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Tech Lead Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Clera

Tech Lead

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$240K - $260K/yr

About the Role A fast-growing, seed-stage voice AI company in San Francisco is looking for a Tech Lead to step in as a CTO-like engineering leader. You'll own day-to-day engineering operations, raise ...

Stellic

Tech Lead, Explore

San Mateo, CA · On-site +1

$210K - $235K/yr

Stellic is growing! We're looking for a Tech Lead our ****newest product, Explore. Explore is a platform that helps prospective and transfer students plan their academic pathways before they ever set ...

Stellic

Tech Lead, Progress

San Mateo, CA · On-site +1

$210K - $260K/yr

Stellic is growing! We're looking for a Progress Lead to own the technical direction of our Degree ... TECH STACK While we plan on introducing new technologies and capabilities, and potentially ...

Forhyre

Tech Lead - Conversational AI

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

As a Tech Lead - Conversational AI, you will play a crucial role in developing and implementing intelligent chatbot solutions that revolutionize businesses. Responsibilities: * Lead the development ...

Forhyre

Tech Lead - Conversational AI

San Francisco, CA · On-site

As a Tech Lead - Conversational AI, you will play a crucial role in developing and implementing intelligent chatbot solutions that revolutionize businesses. Responsibilities: * Lead the development ...

Forhyre

Tech Lead - Conversational AI

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

As a Tech Lead - Conversational AI, you will play a crucial role in developing and implementing intelligent chatbot solutions that revolutionize businesses. Responsibilities: * Lead the development ...

Qode

Data Tech Lead

CA · On-site

Core Skills: • AWS • Data engineering • Data Tech Lead expertise Supporting Skills: • Support care concepts • Data analytics for personalization and prediction Required Qualifications • 8 ...

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Showing results 21-40

All JobsTech Lead JobsTech Lead Jobs in California

Tech Lead information

See California salary details

$29.6K

$154.3K

$203.3K

How much do tech lead jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 19, 2026, the average yearly pay for tech lead in California is $154,301.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $114,500.00 and $202,300.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a tech lead?

Tech Leads are experienced software engineers who guide the technical direction of a team or project. They are responsible for overseeing the architecture, code quality, and technical decisions while collaborating closely with developers, product managers, and other stakeholders. In addition to their hands-on coding responsibilities, Tech Leads mentor team members, help resolve technical challenges, and ensure that development best practices are followed. Their role is crucial in balancing technical excellence with timely delivery of features.

How does a tech lead balance hands-on technical work with leadership responsibilities?

As a Tech Lead, you'll often split your time between coding, architecture decisions, and providing technical guidance to your team. Balancing these responsibilities requires strong time management, as you'll be expected to contribute to critical codebases while also mentoring junior developers, facilitating code reviews, and aligning technical decisions with business goals. Many organizations support Tech Leads with agile ceremonies and clear delegation, ensuring you can remain technically involved while empowering others to grow. Open communication and collaboration with product managers and stakeholders are also key for success in this role.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a tech lead, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Tech Lead, you need deep technical expertise in software development, strong problem-solving abilities, and typically a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with project management tools (such as Jira or Trello), version control systems (like Git), and relevant programming languages or frameworks is essential. Leadership, effective communication, and mentoring skills help a Tech Lead guide teams and foster collaboration. These skills ensure the delivery of high-quality technical solutions while supporting team growth and project success.

What is the difference between Tech Lead vs Software Engineer?

AspectTech LeadSoftware Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's degree in CS or related field; experience in leadership rolesBachelor's degree in CS or related field; strong coding skills
Work EnvironmentLeads project teams, collaborates with stakeholders, oversees technical decisionsFocuses on coding, debugging, and implementing software solutions
Employer & Industry UsageUsed across tech companies, startups, and large enterprises for team leadershipCommon entry to mid-level role in software development teams

The main difference is that a Tech Lead combines technical expertise with leadership responsibilities, guiding teams and making strategic decisions, while a Software Engineer primarily focuses on coding and developing software solutions. Tech Leads often have more experience and are involved in project planning, whereas Software Engineers concentrate on technical implementation.

What cities in California are hiring for Tech Lead jobs?

Cities in California with the most Tech Lead job openings:

What are popular job titles related to Tech Lead jobs in CA?

For Tech Lead jobs in CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Tech Lead jobs near you
Infographic showing various Tech Lead job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 91% Full Time, 7% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 89% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $154,301 per year, or $74.2 per hour.

Tech Lead

Clera

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$240K - $260K/yr

Full-time

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

Job description

About the Role

A fast-growing, seed-stage voice AI company in San Francisco is looking for a Tech Lead to step in as a CTO-like engineering leader. You'll own day-to-day engineering operations, raise the technical bar across the team, and play a critical role in driving continued ARR growth — all while working hands-on in a high-intensity, in-person environment. This is an opportunity to join a small but formidable team building AI-powered voice and text agents that automate customer service and operational workflows for businesses at scale.

The company is backed by a top-tier accelerator and a strong group of investors, and operates in the rapidly expanding conversational AI / call center automation space.

What You'll Do

  • Manage and lead a team of 4 engineers day-to-day — setting roadmaps, running 1:1s, and owning task prioritization

  • Review code and architectural decisions, ensuring quality standards across speed, performance, and design

  • Establish engineering best practices, processes, and project management cadences

  • Act as a sparring partner to senior leadership and cross-functional teams (Sales, Customer Success)

  • Contribute directly to the codebase (~20–30% of your time as an individual contributor)

What We're Looking For

Required

  • 4–12 years of experience, including formal people management of a team of 4–10 engineers (not just leading side projects)

  • Strong background as an individual contributor before moving into leadership

  • Backend development fluency in Python and solid cloud engineering skills (AWS, GCP, or Azure)

  • Demonstrated ability to evaluate code quality: architecture, performance, and technical trade-offs

  • Hands-on experience designing and leading AI/ML systems at scale, preferably in cloud-based SaaS or startup environments

  • Experience with conversational AI, voice technology, and/or NLP/LLM applications

  • Proficiency deploying ML models in production on cloud platforms

  • Strong communication skills and executive presence; comfortable advocating technical decisions to non-technical stakeholders

  • Highly structured, proactive, and excellent at prioritization and project management

  • Must have the right to work in the US — no visa sponsorship available

Nice to Have

  • Prior experience at a conversational AI or voice AI company

  • Management consulting background

Compensation & Benefits

  • Salary: $240,000 – $260,000 USD annually

  • Equity participation in a high-growth early-stage company

Location

  • San Francisco, CA, United States

  • This role is fully on-site, 5 days per week in San Francisco

  • No visa sponsorship is available; candidates must have existing US work authorization