Manager, Software Engineering – Herndon VA

Cogent Communications; Herndon (VA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

PTO

Short/Long-Term Disability

Life Insurance

401(k) with employer match

Stock options

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Cogent Communications is seeking a Manager, Software Engineering to lead and mentor a development team, guiding technical direction and delivering high-quality software solutions. The role demands strong communication with product, QA, and stakeholders, and oversight of the full software lifecycle.

Candidates should bring extensive hands-on development experience and people leadership. The position offers a competitive base salary and a comprehensive benefits package, with opportunities for

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands-on software development experience.
• 4+ years leading, mentoring, and guiding software developers.
• Experience collaborating with department heads and end-users to gather requirements.
• Strong knowledge of relational databases and data modeling.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of software developers, including hiring and performance management.
• Set technical direction and guide design and implementation discussions.
• Oversee full software development lifecycle from planning to deployment.
• Collaborate with product management, QA, and stakeholders to define requirements.
• Drive process improvements and automation to boost efficiency.

Skills

Leadership

Software development

Mentoring

Communication

Project management

PHP/Laravel

SQL/Data Modeling

Team building

Job description

Cogent Communications is a global, Tier 1 facilities-based ISP, consistently ranked as one of the top five networks in the world and is publicly traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the ticker symbol CCOI. Cogent specializes in providing businesses with high-speed Internet access and Ethernet transport services. Cogent's facilities-based, all-optical IP network backbone provides IP services globally. Since its inception, Cogent has unleashed the benefits of IP technology, building one of the largest and highest capacity IP networks in the world. This network enables Cogent to offer large bandwidth connections at highly competitive prices. Cogent also offers superior customer support by virtue of its end-to-end control of service delivery and network monitoring. A competitive base salary and a full benefits package including; Health, Dental, Vision, Paid Time Off (PTO), Short- and Long-Term Disability, Life Insurance, Holidays, Parental Leave, 401(k) plan with employer match, stock options, and an Employee Assistance Program. Most benefits take effect within 30 days of employment, and some require a waiting period.

Job Summary

Cogent Communications, a Tier 1 network provider, is seeking a Manager, Software Engineering to lead, mentor, and inspire development staff. In this role, the ideal candidate will actively contribute to technical direction through research, prototyping, and design decisions, while supporting the team in delivering high-quality software solutions. Candidates should bring strong, recent experience in software development across a variety of technologies and environments, along with the ability to guide teams through complex technical challenges. This role also facilitates communication between development teams and departmental end-users, requiring strong communication skills and the ability to guide discussions toward effective outcomes. This role is well-suited for leaders who enjoy staying connected to the technical details while empowering their teams to succeed.

Compensation

[Starting / Initial] Base Salary Pay Range: $135,000-$165,000/yr. Specific offers within the listed pay ranges are determined by a variety of factors such as experience, education, skills, certifications and business needs.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of software developers, including hiring, training, and performance management
• Foster a collaborative, innovative, and high-performance culture within the team
• Encourage continuous learning and professional growth
• Oversee the full software development lifecycle, from planning to deployment, ensuring project timelines and expectations are met
• Collaborate with product management, quality assurance, and other stakeholders to define software requirements and deliver solutions
• Manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Provide technical direction and contribute to design and implementation discussions, ensuring the team follows best practices for software development, testing, and deployment
• Evaluate and implement software development methodologies, tools, and frameworks, occasionally validating approaches through hands-on exploration or prototyping
• Continuously improve software development processes, tools, and workflows to optimize efficiency and quality. Stay close to the team’s technical work to provide informed guidance, remove blockers, and support sound engineering decisions
• Lead efforts to automate manual processes and improve operational efficiency
• Facilitate regular communication with stakeholders to provide updates on progress, challenges, and risks
• Drive a culture of transparency, collaboration, and accountability within the team

Qualifications

• 10+ years solid hands-on software development in a variety of languages and frameworks with 2+ years leading, mentoring and guiding software developers
• Demonstrated ability to balance team leadership with continued engagement in technical problem-solving and system design
• 5+ years collaborating with department heads and end-users to identify requirements in order to produce specifications
• 2+ years of PHP/Laravel is a plus
• Deep knowledge of relational databases, from advanced SQL queries to data modelling
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to summarize technical concepts in plain English
• Creative problem-solving skills and a nose for troubleshooting
• Ability to learn and evaluate new technologies for possible use by the team
• Ability to write clear, concise, and accurate technical documentation
• Outstanding customer service and time management skills
• Strong interpersonal, communication and organizational skills

Physical Requirements

• Frequently remains in a sitting/stationary position during the workday
• Operates a computer and performs desk-based computer tasks continually, frequently viewing a computer screen

Cogent Communications is an Equal Opportunity Employer.