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Software Engineer Manager Jobs (NOW HIRING)

As a Principal Software Engineer Manager on the Microsoft Store team, you will lead a full-stack engineering team responsible for a portfolio of high-scale backend services. You will set technical ...

Systems & Software Engineer Manager

Wilmington, MA · On-site

$189K - $224K/yr

Drive development and engagement of Software and Systems Engineers by: * Managing team performance through setting objectives, conducting reviews, and providing feedback. * Mentoring and coaching ...

Drive development and engagement of Software and Systems Engineers by: * Managing team performance through setting objectives, conducting reviews, and providing feedback. * Mentoring and coaching ...

Systems & Software Engineer Manager

Wilmington, MA · On-site

$189K - $224K/yr

Drive development and engagement of Software and Systems Engineers by: * Managing team performance through setting objectives, conducting reviews, and providing feedback. * Mentoring and coaching ...

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Software Engineer Manager information

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$99.5K

$169.4K

$200.5K

How much do software engineer manager jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 12, 2026, the average yearly pay for software engineer manager in the United States is $169,381.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $173,000.00 and $173,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges faced by software engineer managers when transitioning from an individual contributor role?

Software Engineer Managers often find the shift from coding-focused work to leadership responsibilities challenging. Instead of primarily writing code, their days are filled with mentoring team members, managing project timelines, and facilitating communication between technical and non-technical stakeholders. Balancing technical oversight with people management, and learning to delegate effectively, are critical skills to develop. Additionally, they must stay current with technology trends while focusing on team growth and performance.

What is the difference between Software Engineer Manager vs Software Developer?

AspectSoftware Engineer ManagerSoftware Developer
CredentialsBachelor's or higher in CS or related field; often leadership experienceBachelor's degree in CS or related field; coding skills
Work EnvironmentLeads teams, manages projects, collaborates with stakeholdersFocuses on coding, designing, and implementing software solutions
Industry UsageCommon in tech companies, startups, large enterprisesWidespread across industries, including tech, finance, healthcare
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding managerial roles, career progressionTechnical skills, coding responsibilities

The main difference between a Software Engineer Manager and a Software Developer lies in their responsibilities. The manager oversees teams, manages projects, and aligns technical work with business goals, while the developer primarily focuses on coding and building software solutions. Both roles require strong technical skills, but the manager also needs leadership and project management abilities.

What is a software engineer manager?

A Software Engineer Manager is a professional who leads a team of software engineers, overseeing the design, development, and deployment of software projects. They are responsible for managing team performance, setting goals, and ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget. In addition to technical expertise, they also handle hiring, mentoring, and career development of team members. Software Engineer Managers often collaborate with other departments to align technical solutions with business objectives. Their role combines leadership, project management, and deep technical knowledge.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a software engineer manager?

To thrive as a Software Engineer Manager, you need a solid background in software development, team leadership experience, and often a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with project management tools (like Jira), version control systems (such as Git), and cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure) is typically required, along with relevant certifications. Exceptional communication, problem-solving, and mentoring abilities help you build effective teams and drive project success. These skills ensure you can lead technical initiatives, foster collaboration, and deliver high-quality software solutions in dynamic environments.
More about Software Engineer Manager jobs
What cities are hiring for Software Engineer Manager jobs? Cities with the most Software Engineer Manager job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Software Engineer jobs? The most popular types of Software Engineer jobs are:
What states have the most Software Engineer Manager jobs? States with the most job openings for Software Engineer Manager jobs include:
Infographic showing various Software Engineer Manager job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 86% Full Time, 12% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 94% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $169,381 per year, or $81.4 per hour.

Software Engineer Manager, Kubernetes Networking

Google Inc.

Sunnyvale, CA • On-site

$207 - $301/hr

Other

Re-posted 21 days ago


Google rating

8.8

Company rating: 8.8 out of 10

Based on 103 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

49th of 243 rated software companies


Job description

Software Engineer Manager, Kubernetes Networking

corporate_fare Google place Sunnyvale, CA, USA

Qualifications
  • Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent practical experience.
  • 8 years of experience in software development.
  • 5 years of experience with networking.
  • 3 years of experience building and developing large-scale infrastructure or distributed systems.
  • 2 years of experience in a people management role managing direct reports.
Preferred qualifications
  • Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science or related technical field.
  • 5 years of experience managing large-scale Kubernetes or Docker environments.
  • Experience with eBPF, in-kernel networking, data plane and control plane elements.
About the job

Like Google's own ambitions, the work of a Software Engineer goes beyond just Search. Software Engineering Managers have not only the technical expertise to take on and provide technical leadership to major projects, but also manage a team of Engineers. You not only optimize your own code but make sure Engineers are able to optimize theirs. As a Software Engineering Manager you manage your project goals, contribute to product strategy and help develop your team. Teams work all across the company, in areas such as information retrieval, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, distributed computing, large-scale system design, networking, security, data compression, user interface design; the list goes on and is growing every day. Operating with scale and speed, our exceptional software engineers are just getting started -- and as a manager, you guide the way.

With technical and leadership expertise, you manage engineers across multiple teams and locations, a large product budget and oversee the deployment of large-scale projects across multiple sites internationally.

Google Distributed Cloud is a portfolio of fully managed hardware and software solutions which extends Google Cloud’s infrastructure and services to the edge and into your data centers. In this role, you will be responsible for building networking solutions and networking abstractions for these environments and drive solutions integration and validation efforts collaborating with Partners and Customers. Additionally, you will be focusing on building kubevirt networking solution, bootstrapping networking for new GDC platforms, enhancing our feature‑reach portfolio of security and services built on top of GDC Network Gateway, consolidating Dataplane‑v2 support among all GDC environments where Kubernetes runs.

Responsibilities
  • Manage and develop an engineering team by shaping career growth, managing sprint velocity, and allocating resources to balance immediate customer commitments with long‑term architectural health.
  • Direct the roadmap, strategy, and execution for Google Distributed Cloud (GDC)-hosted networking virtualization solutions, collaborating with platform, GDC, Anthos networking teams, and adjacent stakeholders.
  • Guide the design and development of network connectivity solutions involving both data plane and control plane elements for hybrid and multi‑cloud environments.
  • Direct the design and delivery of network virtualization solutions tailored for container and virtual machine (VM) workloads operating on Kubernetes platforms.
  • Advocate operational excellence by assisting external GDC customers and resolving issues within production clusters.

Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

US: $207,000 – $301,000 (USD) + 20% bonus target + equity + benefits.

Google is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We are committed to building a workforce that is representative of the users we serve, creating a culture of belonging, and providing an equal employment opportunity regardless of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding), expecting or parents-to-be, criminal histories consistent with legal requirements, or any other basis protected by law. See also Google’s EEO Policy, Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal, Belonging at Google, and How we hire.

Google is a global company and, in order to facilitate efficient collaboration and communication globally, English proficiency is a requirement for all roles unless stated otherwise in the job posting.

To all recruitment agencies: Google does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Google employees, or any other organization location. Google is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

Equity is granted exclusively and discretionarily by Alphabet Inc. on the basis of an agreement concluded between you and Alphabet Inc. Alphabet Inc. is your sole contractual partner with respect to equity grants. GSU grants are not guaranteed, are discretionary, are subject to approval by the Alphabet Inc. board of directors or its delegate, the terms of the relevant Alphabet Inc. stock plan, and your grant agreement. They have no impact on statutory payments. Current or past grants do not confer an acquired right.

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