concrete experience leveraging AI to accelerate productivity and automate manual business processes

  • Experience building/scaling high-throughput transaction matching engines, event-driven streaming architectures, and financial ledgers/ERP integrations (Workday/PeopleSoft)

Capital One is open to hiring a Remote Employee for this opportunity.

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.

Remote (Regardless of Location): $286,200 - $326,700 for Sr. Dir, Software Engineering


Cambridge, MA: $314,800 - $359,300 for Sr. Dir, Software Engineering


McLean, VA: $314,800 - $359,300 for Sr. Dir, Software Engineering


New York, NY: $343,400 - $392,000 for Sr. Dir, Software Engineering


Richmond, VA: $286,200 - $326,700 for Sr. Dir, Software Engineering


San Francisco, CA: $343,400 - $392,000 for Sr. Dir, 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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