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Director Software Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Marriott

Senior Director, Software Engineering

Bethesda, MD · On-site

$130K - $172K/yr

Establishes and manages continuous improvement efforts in technical project management, software ... Direct management of complex budgets in excess of $5M annual direct and indirect costs * Direct ...

Riverside Research

Software Engineer

Centreville, VA · On-site

Direct software programming and development of documentation. Confer with systems analysts, engineers, programmers and others to design system and to obtain information on project limitations and ...

Beyond SOF

Software Engineer - Senior

Herndon, VA

$125K - $165K/yr

Develop and direct software system testing and validation procedures, programming, and documentation. * Develop and direct software system testing and validation procedures. Estimate software ...

Beyond SOF

Software Engineer - Senior

Herndon, VA

$126K - $166K/yr

Develop and direct software system testing and validation procedures, programming, and documentation. * Develop and direct software system testing and validation procedures. Estimate software ...

Beyond SOF

Software Engineer - Senior

Herndon, VA · On-site

$125K - $165K/yr

Develop and direct software system testing and validation procedures, programming, and documentation. * Develop and direct software system testing and validation procedures. Estimate software ...

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Director Software information

See Reston, VA salary details

$144.6K

$264.2K

How much do director software jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 19, 2026, the average yearly pay for director software in Reston, VA is $253,761.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $263,200.00 and $263,200.00 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 Reston, VA? The most popular types of Software jobs in Reston, VA are:
What cities near Reston, VA are hiring for Director Software jobs? Cities near Reston, VA with the most Director Software job openings:
Director Software jobs near you
Senior Director, Software Engineering

Senior Director, Software Engineering

Marriott

Bethesda, MD • On-site

$130K - $172K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 29 days ago

Marriott International rating

6.4

Company rating: 6.4 out of 10

Based on 1,143 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

50th of 105 rated hotels

Job description

JOB SUMMARY:

Provides application development leadership for the implementation of key technology initiatives that drive Marriott International's GraphQL Platform strategy in a fast-paced, mission critical environment. This role will be responsible for building and advancing Marriott's platform in alignment with our core business objectives and enterprise architecture principles.

Fosters innovation and manages the application development team with a focus on promoting customer satisfaction. Collaborates with other technology leaders, business partners and promotes agile application development practices and processes across the enterprise. Establishes and manages continuous improvement efforts in technical project management, software engineering & testing automation to improve quality, scalability, and adoption of Marriott's API platform. 

CANDIDATE PROFILE   

Education and Experience  

Required: 

  • 10+ years of application development leadership experience 
  • 5+ years of experience with distributed architectural frameworks and the various approaches to the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) like agile development methodologies. 
  • Experience with technologies-GraphQL, Node.js, Typescript, Java, NoSQL, Spring boot, Kafka, Docker, K8s, Cloud  
  • Experience with defining and executing the enterprise GraphQL platform strategy and roadmap 
  • Experience with leading the design, build, and operation of the GraphQL runtime and federation layer, including Apollo (or similar product) Router/Gateway, traffic management, environment strategy, and platform resiliency to support missioncritical workloads at scale 
  • Experience with owning the enterprise GraphQL Platform vision and execution, defining the longterm roadmap, operating model, and technical strategy for Apollo GraphQL (federation, routing, governance) to enable scalable, domaindriven API delivery across the enterprise 
  • Experience embedding security, compliance, and cost controls into the platform by design, including authorization patterns, query complexity management, rate limiting, data access policies, and secure defaults aligned with enterprise risk standards 
  • Prior experience driving reliability, performance, observability, and real time analytics as firstclass platform capabilities, defining SLIs/SLOs, enabling deep telemetry, and leading incident management, capacity planning, and continuous performance optimization. 
  • Experience or in-depth working knowledge of DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, logging, metrics, monitoring, tracing, service mesh, LTM, GTM, etc. 
  • Deep understanding of the pros and cons with cloud-native solution, microservices-architecture and API orchestration architecture 
  • 5+ years leading innovative, technically complex solutions for business and consumer-facing audiences 
  • Experience with multiple public cloud platforms like AWS and Azure 
  • Experience with designing & implementing cloud native solutions 
  • Strong understanding of API platforms, back-end services, database and networking components of full stack infrastructure 
  • Undergraduate degree or equivalent 

 

Preferred: 

  • Experience developing GraphQL APIs using Apollo and REST based APIs 
  • Experience leveraging micro-services development patterns and principles  
  • Experience and deep understanding of capabilities (such as orchestration, filtering, sorting etc) that GraphQL vs REST based microservices should be leveraged for. 
  • Demonstrated success leading medium- to large-scale initiatives/transformations  
  • Strong experience in platform based approach and building platform for the enterprise to be used across all domains. 
  • Active contributions to OSS projects 
  • Relevant technology certifications 
  • Proven management experience in strategic planning and budgeting within one or more business groups  
  • Experience with and knowledge of global IT outsourcing activities in a managed services environment 
  • Proven management experience in application development across waterfall and agile environments. 
  • Experience transforming mainframe-based applications into modern open system technologies 
  • Proven success in driving DevOps best practices and capabilities into development teams 
  • Experience with Automation testing, Performance Engineering, Release Management processes and Application Deployments. 
  • Working in a Product-based model and building strong partnerships with Product owners by providing innovative technology solutions to complex business problems 
  • Direct management of complex budgets in excess of $5M annual direct and indirect costs 
  • Direct management of cross functional, sourced, or matrixed teams 
  • Experience with DR strategy rollout and Production support of mission critical applications. 

 

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES   

 Managing Application Development Standards, Processes, and Tools

  • Works with direct reports to facilitate consistency of service delivery across client groups 
  • Facilitates compliance with the standard set of application development tools and processes that will drive consistency and predictability throughout the SDLC for all client groups including: 
  • SDLC standard tools and processes for both waterfall and agile development 
  • Estimating standard tools and processes, incorporating flexibility for small and large projects 
  • Deployment standard tools and processes 
  • Monitors projects for adherence to defined application development processes 
  • Communicates to Application Development leaders opportunities to create broader IT related and corporate standards and policies where necessary 
  • Communicates important application development policy changes that affect service provider and/or Marriott operations 

Managing Day-To-Day Relationships with Teams

  • Manages application development projects in partnership with IT teams, business partners and providers 
  • Provides project management of business projects  
  • Oversees effective reporting within application development team 
  • Leads project reviews with team on application development projects 
  • Manages day-to day relationships with all IT teams to promote the delivery of services that meet or exceed the client expectations 
  • Monitors projects for alignment with defined business case process  
  • Drives timely resolution of escalated service delivery problems and minimizes the impact of any client service delivery issues  
  • Manages, and improves service level reporting for application development 
  • Provides early warning to the appropriate Business Partnership & Planning leaders and team regarding degraded or missed service levels 
  • Assists with application, development and maintenance of service provider project management standards and tools 
  • Participates in client portfolio and demand management processes, and engages service providers to ensure client satisfaction  
  • Works with application development service providers 
  • Validates the service provider(s) performs the services agreed to by the master services agreement in a manner that is consistent with both the spirit and the letter of the agreement 
  • Works with team to progress the service providers services to match client needs 
  • Facilitates team and service provider compliance with the agreement 
  • Validates service levels meet business needs 
  • Facilitates the definition and enforcement of good service provider contracts 
  • Supports the IT organization 
  • Provides input to IT's business strategy and planning as needed 
  • Supports and follows defined IT Governance decision rights, standards and practices 
  • Emphasizes accuracy and effectiveness of estimating and planning management with team 
  • Provides input to business/discipline and continent IT budgets 

Implementing and Managing Continuous Improvement Program

  • Drives adoption of CMMi or similar metrics to demonstrate continuous improvement and alignment with the industry 
  • Demonstrates continuous improvement through metrics of quality consistency and client satisfaction 
  • Works with application development service providers, IT teams, and business partners to implement continuous improvement activities 
  • Responds to issues identified in project surveys or other feedback processes, to continually improve client satisfaction 

At Marriott International, we are dedicated to being an equal opportunity employer, welcoming all and providing access to opportunity. We actively foster an environment where the unique backgrounds of our associates are valued and celebrated.Our greatest strength lies in the rich blend of culture, talent, and experiences of our associates. We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis, including disability, veteran status, or other basis protected by applicable law. 

All positions offer a 401(k) plan, stock purchase plan, discounts at Marriott properties, commuter benefits, employee assistance plan, and childcare discounts.  Benefits are subject to terms and conditions, which may include rules regarding eligibility, enrollment, waiting period, contribution, benefit limits, election changes, benefit exclusions, and others. Click here to learn more.

Full-time positions also offer coverage for medical, dental, vision, health care flexible spending account, dependent care flexible spending account, life insurance, disability insurance, accident insurance, adoption expense reimbursements, paid parental leave and educational assistance. 

Washington Applicants Only: Employees will accrue paid sick leave, 0.077 PTO balance for every hour worked and be eligible to receive a minimum of 9 holidays annually.

Marriott HQ is committed to a hybrid work environment that enables associates to Be connected.  Headquarters-based positions are considered hybrid, for candidates within a commuting distance to Bethesda, MD; candidates outside of commuting distance to Bethesda, MD will be considered for Remote positions.
Marriott International is the world's largest hotel company, with more brands, more hotels and more opportunities for associates to grow and succeed. Be where you can do your best work, begin your purpose, belong to an amazing global team, and become the best version of you.

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