ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Head Of Software Development Jobs in Chicago, IL

Northern Trust

Global Head of Platform Engineering

Chicago, IL · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The role reports to the Global Head of Engineering and is accountable for improving engineering ... the software development lifecycle. * Design, build, and maintain DevSecOps integrations and ...

Northern Trust

Global Head of Platform Engineering

Chicago, IL · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The role reports to the Global Head of Engineering and is accountable for improving engineering ... the software development lifecycle. * Design, build, and maintain DevSecOps integrations and ...

Hobbsnews

Director of Software Engineering

Chicago, IL · On-site

$244.70 - $279.20/hr

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

nvisia

Software Developer

Chicago, IL · On-site

NVISIA is a consulting firm focused on application development with 21 years of successful project delivery. The Software Developer will be responsible for the detailed design and development of ...

Canopius

Head of Programs

Chicago, IL · On-site

$200K - $232K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Retirement

The Role The US Head of Programs is a senior portfolio management position responsible for the ... While business development will play a key part of this role, the ideal candidate will distinguish ...

ULINE

Software Development Manager

Glenview, IL

$121K - $160K/yr

  • Medical

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Software Development Manager Pay from $121,000 to $160,000 per year Corporate Headquarters 12575 ... Lead and develop a team of 3 to 5 developers, fostering a culture of high performance and ...

ULINE

Software Development Manager

Waukegan, IL

$121K - $160K/yr

  • Medical

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Software Development Manager Pay from $121,000 to $160,000 per year Corporate Headquarters 12575 ... Lead and develop a team of 3 to 5 developers, fostering a culture of high performance and ...

Stripe

Head of Sales Development, AMER

Chicago, IL

The Head of AMER Sales Development leads the Core AMER Sales Development team across inbound and outbound motions. This leader directly manages managers and owns qualified pipeline, SQOs, ONR ...

Stripe

Head of Sales Development, AMER

Chicago, IL · On-site

The Head of AMER Sales Development leads the Core AMER Sales Development team across inbound and outbound motions. This leader directly manages managers and owns qualified pipeline, SQOs, ONR ...

Broadcom

R&D Software Engineer

Lisle, IL · On-site

Required : • At least 8+ years of experience testing modern large-scale software and complex test ... software development using IBM Assembler/Metal C on the mainframe (zOS or zVSE) platform • ...

previous pagenext page

Showing results 21-40

All JobsHead Of Software Development JobsHead Of Software Development Jobs in Chicago, IL

Head Of Software Development information

See Chicago, IL salary details

$107.7K

$183.3K

$248.3K

How much do head of software development jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for head of software development in Chicago, IL is $183,344.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $157,600.00 and $212,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Head Of Software Development vs Software Engineering Manager?

AspectHead Of Software DevelopmentSoftware Engineering Manager
ResponsibilitiesOversees entire software development strategy, manages multiple teams, aligns projects with business goalsManages software engineering teams, focuses on project delivery, team performance, and technical guidance
Required CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in CS or related, extensive experience, leadership skillsBachelor's/Master's in CS or related, technical expertise, leadership experience
Work EnvironmentExecutive level, strategic planning, cross-department collaborationTechnical team management, project-focused, collaborative with developers

The Head Of Software Development typically holds a higher strategic and leadership role, overseeing multiple teams and aligning software initiatives with business objectives. The Software Engineering Manager focuses more on managing engineering teams and ensuring project delivery. Both roles require technical background and leadership skills, but the Head Of Software Development has broader responsibilities and a more strategic scope.

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

To thrive as a Head of Software Development, you need deep expertise in software engineering, project management, and team leadership, typically supported by a relevant degree and significant industry experience. Familiarity with agile methodologies, CI/CD tools, cloud platforms, and project management systems like Jira or Trello is essential. Outstanding communication, strategic thinking, and mentoring abilities help drive team performance and stakeholder alignment. These skills ensure effective delivery of high-quality software solutions, foster innovation, and support organizational goals.

How does the Head of Software Development typically collaborate with other departments to align technical initiatives with business goals?

As the Head of Software Development, you'll regularly work with cross-functional teams, including product management, marketing, and executive leadership, to ensure technical strategies align with overall business objectives. This involves participating in strategic planning sessions, translating business requirements into technical roadmaps, and overseeing project prioritization. Effective communication and stakeholder management are key, as you'll need to balance technical feasibility with market demands and resource constraints. Building strong relationships across departments is essential to drive innovation and deliver value to the organization.

What does a head of software development do?

A head of software development oversees the planning, coordination, and execution of software projects, managing development teams and ensuring timely delivery of quality products. They set technical strategies, establish development standards, and collaborate with other departments to align software solutions with business goals. Strong leadership, technical expertise, and knowledge of development tools are essential in this role.

What are the most commonly searched types of Of Software Development jobs in Chicago, IL?

The most popular types of Of Software Development jobs in Chicago, IL are:

What are popular job titles related to Head Of Software Development jobs in Chicago, IL?

For Head Of Software Development jobs in Chicago, IL, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Head Of Software Development jobs in Chicago, IL look for?

The top searched job categories for Head Of Software Development jobs in Chicago, IL are:

What cities near Chicago, IL are hiring for Head Of Software Development jobs?

Cities near Chicago, IL with the most Head Of Software Development job openings:

Head Of Software Development jobs near you
Infographic showing various Head Of Software Development job openings in Chicago, IL as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 82% Full Time, 14% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $183,344 per year, or $88.1 per hour.

Global Head of Platform Engineering

Northern Trust

Chicago, IL • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 23 days ago

Northern Trust rating

8.2

Company rating: 8.2 out of 10

Based on 27 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

Job description

About Northern Trust
As a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking services, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world's most successful individuals, families, corporations and institutions.
Since 1889, we have aligned our efforts with our three guiding Principles That Endure: Service, Expertise, and Integrity. Together, they reflect the three cornerstones of business conduct which we strive to instill in our employees, whom we call partners, and to provide to our clients and the communities we serve worldwide.
With more than 135 years of financial experience and over 24,000 partners, we serve the world's most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.
The global lead for Platform Engineering leads the strategy, development, and operationalization of shared developer tools and foundational services used across Global Engineering and the BU CIO Engineering teams. The role reports to the Global Head of Engineering and is accountable for improving engineering consistency, scalability, security, and reliability by delivering high-quality shared tools and services.
Key responsibilities of the role include:
  • Own the end-to-end developer experience across build, test, deployment, and runtime by partnering with application engineering leaders across Engineering and BU CIO to understand needs, identify opportunities, and reduce friction across the software development lifecycle.
  • Design, build, and maintain DevSecOps integrations and pipelines to enable efficient, reliable, and predictable software delivery across the firm while ensuring platform stability and resilience.
  • Deliver developer productivity and flow metrics by collecting, integrating, and maintaining data and analytics across disparate systems.
  • Design, build, and maintain AI agents that support the end-to-end SDLC and contribute to more predictable, efficient software delivery.
  • Maintain common shared services and tools, including API gateways, Confluence, and other core engineering platforms.
  • Maintain current and approved open-source libraries and dependencies.
  • Lead the product management function for Platform Engineering by defining the vision, roadmap, and priorities for shared engineering platforms and services in partnership with engineering leaders and key stakeholders.
  • Drive adoption of common standards, tools, and practices across Global Engineering and BU CIO, including:
    • Establish standards for tooling, platform usage, and service reliability.
    • Modernize legacy engineering tools and workflows.
    • Implement and standardize agile delivery practices in partnership with Scaled Agile coaches, including:
      • Establish tools, technologies, standards, and best practices to accelerate agile delivery.
      • Own execution of the agile operating model in partnership with Scaled Agile coaches, and continuously adapt processes to improve performance, efficiency, and outcomes.
      • Enhance software engineering productivity through continuous integration and delivery, automation, and innovation.
      • Drive adoption of agile practices and outcomes through tooling, enablement, and measurement.
  • Partner closely with Security, SRE, Risk, Control, and Architecture teams to embed best practices into shared tooling and platforms.
  • Measure and improve engineering productivity using qualitative feedback and quantitative metrics such as DORA and cycle time.
  • Improve the stability of tools and platforms to increase developer productivity and enhance the overall developer experience.
  • Partner with the business and key technology stakeholders to transform the software delivery platform by infusing modern methods and tools, including AI, to drive efficiency and improve speed to market for the Engineering and BU CIO teams.
  • Be accountable for platform delivery metrics, including stability, velocity, and other measures that demonstrate the success of the platform.
Skills/Qualifications:
  • Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
  • Experience:
    • 20+ years of software engineering experience, including 5+ years in a technical leadership role.
    • Strong background in platform engineering, DevOps, and infrastructure.
  • Competencies:
    • Influence without authority by motivating, inspiring, and guiding others toward defined outcomes without direct reporting relationships.
    • Drive efficiency and results by using data and metrics to set priorities, optimize productivity, and deliver high-quality business outcomes.
    • Strong problem-solving skills, including the ability to solve complex challenges within matrixed teams and fixed resource constraints.
    • Strong business acumen, with the ability to understand how the business creates value and translate strategy and requirements into high-quality solutions.
    • Demonstrated experience applying product management disciplines to internal engineering platforms, including vision setting, roadmap development, prioritization, and stakeholder alignment.
    • Ability to translate business, developer, and platform needs into a clear product strategy, measurable outcomes, and an actionable backlog.
  • Knowledge:
    • Emerging technology trends, including AI, automation, and intelligent workflows.
    • Modern CI/CD practices, cloud-native architectures, and automation tools.
    • Agile engineering and delivery practices.
    • Security frameworks (for example, NIST) and data protection and privacy requirements.
    • SDLC governance and technical debt management.
    • SaaS ecosystems and application portfolio rationalization and modernization.
    • IT operations and service management, including incident management, reliability, disaster recovery, and business continuity.
    • Financial services domain knowledge, including products, services, data, and applications.
    • Awareness of risk, control, and regulatory requirements relevant to financial services technology.
The successful candidate will benefit from having:
  • Experience with application modernization, DevOps, and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE).
  • Experience leading teams through change at scale.
Salary Range:
$240,000 - 375,000
Salary range is a good faith estimate of base pay. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.
Work Authorization
Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa).
Working with Us
As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to an inclusive workplace and assisting the communities we serve.
Philanthropy is deeply rooted in Northern Trust's history and is an essential element of our culture. Employees around the world give their time and talent to work for the greater good of their communities.
Reasonable Accommodation
Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing adjustments to individuals with health conditions and disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at MyHRHelp@ntrs.com , or alternatively you can discuss your individual requirements with the recruiter you are working with.

What Northern Trust employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom

Apply