Director of Software Engineering

Holt Executive Ltd; Maryland; On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance bonus

Healthcare package

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Leadership training

Wellbeing program

Modern facilities

On-site gym

Job summary

Holt Executive Ltd is seeking an experienced Director of Software Engineering to lead the software and firmware function delivering advanced embedded products. This high-impact role shapes technical strategy and builds high-performing teams.

You will oversee the full software development lifecycle, collaborating with hardware, systems and product engineering to ensure delivery of robust, scalable embedded solutions for complex applications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in CS/CE/EE or related discipline.
• Significant experience developing embedded software products.
• Minimum five years of people management leading multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor software and firmware engineers through the full SDLC.
• Define priorities, plans and technical roadmaps with engineering leadership.
• Oversee design, development, testing and deployment of embedded software.
• Drive architecture reviews and technical decision-making across projects.
• Promote modern engineering practices and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with hardware, systems, manufacturing and product teams.
• Recruit, develop and retain high-performing teams.

Skills

Embedded systems

C/C++

Embedded Linux

Python scripting

Git

Agile Scrum Kanban

Leadership

Communication

Architecture

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in CS/CE/EE

Tools

Jira

CI/CD

Job description

An innovative engineering organisation developing advanced communications systems is seeking an experienced Director of Software Engineering to lead the software and firmware function responsible for delivering cutting-edge embedded products.

This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for an experienced engineering manager who is passionate about building high-performing teams, defining technical strategy and delivering complex embedded software solutions from concept through to production.

You’ll lead multidisciplinary software and firmware teams, working closely with hardware, systems and product engineering groups to develop next-generation communications products for demanding commercial and government applications.

The Role

As Director of Software Engineering, you will provide both technical and people leadership across the software development lifecycle while helping shape future product architecture and engineering strategy.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead and mentor a team of software and firmware engineers through the complete software development lifecycle.
• Define engineering priorities, project plans and technical roadmaps in collaboration with engineering leadership.
• Oversee the design, development, testing and deployment of embedded software solutions.
• Drive software architecture, design reviews and technical decision-making across multiple projects.
• Promote engineering best practices, modern software development methodologies and continuous process improvement.
• Collaborate with hardware, systems, manufacturing and product management teams to ensure successful product delivery.
• Support customer engagements, technical discussions, proposal activities and engineering planning where required.
• Recruit, develop and retain high-performing engineering teams through coaching, mentoring and performance management.
• Foster a collaborative engineering culture focused on innovation, quality and delivery.

About You

We’re looking for an experienced software engineering leader with a strong background in embedded systems development and managing technical teams.

You should have:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering or a related discipline.
• Significant commercial experience developing embedded software products.
• Proven experience leading software projects from concept through production.
• At least five years of people management experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Strong background in C/C++ development for embedded systems.
• Experience developing software in Embedded Linux environments.
• Experience with Python or other scripting languages for automation.
• Strong understanding of Git and modern software configuration management.
• Experience leading Agile software teams using Scrum and/or Kanban methodologies.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management and leadership skills.

Experience in any of the following would be advantageous:

• Continuous Integration (CI) and automated software delivery pipelines.
• Jira or similar Agile project management tools.
• Wireless communications, networking or telecommunications products.
• Embedded networking protocols, including TCP/IP and UDP.
• Systems requiring high reliability, performance and scalability.

What’s on Offer

• Competitive salary and performance-related bonus.
• Comprehensive healthcare and insurance package.
• Retirement savings plan with employer contribution.
• Generous paid holiday allowance and flexible time off.
• Ongoing leadership development and professional training.
• Employee wellbeing programme and support services.
• Modern engineering facilities and collaborative working environment.
• On-site fitness facilities and complimentary refreshments.
• The opportunity to lead the development of innovative, next-generation technology alongside a highly skilled engineering team.

If you’re an experienced engineering leader looking to shape the future of advanced embedded software systems while building and mentoring exceptional teams, we’d love to hear from you.