Director, Software Engineering

Ladders; United States; On-site; USD 135,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Lead teams

Future leaders

Cross-functional work

AI adoption in engineering

Job summary

Ladders, on behalf of a client in the Aerospace & Defense space, seeks a Director, Software Engineering to lead software teams delivering mission-critical solutions. The role shapes engineering direction, strengthens capability, and partners with cross-functional stakeholders to improve product outcomes and customer satisfaction.

This position emphasizes modernization, debt reduction, and smart AI adoption within engineering workflows.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of leadership experience in software engineering.
• Proven ability to develop engineering leaders and high-performing teams.
• Strong communication skills for cross-functional collaboration.
• Experience delivering complex enterprise software solutions.
• Familiarity with AI applications in software development.

Responsibilities

• Lead and cultivate engineering teams to deliver software solutions.
• Own engineering delivery and product quality.
• Recruit and develop engineering talent to strengthen the team.
• Guide technical decision-making and software architecture solutions.
• Support customer implementations and resolve critical production issues.
• Foster accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Encourage AI adoption to enhance productivity.

Skills

Leadership

Cloud technologies

Software architecture

APIs

Team building

AI adoption

Tools

APIs

Cloud platforms

Job description

For our client, we are seeking a Director, Software Engineering to join the team of a leader in the Aerospace & Defense space.

This role will lead software engineering teams responsible for delivering innovative, high-quality solutions that support complex mission-critical needs. The ideal candidate will shape engineering direction, strengthen team capability, and partner closely with cross-functional stakeholders to improve product outcomes and customer satisfaction. This position also places a strong emphasis on modernization, technical debt reduction, and the thoughtful adoption of AI in engineering workflows.

Location: Remote - US based candidates only, no visa sponsorship available

Compensation: $135,000 – $145,000 annually

Responsibilities

• Lead and cultivate engineering teams to innovate and deliver software solutions
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• Recruit and develop engineering talent to strengthen the team and build future leaders
• Own engineering delivery and product quality
• Support customer implementations and resolve critical production issues
• Guide technical decision-making and ensure effective software architecture solutions
• Encourage AI adoption to enhance development and engineering productivity

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of leadership experience in software engineering roles
• Proven ability to develop engineering leaders and high-performing teams
• Strong technical skills in software architecture, APIs, and cloud technologies
• Experience delivering complex enterprise software solutions
• Ability to manage technical debt while balancing product development
• Strong communication skills for working with cross-functional teams
• Familiarity with AI applications in software development

Benefits

• Opportunity to lead and shape engineering teams
• Focus on developing future leaders within the organization
• Work closely with diverse cross-functional teams and stakeholders
• Ability to influence product outcomes and customer satisfaction
• Commitment to addressing technical debt and modernization efforts
• Focus on innovative practices, including AI adoption in engineering processes

Our client is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every qualification—your background could be exactly what this team needs.