Director, Software Engineering

salesforce.com, inc.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 197,000 - 345,000; Full time

Job summary

Salesforce is seeking a Director of Software Engineering to lead the SDB AI team. This role shapes strategy, drives end-to-end delivery, and oversees AI engineers, data scientists, and operations with a focus on business outcomes.

You will work across Salesforce and partner teams to align priorities with technical roadmaps and scalable architectures. The ideal candidate has 10+ years in software engineering, 5+ years leading teams, deep expertise in AI, ML, and agentic systems, and strong

Qualifications

• 10+ years of software engineering experience with 5+ years leading and developing engineering teams
• Proven track record of leading high-performing diverse teams and delivering production AI systems
• Deep expertise in AI including machine learning and agentic systems with strong system design judgment
• Experience with large-scale databases, distributed systems, public cloud, and multi-tenant platforms
• Excellent communication and people leadership with coaching abilities
• Degree in computer science or related field, or equivalent practical experience

Responsibilities

• Shape strategy and own end-to-end delivery for the SDB AI team, including roadmap and architecture decisions
• Lead AI engineers and data scientists, set goals, manage delivery, remove obstacles, grow technical leaders
• Collaborate with database service owners and AI teams to translate priorities into technical strategy and measurable outcomes
• Make decisions about agent context, model selection, tool design, and evaluation; extend Salesforce AI capabilities
• Deliver production AI capabilities for database operations, including operational intelligence and automation
• Represent the team in architecture forums and communicate progress to engineering leadership

Skills

AI expertise

Machine learning

Distributed systems

Public cloud

Leadership

Communication

Database knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Job description

Job Category

Software Engineering

Job Details

About Salesforce

Salesforce is the #1 AI CRM, where humans with agents drive customer success together. Here, ambition meets action. Tech meets trust. And innovation isn't a buzzword - it's a way of life. The world of work as we know it is changing and we're looking for Trailblazers who are passionate about bettering business and the world through AI, driving innovation, and keeping Salesforce's core values at the heart of it all.

The Team

Salesforce Database (SDB) underpins Salesforce's multi-tenant cloud platform. The SDB AI team develops shared AI foundations, tools, agents, and workflows for database engineering and operations. This work uses database-specific knowledge and production signals to improve software delivery, identify operational risks earlier, and automate tasks.

The Role

We are looking for a Director of Software Engineering to lead the SDB AI team by shaping strategy, setting direction and priorities, and leading engineering, delivery, and operations with a strong focus on business outcomes. The role requires experience managing and developing engineering teams, technical depth in AI, production operations, and the tradeoffs between long-term capabilities and near-term needs.

What You’ll Do

• Shape the strategy and own end-to-end delivery for the SDB AI team, from technical roadmap and architecture decisions to execution and operational excellence.
• Lead and strengthen the team of AI engineers and data scientists as it scales: set goals and ownership, manage delivery and performance, remove obstacles, and develop technical leaders.
• Partner with database service owners, other stakeholders, and AI teams across Salesforce to translate business priorities into technical strategy and a roadmap. Prioritize work by expected business impact and define measurable outcomes.
• Guide technical decisions about agent context, model selection, tool design, and evaluation. Build on AI capabilities already available within Salesforce and develop database-specific tools where needed.
• Deliver production AI capabilities for database operations, including operational intelligence for proactive detection, investigation, security, and automation.
• Represent the team in architecture and planning forums, resolve cross-team dependencies, and communicate tradeoffs and progress to engineering leadership.

What We’re Looking For

• 10+ years of software engineering experience, including 5+ years leading and developing engineering teams that deliver complex production systems.
• Proven track record of leading and scaling high-performing, diverse engineering teams, setting direction, making clear tradeoffs, and delivering production AI systems.
• Deep expertise in AI, including machine learning and agentic systems, and strong technical judgment in system design, reliability, and operational risk. Able to review architecture and implementation decisions with senior engineers and architects.
• Experience with large-scale databases and distributed systems, public cloud, and multi-tenant platforms.
• Excellent communication skills, strong people leadership, and the ability to develop talent through direct feedback and coaching.
• A degree in computer science or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Accommodations

If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please submit a request via this Accommodations Request Form.

Posting Statement

Salesforce is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a policy of non-discrimination with all employees and applicants for employment. What does that mean exactly? It means that at Salesforce, we believe in equality for all. And we believe we can lead the path to equality in part by creating a workplace that's inclusive, and free from discrimination. Any employee or potential employee will be assessed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications - without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, transgender status, age, disability, veteran or marital status, political viewpoint, or other classifications protected by law. This policy applies to current and prospective employees, no matter where they are in their Salesforce employment journey. It also applies to recruiting, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, benefits, training, assessment of job performance, discipline, termination, and everything in between. Recruiting, hiring, and promotion decisions at Salesforce are fair and based on merit. The same goes for compensation, benefits, promotions, transfers, reduction in workforce, recall, training, and education. Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal.

Compensation and Benefits

In the United States, compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, job level, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Certain roles may be eligible for incentive compensation, equity, and benefits. Salesforce offers a variety of benefits to help you live well including: time off programs, medical, dental, vision, mental health support, paid parental leave, life and disability insurance, 401(k), and an employee stock purchasing program. More details about company benefits can be found at the following link: https://www.salesforcebenefits.com.Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, Salesforce will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.At Salesforce, we believe in equitable compensation practices that reflect the dynamic nature of labor markets across various regions. The typical base salary range for this position is $197,300 - $313,700 annually. In select cities within the San Francisco and New York City metropolitan area, the base salary range for this role is $237,700 - $344,700 annually.The range represents base salary only, and does not include company bonus, incentive for sales roles, equity or benefits, as applicable.