Director of Software Applications Engineering

Socket.dev; Salem (NH); Hybrid; USD 190,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus/incentive opportunities

Equity

Full benefits package

Job summary

Extreme Networks is seeking a Director of Software Applications Engineering to lead cloud-native applications, APIs, and data services powering our cloud networking platform. This hybrid Salem, US role balances hands-on leadership with strategic roadmapping and cross-functional collaboration to ship secure, scalable software at cloud scale.

You will manage multiple engineering teams, drive CI/CD, observability, and SSDLC, partner with product and platform teams, and report to the VP of Cloud

Qualifications

• 12+ years of software engineering experience
• 5+ years in engineering leadership/management
• Experience building cloud-native apps on AWS/Azure/GCP with microservices
• Strong middleware/data services background (REST/gRPC, messaging, data pipelines)
• Proven ability to lead cross-team initiatives and communicate with execs
• Solid secure software practices, CI/CD, and observability tooling
• Excellent written and verbal communication with stakeholders

Responsibilities

• Own strategy, architecture, and execution roadmap for cloud apps, APIs, and data services
• Lead and develop multiple engineering teams with clear goals
• Partner with Product Management to translate requirements into a technical roadmap
• Drive engineering excellence: code quality, CI/CD, test automation, observability, SSDLC
• Ensure scalability and performance in multi-tenant, multi-region cloud environments
• Collaborate with Platform, SRE/Cloud Ops, Security and Support on incidents and capacity planning
• Manage budget, vendor decisions, and resourcing with VP leadership
• Represent team in executive reviews and cross-org initiatives
• Champion Agile/Scrum and continuous improvement

Skills

Cloud-native apps

Leadership/management

AWS/Azure/GCP

Docker/Kubernetes

APIs/Middleware

CI/CD

Observability

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/SE or related

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Kafka

Job description

Over 50,000 customers globally trust our end-to-end, cloud-driven networking solutions. They rely on our top-rated services and support to accelerate their digital transformation efforts and deliver unprecedented progress. With double-digit growth year over year, no provider is better positioned to deliver scalable outcomes than Extreme.

Inclusion is one of our core values and in our DNA. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace that embraces our differences and creates an atmosphere where all our employees thrive because of their differences, not in spite of them.

Become part of Something big with Extreme! As a global networking leader, learn why there’s no better time to join the Extreme team.

Position : Director of Software Applications Engineering

Department: Cloud Networking Engineering

Reports To: Vice President, Cloud Networking Engineering

Location: Hybrid – Salem, United States

Full-Time

Position Summary

Extreme Networks is looking for a Director, Software Applications Engineering to lead the teams that design, build, and operate the cloud-native applications, APIs, and middleware/data services powering our cloud networking platform. This leader owns the technical roadmap and delivery quality for application-layer services that sit above the network fabric — provisioning, orchestration, telemetry, analytics, and customer-facing management applications — and partners closely with product management, platform/infrastructure engineering, and customer-facing teams to ship reliable, secure, and scalable software at cloud scale. Reporting to the VP of Cloud Networking Engineering, this role balances hands-on technical leadership with people management, resourcing, and cross-functional influence.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the strategy, architecture, and execution roadmap for cloud applications, APIs, and middleware/data services supporting the cloud networking platform.
• Lead, hire, and develop multiple engineering teams (managers and individual contributors), setting clear goals, career paths, and performance expectations.
• Partner with Product Management and the VP of Cloud Networking Engineering to translate business and customer requirements into a prioritized, achievable technical roadmap.
• Drive engineering excellence: code quality, CI/CD practices, test automation, observability, and secure software development lifecycle (SSDLC) across all owned services.
• Ensure the scalability, availability, and performance of cloud applications and data services running in multi-tenant, multi-region cloud environments.
• Collaborate with Platform Engineering, SRE/Cloud Operations, Security, and Support teams to manage incident response, capacity planning, and service-level objectives (SLOs).
• Evaluate and evolve the middleware and data-services architecture (APIs, messaging, event streaming, data pipelines) to support new product capabilities and integrations.
• Manage departmental budget, vendor/tooling decisions, and resource planning in partnership with the VP.
• Represent Software Applications Engineering in executive reviews, planning cycles, and cross-org initiatives; communicate status, risks, and trade-offs clearly to senior leadership.
• Champion Agile/Scrum or similar delivery practices, continuous improvement, and a strong engineering culture across distributed teams.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• 12+ years of progressive software engineering experience, including 5+ years in engineering leadership/management roles overseeing multiple teams.
• Demonstrated experience building and operating cloud-native applications on AWS, Azure, or GCP, including microservices, containers (Docker/Kubernetes), and serverless technologies.
• Strong background in middleware and data services — REST/gRPC APIs, message queues/event streaming (e.g., Kafka), and data pipeline or database technologies (SQL and NoSQL).
• Proven ability to lead through organizational change, manage competing priorities, and deliver complex, cross-team initiatives on schedule.
• Experience partnering with Product Management on roadmap definition, and communicating technical strategy to executive stakeholders.
• Solid understanding of secure software development practices, CI/CD pipelines, and modern observability/monitoring tooling.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to influence peers and senior leadership without direct authority.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in the networking, cloud networking, or infrastructure software industry (SD-WAN, network management, IoT, or similar).
• Master's degree in a relevant technical field or MBA.
• Experience scaling engineering organizations through periods of rapid product or company growth.
• Familiarity with multi-tenant SaaS architecture, subscription/licensing models, and enterprise-grade security and compliance requirements (SOC 2, GDPR, etc).
• Prior exposure to AIOps, telemetry/analytics platforms, or large-scale data engineering.

Travel Requirements

Occasional travel (up to 10–15%) for team offsites, customer engagements, and company events.

Compensation & Benefits

The base salary range for this role is [$ 190000 – $240000 USD], determined by geographic location, relevant experience, and qualifications, in compliance with applicable US pay transparency laws. This position is also eligible for bonus/incentive compensation, equity, and Extreme Networks' full benefits package (medical, 401(k) match, and more).

Equal Opportunity Employer

Extreme Networks is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, nationality, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Extreme Networks, Inc. (EXTR) creates effortless networking experiences that enable all of us to advance. We push the boundaries of technology leveraging the powers of machine learning, artificial intelligence, analytics, and automation. Over 50,000 customers globally trust our end-to-end, cloud-driven networking solutions and rely on our top-rated services and support to accelerate their digital transformation efforts and deliver progress like never before. For more information, visit Extreme'swebsiteor follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

We encourage people from underrepresented groups to apply. Come Advance with us! In keeping with our values, no employee or applicant will face discrimination/harassment based on: race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, or veteran status. Above and beyond discrimination/harassment based on protected categories, Extreme Networks also strives to prevent other, subtler forms of inappropriate behavior (e.g., stereotyping) from ever gaining a foothold in our organization. Whether blatant or hidden, barriers to success have no place at Extreme Networks.