Head of Engineering - Software Development

Cooperidge Consulting Firm

Marietta (GA)

On-site

USD 180,000 - 200,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)

Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)

Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)

Short Term & Long Term Disability

Job summary

A leading consulting firm is seeking a Director of Software Engineering to lead and manage engineering teams across the U.S. and Europe. The role focuses on shaping the technical direction of AI and computer vision software for airspace security. The ideal candidate has at least 10 years of experience in software engineering, strong leadership skills, and a background in defense applications. This full-time position offers a competitive salary range of $180,000 to $200,000 per year with comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

Minimum of 10 years of overall software engineering experience required.
Experience scaling and leading engineering teams through growth phases is required.
Prior DoD or defense contractor project management experience is mandatory.

Responsibilities

Build and manage software and AI engineering teams across the U.S. and Europe.
Set technical direction and implement robust engineering processes.
Ensure adherence to regulatory standards in defense, aviation, and aerospace.

Skills

Exceptional leadership and communication skills

Background in hardware-software integration

Familiarity with international team management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science

Master's degree or Ph.D. in Computer Science

Job description

Head of Engineering - Software Development

Cooperidge Consulting Firm is seeking a Director of Software Engineering for a top Defense Technology client. This leadership role, based in Atlanta, GA, will build, lead, and manage growing engineering teams across the United States and Europe, shaping the technical direction of advanced AI and computer vision software for airspace security. The Director is responsible for establishing leadership structure, setting technical direction, and driving execution across development projects while aligning technical strategy with high‑level business and national security objectives.

Cooperidge Consulting Firm provided pay range

This range is provided by Cooperidge Consulting Firm. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$180,000.00/yr - $200,000.00/yr

Job Responsibilities

Build, lead, and directly manage growing software and AI engineering teams distributed across the United States and Europe
Establish an effective leadership structure, set strategic technical direction, and implement robust engineering processes to guide company expansion
Drive project execution across software and AI development, prioritizing management and delegation over individual coding responsibilities
Work closely with the CEO and Managing Director to align overall technical strategy with core business objectives and goals
Ensure all software and AI development projects adhere to stringent regulatory standards of regulated industries such as defense, aviation, and aerospace
Implement and enforce industry best practices, including strong adherence to Agile and DevOps methodologies
Guide technical decision‑making and scale the engineering culture and technical standards from the ground up during a pivotal growth phase

Qualifications

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related technical field is required
Master's degree or Ph.D. in Computer Science or a related field is preferred

Experience

Minimum of ten (10) or more years of overall software engineering experience is required
Proven experience scaling and leading small engineering teams through rapid growth phases is required
Prior DoD or defense contractor project management experience (e.g., Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, L3Harris, etc.) is mandatory
Experience with AI‑driven defense applications, computer vision, or autonomous systems is preferred

Certifications & Licenses

U.S. Citizenship is required (due to ITAR restrictions and government contract work)
Strong technical leadership background with a deep understanding of Agile and DevOps practices
Local to Atlanta or willing to relocate to the Atlanta metropolitan area is required

Skills

Exceptional leadership and communication skills (both technical and non‑technical) for managing distributed, international teams
Background in hardware‑software integration and hardware interfacing is preferred
Familiarity with international and distributed engineering team management is preferred

Benefits