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Tech Lead Software Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Northwoodspace

Lead Software Engineer (Cloud)

Torrance, CA · On-site

$174K - $260K/yr

... place to do it. LEAD SOFTWARE ENGINEER (CLOUD) Northwood Space is looking for a Lead Software ... Engineer to own and grow our Cloud team in our Torrance office. Northwood's backend organization is ...

AXS

Lead Software Engineer - Front End

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

Bring your enthusiasm, your big ideas, and your desire to team up with some of the best and brightest in technology and entertainment. The Role AXS is seeking a Lead Software Engineer to join our ...

Cadence

Lead Software Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

Cadence is a company that focuses on developing leaders and innovators in technology. They are looking for a highly motivated Lead Software Engineer to join the Protium Compiler team, responsible for ...

Boeing

DevSecOps Lead Software Engineer

El Segundo, CA · On-site

DevSecOps Lead Software Engineer Company: The Boeing Company The Boeing Company is seeking a ... Leads implementation of current and emerging technologies, tools, frameworks, and regulations in ...

STR

Lead Software Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

STR is hiring experienced Lead Software Engineers to join their multidisciplinary cyber/networking team committed to developing cutting-edge technologies that impact national security. The role ...

STR

Lead Software Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

STR is a technology company focused on advanced research and development for defense and national security. They are seeking experienced Lead Software Engineers to design, implement, and test ...

STR

Lead Software Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

Systemstechnologyresearch is hiring experienced Lead Software Engineers to join their multidisciplinary cyber/networking team committed to developing cutting-edge technologies that impact national ...

STR

Lead Software Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

STR is hiring experienced Lead Software Engineers to join their multidisciplinary cyber/networking team committed to developing cutting-edge technologies that significantly impact national security.

STR

Lead Software Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

STR is hiring experienced Lead Software Engineers to join our multidisciplinary cyber/networking team committed to developing cutting-edge technologies that have an immediate and significant impact ...

Cadence

Lead Software Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

Cadence is a company that hires and develops leaders and innovators in technology. They are looking for a Lead Software Engineer to work on their core Static Timing Analysis engine, focusing on ...

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All JobsTech Lead Software Engineer JobsTech Lead Software Engineer Jobs in California

Tech Lead Software Engineer information

See California salary details

$81.9K

$144K

$195.4K

How much do tech lead software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 25, 2026, the average yearly pay for tech lead software engineer in California is $143,980.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $119,400.00 and $166,300.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Tech Lead Software Engineer vs Software Architect?

AspectTech Lead Software EngineerSoftware Architect
CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in CS or related field, relevant certificationsBachelor's/Master's in CS, often with architecture or design certifications
Work EnvironmentHands-on coding, team leadership, project managementDesigning system architecture, high-level planning, technical strategy
Employer & Industry UsageTech companies, startups, enterprise software teamsLarge organizations, system design firms, enterprise software
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding roles, responsibilities, career pathSystem design, technical strategy, architecture planning

The Tech Lead Software Engineer focuses on leading development teams, coding, and project execution, while the Software Architect concentrates on designing overall system architecture and technical strategy. Both roles require strong technical skills, but their primary responsibilities differ in scope and focus.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Tech Lead Software Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Tech Lead Software Engineer, you need advanced programming skills, deep software architecture knowledge, and experience in leading technical teams, often supported by a bachelor's or master's degree in computer science or related fields. Familiarity with tools such as Git, CI/CD pipelines, cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure), and agile project management systems is essential. Strong communication, mentorship, and problem-solving abilities are crucial soft skills for guiding teams and collaborating with stakeholders. These competencies ensure delivery of robust software solutions, foster team productivity, and drive technical excellence in complex projects.

What is a Tech Lead Software Engineer?

A Tech Lead Software Engineer is a senior developer who combines technical expertise with leadership responsibilities. They guide a team of engineers through software development projects, making key technical decisions, setting coding standards, and ensuring that best practices are followed. In addition to writing code, Tech Leads coordinate work, mentor team members, and communicate with stakeholders to align technical solutions with business goals. Their role bridges the gap between hands-on engineering and leadership, ensuring both project success and team growth.

How does a Tech Lead Software Engineer balance hands-on coding with leadership responsibilities?

As a Tech Lead Software Engineer, you'll often split your time between writing code and guiding the technical direction of your team. While you remain involved in architecture decisions and complex problem-solving, you also mentor junior engineers, conduct code reviews, and facilitate communication between team members and stakeholders. Balancing these responsibilities requires strong time management and prioritization skills, ensuring that both project delivery and team development are progressing smoothly. It's common to gradually shift from primarily coding to more strategic leadership as your team grows.
What are popular job titles related to Tech Lead Software Engineer jobs in California? For Tech Lead Software Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Tech Lead Software Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Tech Lead Software Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Tech Lead Software Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Tech Lead Software Engineer job openings:
Tech Lead Software Engineer jobs near you

Lead Software Engineer (Cloud)

Northwoodspace

Torrance, CA • On-site

$174K - $260K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 13 days ago

Job description

Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company bringing the benefits of space to the masses through advanced communications technology. We are building a global network of phased array ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. With a vertically integrated approach, Northwood designs, builds, and rapidly deploys scalable systems that power the next generation of space missions. If you like solving complex challenges and seeing your work deployed around the world with real impact, Northwood is the place to do it.
LEAD SOFTWARE ENGINEER (CLOUD)
Northwood Space is looking for a Lead Software Engineer to own and grow our Cloud team in our Torrance office. Northwood's backend organization is split across three domains: Cloud, Ground, and Data. The Cloud team is responsible for all of Northwood's cloud services, the orchestration of our global ground station network, and the data plane responsible for routing gigabits to terabits per second of data across the world.
In this role, you will lead the team building the cloud platform that manages global antenna scheduling, customer booking, service provisioning, and network orchestration. You will set technical direction for scalable systems handling resource allocation, billing, and customer-facing APIs, while defining the boundaries and contracts between cloud, ground sites, and data systems. Your expertise in cloud architecture and distributed systems will be essential in creating reliable, performant services that handle complex scheduling constraints while delivering a simple customer experience.
RESPONSIBILITIES
  • Lead the Cloud team: set technical direction, mentor engineers, drive execution, and own delivery of Northwood's cloud services end to end
  • Design and develop Northwood's cloud-based booking and reservation system for global antenna network access
  • Build and maintain customer-facing APIs and portals for everything from scheduling and booking to automated network rerouting
  • Implement sophisticated workflows that provide strong guarantees to our customers and make the most out of every site we deploy across the world
  • Own the orchestration layer that coordinates antenna operations across our global network, including the interfaces and contracts between cloud services and on-site ground systems
  • Design and operate the control plane, dataplane and telemetry delivery path, ensuring seamless integration across on-premises and cloud environments
  • Develop billing and metering systems that accurately track resource usage and generate invoices
  • Drive the design and implementation of a comprehensive monitoring solution to ensure continuous platform uptime
  • Collaborate with the Ground and Data teams, site operations, and network operations to build a truly resilient global network
  • Work with customers on defining secure and scalable interfaces for Telemetry, Tracking, and Control (TT&C) and payload data transfer, putting simplicity and extensibility first

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
  • 6+ years of professional software development experience
  • 3+ years building and scaling cloud-based services and APIs in production environments
  • Experience leading engineering teams or projects as a tech lead, with a track record of mentoring engineers and driving technical direction
  • Experience with distributed scheduling systems, resource allocation, or booking platforms
  • Proficiency in modern cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • Experience with one or more of the following languages:
    • Rust, Golang, Haskell, etc.
    • Open to other languages suitable for cloud services and distributed systems
  • Experience building global-scale customer-facing platforms with high reliability requirements
  • Experience defining service boundaries and interfaces across hybrid cloud and on-premises environments
  • Knowledge of API design, authentication, and access control best practices
  • Experience with event-driven architectures and message queues
  • Experience with high-throughput data delivery, streaming pipelines, or telemetry systems
  • Familiarity with billing systems, usage tracking, or subscription management
  • Understanding of simulation and modeling (satellite propagation, etc.)
  • Experience with Kubernetes, containerization, and CI/CD pipelines
  • Knowledge of satellite communications or relevant domain experience (beneficial but not required)

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Software Engineering Manager/Level 3: $174,000 - $218,000 per year
Software Engineering Manager/Level 4: $192,000 - $240,000 per year
Software Engineering Manager/Level 5: $208,000 - $260,000 per year
Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience.
Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at Northwood. You may also be eligible for equity in the form of stock options or other long-term incentives, as well as potential performance bonuses. We offer comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, a 401(k) retirement plan, short- and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, generous paid time off, and various other perks and discounts.
Additional Information:
If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
Northwood Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

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