Director/Sr. Director - Software Engineering - salesforce

OpenTalent; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 220,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Salesforce is seeking a Trailblazer-level engineering leader to define and drive the backend services roadmap. You will guide a large team through high-availability, low-latency, scalable systems across microservices and event-driven architectures, with hands-on Kubernetes and cloud infrastructure.

You will manage 15–40+ engineers, align architecture with the broader organization, and champion CI/CD, automated testing, and secure-by-design practices in Java, Golang, or Python environments.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of software engineering experience with at least 5 years in a significant leadership role.
• Proven track record building and operating large-scale distributed systems (microservices, service mesh, event-driven) with hands-on Kubernetes, observability, and cloud infrastructure.
• Excellent communication skills, able to engage both technical and non-technical audiences and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience leading large teams (15–40+ engineers) and driving architectural decisions across multiple teams and councils.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute a long-term roadmap for backend services focused on high availability, low latency, and massive scalability.
• Drive alignment across cross-functional teams and architecture councils to integrate work with the broader engineering organization.
• Hire, develop, and retain a strong engineering organization of 15–40+ engineers, fostering a culture that empowers innovation.
• Own the full software development lifecycle, champion CI/CD, automated testing, and secure-by-design practices; participate in high-level design reviews.

Skills

Leadership experience

Backend architecture

Cross-functional collaboration

Excellent communication

Tools

Kubernetes

Observability tooling

CI/CD tooling

Service mesh

Java

Golang

Python

Job description

To get the best candidate experience, please consider applying for a maximum of 3 roles within 12 months to ensure you are not duplicating efforts.

Job Category

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.

Ready to level-up your career at the company leading workforce transformation in the agentic era? You’re in the right place! Agentforce is the future of AI, and you are the future of Salesforce.

The Experience You have 10+ years of software engineering experience, including at least 5 years in a significant leadership role. You have a proven track record building and operating large-scale distributed systems — microservices, service mesh, and event-driven architectures — and hands‑on experience with Kubernetes, observability, and cloud infrastructure. You bring excellent communication skills, effective with both technical and non-technical audiences, and you're comfortable managing multiple competing priorities in a fast‑paced environment. What You'll Actually Be Doing

• Define and execute a long-term roadmap for backend services, focused on high availability, low latency, and massive scalability.
• Drive alignment across cross‑functional teams and architecture councils so your team's work integrates seamlessly with the broader engineering organization.
• Hire, develop, and retain a strong engineering organization of 15–40+ engineers, including managers and individual contributors, fostering a culture where engineers are empowered to innovate.
• Own the full software development lifecycle, championing continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD), automated testing, and secure‑by‑design practices; participate in high‑level design reviews and help troubleshoot architectural issues in Java, Golang, or Python environments.

You're Our Person If...

• You have a proven track record leading large‑scale distributed systems and translating complex backend constraints into clear business tradeoffs for executive audiences.
• You can influence effectively without direct authority, building buy‑in across complex organizational structures for large technical initiatives.
• You have strong judgment on product and system design principles, with the ability to evaluate architectural integrity.
• OpenAI

Even Better If...