Director, Software Engineering

Autodesk; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 194,000 - 314,000; Full time

Job summary

Autodesk is seeking a Director of Software Engineering to lead the Growth & Acquisition engineering organization. You will shape technology strategy, define execution models, and partner across product, design, marketing, data science, and engineering to drive customer engagement and digital revenue.

You will manage a multi-layer engineering structure through managers and senior technical leaders, building a high-performing team, delivering resilient platforms, and guiding organizational change

Qualifications

• 12+ years of software engineering experience with hands-on senior leadership.
• At least 5 years leading high-performing engineering organizations.
• Own long-term engineering vision, strategy, and execution for customer‑facing platforms.
• Lead multi-team organization through engineering managers and senior technical leaders.
• Balance strategic priorities with operational delivery and measurable business outcomes.
• Build leadership capability and succession pipelines across a large portfolio.
• Collaborate with Product, Design, Marketing, Data Science, and Engineering to shape roadmaps.
• Represent engineering strategy and risks to senior leadership, influencing direction.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute Growth & Acquisition engineering strategy for the .com platform.
• Lead and coach a multi-layer engineering organization with accountability for delivery.
• Drive platform modernization, scalability, reliability, security, and operational excellence.
• Partner with cross-functional leaders to align investments and outcomes.
• Guide architectural direction for customer-facing apps and shared services.
• Establish operating mechanisms, governance, and performance metrics.
• Recruit, develop, and retain engineering talent while building a strong leadership bench.
• Champion modern engineering practices and a culture of learning and innovation.
• Communicate strategy and tradeoffs to executives, shaping Autodesk's digital growth.

Skills

Software engineering

Leadership

Strategy & vision

Cross-functional collaboration

People management

Architectural direction

Stakeholder communication

Delivery excellence

Talent development

Platform scalability

Job description

Position Overview

The Director, Software Engineering leads Autodesk's Growth & Acquisition engineering organization, defining the technology strategy, organizational direction, and execution model for one of Autodesk's most strategically important digital platforms. This organization is responsible for the customer-facing platforms and services that power consumer experiences, product discovery, personalization, experimentation, checkout, and customer acquisition—capabilities that directly influence customer engagement, digital revenue, and business growth.

This Director leads a multi-layer engineering organization through engineering managers and technical leaders, driving both organizational excellence and technical innovation. This role is accountable for building a high-performing engineering organization, delivering resilient and scalable platforms, and partnering across Product, Design, Marketing, Data Science, and Engineering peers to shape the future of Autodesk's digital customer experience.

Directors of Engineering at Autodesk are organizational leaders responsible for defining engineering strategy, building high-performing organizations, and delivering measurable business outcomes across large, business-critical technology portfolios. Directors lead through engineering managers and senior technical leaders, operating with significant autonomy while influencing technology direction, organizational effectiveness, and cross-functional strategy beyond their immediate organization.

Success in this role requires the ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution, translating business priorities into scalable technology solutions while developing exceptional engineering organizations capable of sustained innovation and delivery.

Job Requisition ID #

26WD100272

Position Overview

The Director, Software Engineering leads Autodesk's Growth & Acquisition engineering organization, defining the technology strategy, organizational direction, and execution model for one of Autodesk's most strategically important digital platforms. This organization is responsible for the customer-facing platforms and services that power consumer experiences, product discovery, personalization, experimentation, checkout, and customer acquisition—capabilities that directly influence customer engagement, digital revenue, and business growth.

This Director leads a multi-layer engineering organization through engineering managers and technical leaders, driving both organizational excellence and technical innovation. This role is accountable for building a high-performing engineering organization, delivering resilient and scalable platforms, and partnering across Product, Design, Marketing, Data Science, and Engineering peers to shape the future of Autodesk's digital customer experience.

Directors of Engineering at Autodesk are organizational leaders responsible for defining engineering strategy, building high-performing organizations, and delivering measurable business outcomes across large, business-critical technology portfolios. Directors lead through engineering managers and senior technical leaders, operating with significant autonomy while influencing technology direction, organizational effectiveness, and cross-functional strategy beyond their immediate organization.

Success in this role requires the ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution, translating business priorities into scalable technology solutions while developing exceptional engineering organizations capable of sustained innovation and delivery.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the Growth & Acquisition engineering strategy for Autodesk's .com platform, aligning technology investments with long-term business objectives and customer outcomes
• Lead, coach, and develop a multi-layer engineering organization through engineering managers, cultivating a culture of technical excellence, accountability, inclusion, and continuous improvement
• Drive execution across a diverse portfolio of customer-facing products and platform capabilities, balancing near-term delivery with long-term investments in platform modernization, scalability, reliability, security, and operational excellence
• Partner with Product Management, User Experience, Marketing, Commerce, Data Science, and Engineering leaders to establish strategy, prioritize investments, and deliver measurable business impact
• Guide architectural direction across customer-facing applications and shared platform services, ensuring solutions are scalable, maintainable, secure, and positioned for future growth
• Establish engineering operating mechanisms, governance, and performance metrics that improve execution, software quality, developer productivity, and customer experience
• Build and strengthen organizational capability by recruiting, developing, and retaining exceptional engineering talent while creating a strong leadership bench and succession pipeline
• Champion modern engineering practices, operational excellence, and a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and data-driven decision making
• Communicate engineering strategy, technical tradeoffs, organizational health, and investment recommendations to senior engineering and business leadership, influencing decisions that shape Autodesk's digital growth strategy

Minimum Qualifications

• 12+ years of software engineering experience, including at least 5 years leading high-performing engineering organizations.
• Own the long-term engineering vision, technology strategy, and execution for a portfolio of customer-facing platforms that directly influence customer acquisition, digital engagement, commerce, and revenue growth
• Lead a multi-team engineering organization through engineering managers, building leadership capability, organizational health, and a high-performance culture that consistently delivers business results
• Drive platform direction and technology investment decisions across multiple interconnected systems, balancing innovation, scalability, reliability, security, and operational excellence
• Establish engineering operating mechanisms, organizational standards, and performance metrics that improve execution, software quality, developer productivity, and customer outcomes
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships with senior leaders across Product, Design, Marketing, Commerce, Data Science, and Engineering to influence strategy, shape roadmaps, and align investments across organizational boundaries
• Make complex decisions involving technical solutions, organizational design, portfolio prioritization, and resource allocation while balancing competing business objectives and long-term strategic investments
• Raise the engineering bar by developing exceptional leaders and engineering talent, fostering a culture of ownership, continuous improvement, and technical excellence
• Represent engineering strategy, organizational priorities, risks, and investment recommendations with senior leadership, translating complex technical decisions into clear business outcomes and influencing the long-term direction of Autodesk's digital platforms.

About Autodesk

Welcome to Autodesk! Amazing things are created every day with our software – from the greenest buildings and cleanest cars to the smartest factories and biggest hit movies. We help innovators turn their ideas into reality, transforming not only how things are made, but what can be made.

We take great pride in our culture here at Autodesk – it’s at the core of everything we do. Our culture guides the way we work and treat each other, informs how we connect with customers and partners, and defines how we show up in the world.

When you’re an Autodesker, you can do meaningful work that helps build a better world designed and made for all. Ready to shape the world and your future? Join us!

Benefits

From health and financial benefits to time away and everyday wellness, we give Autodeskers the best, so they can do their best work. Learn more about our benefits in the U.S. by visiting https://benefits.autodesk.com/

Salary transparency

Salary is one part of Autodesk’s competitive compensation package. For U.S.-based roles, we expect a starting base salary between $193,800 and $313,500.

Offers are based on the candidate’s experience and geographic location, and may exceed this range. In addition to base salaries, our compensation package may include annual cash bonuses, commissions for sales roles, stock grants, and a comprehensive benefits package.

Equal Employment Opportunity

At Autodesk, we're building a diverse workplace and an inclusive culture to give more people the chance to imagine, design, and make a better world. Autodesk is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected characteristic. We also consider for employment all qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

Belonging

We take pride in cultivating a culture of belonging where everyone can thrive. Learn more here: https://www.autodesk.com/company/global-belonging

In-Person Onboarding and Identity Verification

This role may require in-person onboarding and/or in-person ID verification.