Director of Software Applications Engineering

Extreme Networks; Salem (NH); Hybrid; USD 190,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401(k) match

Career growth

Job summary

Extreme Networks invites an accomplished technology leader to serve as Director of Software Applications Engineering in Salem. You will guide cloud-native applications, APIs, and data services, owning the technical roadmap and delivery quality above the network fabric.

This role balances hands-on leadership with people management, budgeting, and cross-functional influence to ship secure, scalable software at cloud scale.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent.
• 12+ years of progressive software engineering experience.
• 5+ years in engineering leadership overseeing multiple teams.
• Experience building cloud-native apps on AWS/Azure/GCP with microservices.
• Strong middleware/data services: REST/gRPC, queues, data pipelines.
• Proven ability to lead through organizational change and deliver cross-team initiatives.
• Experience partnering with Product Management on roadmaps and communicating strategy.

Responsibilities

• Own strategy, architecture, and roadmap for cloud applications and services.
• Lead multiple engineering teams with clear goals and career paths.
• Collaborate with product management to translate requirements into technical plans.
• Drive CI/CD, test automation, observability, and SSDLC across services.
• Ensure scalable, available cloud apps in multi-tenant, multi-region environments.
• Partner with Platform/SRE/Security/Support on incidents and capacity planning.
• Guide middleware/data-services architecture to support new capabilities.
• Manage budget, vendors, and resource planning with VP leadership.
• Represent the team in executive reviews and cross-org initiatives.
• Promote Agile/ Scrum, continuous improvement, and strong engineering culture.

Skills

Cloud architecture

Leadership

AWS/Azure/GCP

Microservices

Docker/Kubernetes

REST/gRPC

CI/CD

Observability

Communication

Roadmapping

Education

Bachelor's in CS/Software Eng

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Kafka

REST APIs

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, national origin, 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's website or 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.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.