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Senior Director Software Engineering Jobs in California

NetApp

Sr Director, Software Engineer AI BU

San Jose, CA · On-site

$296K/yr

Job Summary As the Senior 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 ...

Logos Space

Director, Software Engineering

San Diego, CA · On-site

$268K/yr

The Director will lead a team of software engineers, architects, and managers to deliver high-quality, scalable, and reliable software solutions that meet the evolving needs of our business. The full ...

SnapLogic

Director, Software Engineering

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$220K - $250K/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 ...

Cotality

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 ...

SnapLogic

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 ...

Ring Inc

Director, Software Engineering

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$260 - $380/hr

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 ...

SnapLogic

Director, Software Engineering

San Mateo, CA

$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 ...

CoreLogic

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 ...

PETCO

Director, Software Engineering

San Diego, CA · On-site

$170K - $282K/yr

... senior level management and key stakeholders. * Requires advanced technical and business knowledge in software development life cycle, quality assurance, project management and other related ...

DocuSign

Director, Software Engineering

San Francisco, CA · On-site +1

$202K - $299K/yr

What you'll do As the Director of Engineering for Search, you serve as the strategic architect ... software engineering leadership, specifically managing teams focused on large-scale distributed ...

Walmart

(USA) Director, Software Engineering

San Jose, CA · On-site

$169K - $338K/yr

The Director, Software Engineering leads the execution and delivery of complex software and AI/ML systems, ensuring scalability, reliability, and alignment with strategic objectives. This role ...

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All JobsSoftware Engineering JobsSenior Director Software Engineering JobsSenior Director Software Engineering Jobs in California

Senior Director Software Engineering information

See California salary details

$137.2K

$250.7K

How much do senior director software engineering jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 18, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior director software engineering 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 does a senior director of software engineering do?

A Senior Director of Software Engineering is responsible for overseeing multiple software engineering teams, setting technical strategy, and ensuring the successful delivery of software projects. They collaborate closely with other departments, such as product management and operations, to align engineering objectives with business goals. Additionally, they mentor engineering leaders, manage budgets, and drive the adoption of best practices in software development. Their role is key in shaping the technology vision and fostering innovation within the organization.

How does a senior director of software engineering typically balance strategic leadership with hands-on technical oversight?

A Senior Director of Software Engineering is expected to provide high-level strategic direction while also ensuring technical excellence across teams. This often involves setting long-term technology roadmaps, making critical architectural decisions, and mentoring engineering managers. While daily coding is rare, staying technically engaged through code reviews, design sessions, and technical deep-dives helps maintain credibility and alignment with development teams. Effective Senior Directors foster cross-functional collaboration with product, design, and operations to drive business objectives and support organizational growth.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior director of software engineering, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Senior Director of Software Engineering, you need deep technical expertise in software architecture, leadership experience, and a proven track record of managing large engineering teams, often supported by a computer science degree or similar qualification. Familiarity with agile methodologies, cloud platforms (like AWS or Azure), and modern development tools, as well as relevant certifications (e.g., PMP, Scrum Master), is highly valuable. Exceptional communication, strategic thinking, and the ability to mentor and inspire cross-functional teams are standout soft skills for this role. These skills ensure the delivery of high-quality software products, effective team leadership, and alignment with organizational goals in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.

What is the difference between Senior Director Software Engineering vs Vice President of Software Development?

AspectSenior Director Software EngineeringVice President of Software Development
CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in Computer Science or related field; extensive experienceSimilar educational background; often more strategic experience
Work EnvironmentLeads multiple engineering teams, reports to VP or CTOOversees entire software development division, reports to C-level
Industry UsageCommon in large tech companies and enterprisesTypically found in large organizations with complex product portfolios
FocusTechnical leadership, project delivery, team managementStrategic planning, cross-department coordination, executive decision-making

The Senior Director of Software Engineering and Vice President of Software Development roles both require extensive technical expertise and leadership experience. The VP role generally involves a broader strategic scope and higher-level decision-making, often overseeing the entire software development function, while the Senior Director focuses more on managing engineering teams and project execution within that scope.

What cities in California are hiring for Senior Director Software Engineering jobs?

Cities in California with the most Senior Director Software Engineering job openings:

Infographic showing various Senior Director Software Engineering job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 90% Full Time, 6% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $240,723 per year, or $115.7 per hour.

Sr Director, Software Engineer AI BU

NetApp

San Jose, CA • On-site

$296K/yr

Full-time

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

NetApp rating

9.4

Company rating: 9.4 out of 10

Based on 5 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

2nd of 492 rated business services

Job description

Job Summary

As the Senior 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 both cloud and On Premises that delight customers and accelerate business growth. In this pivotal leadership role, you will set the technical vision, build and mentor exceptional teams, and drive execution across complex, large-scale initiatives.

You will demonstrate ownership and insist on the highest standards of quality, maintainability, performance, availability, and customer experience. You will simplify complexity, work backward from customer needs, and deliver measurable results. This role requires strong collaboration with senior leaders across Cloud Storage and other business units. Prior experience in storage systems is preferred but not mandatory.

Key Responsibilities

As a Senior Director, Software Development, you will:

  • Set strategic direction for software development and architecture across multiple teams and product lines.
  • Lead and scale engineering teams, ensuring alignment with business objectives and technical excellence.
  • Drive end-to-end software development lifecycle in an Agile environment, from feature definition to production
  • support.
  • Establish and optimize development processes, operational metrics, and continuous improvement initiatives.
  • Mentor and develop senior engineering leaders, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and inclusion.
  • Collaborate with executive leadership and cross-functional teams to define priorities and deliver customer-
  • centric solutions.
  • Champion operational excellence, including reliability, scalability, and performance of cloud-native services.
  • Recruit and retain top talent, building diverse, high-performing teams.
  • Advocate for best practices in engineering and operations across the organization.
Key Qualifications
  • 15 years of industry experience in software development, including large-scale distributed systems.
  • 10 years of leadership experience, managing multiple engineering teams and senior technical leaders.
  • Proven track record of delivering highly scalable, available, and low-latency cloud services.
  • Hands-on experience with cloud-native architectures on AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
  • Well versed in using agentic engineering using local and/or frontier models
  • Hands-on experience using Distributed Storage Systems.
  • Strong business acumen and ability to influence strategy & direction at the executive level.
  • Exceptional communication skills, capable of presenting complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
  • Experience defining and implementing best practices for the full software development lifecycle.
  • Expertise in performance, scalability, and enterprise system architecture.
  • Experience with data processing, analytics, and AI/ML systems.
  • Domain expertise on knowledge graphs, semantics and data modeling.
  • Prior experience building CI/CD infrastructure for large-scale deployments.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Hands-on experience with Distributed Database Systems.
  • Hands-on experience with training and deploying AI models

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