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Startup Software Engineer Manager Jobs in Seattle, WA

Microsoft

Principal Software Engineer Manager

Redmond, WA · On-site

$188K - $304K/yr

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 ...

Microsoft

Group Software Engineer Manager

Redmond, WA · On-site

As a Group Software Engineer Manager you will be responsible for defining the strategy and directing the modernization and securing of our validation services. You should be passionate about quality ...

NextHop AI

Software Engineer

Bellevue, WA · On-site

As an AI infrastructure startup, we are developing innovative systems to enable large-scale AI ... Participate in all parts of software engineering, ranging from design and implementation of ...

NextHop AI

Software Engineer

Bellevue, WA · On-site

As an AI infrastructure startup, we are developing innovative systems to enable large-scale AI ... Participate in all parts of software engineering, ranging from design and implementation of ...

Google

Software Engineer Manager II, Slicer

Kirkland, WA · On-site

$110K - $151K/yr

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 ...

Caddi

Software Engineer Intern

Seattle, WA · On-site

$30 - $35/hr

Caddi is a seed-stage startup reimagining automation for professionals by transforming simple ... You'll work at the intersection of engineering, AI, and real-world software tooling-helping us ...

NexHealth

Software Engineer

Seattle, WA

Collaborate closely with product managers, designers, and other engineers to scope, plan, and ... Prior experience working in a startup or fast-paced product environment.

Caddi

Software Engineer Intern

Seattle, WA

$30 - $35/hr

Caddi is a seed-stage startup reimagining automation for professionals by transforming simple ... You'll work at the intersection of engineering, AI, and real-world software tooling-helping us ...

CADDi

Software Engineer Intern

Seattle, WA · On-site

$30 - $35/hr

Caddi is a seed-stage startup reimagining automation for professionals by transforming simple ... You'll work at the intersection of engineering, AI, and real-world software tooling--helping us ...

Anduril Industries

Software Engineer, Cloud OS

Seattle, WA · Remote

$68.25 - $88.75/hr

... management, compute infrastructure, networking, and more) * Love building platform and ... Previous experience working in an engineering setting: a startup (or startup-like environment ...

Microsoft AI

Principal Software Engineer

Redmond, WA · On-site

$151K - $202K/yr

The Principal Software Engineer will lead efforts to improve performance outcomes for Microsoft ... startup. • Lead architectural evolution to ensure browser performance remains durable as Edge ...

Prelim

Software Engineer, Product

Seattle, WA · Remote

$140K - $160K/yr

If you're passionate about solving massive-scale engineering challenges and eager to be part of a fast-paced remote startup culture, we encourage you to apply to join our team today! As a Software ...

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All JobsStartup Software Engineer JobsStartup Software Engineer Manager JobsStartup Software Engineer Manager Jobs in Seattle, WA

Startup Software Engineer Manager information

See Seattle, WA salary details

$113.2K

$192.8K

$228.2K

How much do startup software engineer manager jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 7, 2026, the average yearly pay for startup software engineer manager in Seattle, WA is $192,761.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $196,900.00 and $196,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a startup software engineer manager do?

A Startup Software Engineer Manager is responsible for leading a team of software engineers in a fast-paced startup environment. They oversee the development, testing, and deployment of software products while ensuring alignment with the company’s goals and timelines. In addition to technical leadership, they are involved in hiring, mentoring, and fostering a collaborative culture. Their role often includes hands-on coding, making architectural decisions, and communicating with stakeholders to prioritize and deliver features efficiently. The dynamic nature of startups requires them to be adaptable and proactive in solving both technical and organizational challenges.

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

To thrive as a Startup Software Engineer Manager, you need strong technical expertise in software development, leadership experience, and a proven track record of shipping products, typically supported by a relevant degree or equivalent experience. Familiarity with agile project management tools like Jira, version control systems such as Git, and cloud platforms like AWS or Azure is essential. Exceptional communication, adaptability, and problem-solving abilities help you motivate teams and navigate rapid changes. These skills enable effective team leadership, timely product delivery, and the ability to scale engineering efforts in a fast-paced startup environment.

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

AspectStartup Software Engineer ManagerStartup Software Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or higher in CS or related field; leadership experienceBachelor's or higher in CS or related field; coding skills
Work EnvironmentTeam leadership, project management, cross-functional collaborationHands-on coding, feature development, technical problem-solving
Employer & Industry UsageTech startups, fast-paced environments, leadership rolesStartups, product-focused companies, development teams
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding managerial roles in startupsTechnical coding roles in startups

The Startup Software Engineer Manager oversees engineering teams, manages projects, and aligns technical goals with business objectives. In contrast, the Startup Software Engineer focuses on coding, developing features, and technical problem-solving. Both roles require strong technical skills, but the manager also emphasizes leadership and project management.

What are some common challenges faced by startup software engineer managers in building and scaling their teams?

Startup Software Engineer Managers often face the challenge of recruiting top talent with limited brand recognition and resources, while also fostering a collaborative, high-performing culture amidst rapid change. Balancing hands-on technical work with managerial duties, such as mentoring and setting processes, is a common hurdle. Additionally, they must navigate shifting priorities, tight deadlines, and evolving product requirements, all while ensuring team alignment and motivation. Effective communication and adaptability are key to overcoming these challenges in a fast-paced startup environment.
What are popular job titles related to Startup Software Engineer Manager jobs in Seattle, WA? For Startup Software Engineer Manager jobs in Seattle, WA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Startup Software Engineer Manager jobs in Seattle, WA look for? The top searched job categories for Startup Software Engineer Manager jobs in Seattle, WA are:
What cities near Seattle, WA are hiring for Startup Software Engineer Manager jobs? Cities near Seattle, WA with the most Startup Software Engineer Manager job openings:
Startup Software Engineer Manager jobs near you
Infographic showing various Startup Software Engineer Manager job openings in Seattle, WA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $192,761 per year, or $92.7 per hour.

Principal Software Engineer Manager

Microsoft

Redmond, WA • On-site

$188K - $304K/yr

Full-time

Posted 24 days ago

Microsoft rating

8.5

Company rating: 8.5 out of 10

Based on 132 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

78th of 242 rated software companies

Job description

Overview
Are you an experienced software engineer with a passion for Windows? Are you an individual that has a background in successfully launching innovative experiences? Do you excel in collaborating across design, program management, and data disciplines? Do you thrive on solving complex and ambiguous challenges? If so, come join us! We are the Microsoft Store team. Our team is focused on ensuring that Windows users at home, work, and school find it easy to discover and engage with the experiences they need most and that Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) are excited to build Windows experiences because they can innovate, differentiate, and exceed their business goals on Windows.
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 direction, author the Azure infrastructure that runs and delivers these services reliably, and grow a healthy, high-performing team. You will own service reliability, performance, and trust, partnering across engineering, product, and program management to deliver services that millions of customers and partners depend on every day.
At Microsoft, our mission-to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more-guides how we partner with customers to deliver trusted, impactful solutions. With a growth mindset culture, we innovate responsibly and measure success by shared progress-people, teams, and customers. Join us to do meaningful work that changes the world and helps shape what's next for everyone.
Responsibilities
  • Provide hands-on technical leadership, with experience building and shipping solutions using Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative AI. Help the team adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) effectively and safely in engineering workflows.
  • Lead, attract, hire, mentor, develop, and retain a solid, diverse engineering team, fostering ownership, urgency, inclusion, clear communication, growth, and well-being.
  • Set technical direction for high-scale backend services and their Azure infrastructure, using Infrastructure-as-Code and architectural patterns that balance reliability, performance, scalability, maintainability, reuse, and cost.
  • Own service reliability and performance as a Designated Responsible Individual (DRI), driving production troubleshooting, incident response, telemetry, service health monitoring, and a healthy on-call rotation.
  • Ensure solid engineering quality, craftsmanship, security, privacy, fraud prevention, and compliance through effective test strategy, code health, regression prevention, automation, tooling, and operational practices.
  • Partner across frontend engineering, product, design, and program management to plan and deliver high-impact services and releases, manage cross-service dependencies, and bring clarity and momentum to ambiguous problems through resolution.

Qualifications
Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 6+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python
    • OR equivalent experience.

Other Requirements
  • Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings:
    • Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Preferred Qualifications
  • 3+ years people management experience leading software engineering teams.
  • Experience designing, building, and operating high-scale backend services on Azure or a comparable cloud platform.
  • Experience with production operations, including on-call, telemetry, and service health monitoring.
  • Experience with service architectures such as event-driven architecture, microservices, and service-oriented architecture (SOA).
  • Experience with Azure Monitor and internal observability and diagnostics tooling such as Geneva.
  • Experience with service compliance and trust, including GDPR, privacy, fraud detection, and security.
  • Experience applying Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) to deliver reliable, repeatable cloud deployments.

#W+DJOBS
Software Engineering M5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $274,800 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $188,000 - $304,200 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.

What Microsoft employees say

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About Microsoft

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Our infrastructure is comprised of a large global portfolio of more than 100 datacenters and 1 million servers. Our foundation is built upon and managed by a team of subject matter experts working to support services for more than 1 billion customers and 20 million businesses in over 90 countries worldwide. With environmental sustainability and optimization at the forefront of our datacenter design and operations, we continue to grow and evolve as we meet the ever-changing business demands that hold Microsoft as a world-class cloud provider.

Industry

Computer and computer peripheral equipment and software wholesalers

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Redmond, WA, US

Year founded

1975

Social media

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