Mgr, Software Development Engineering

F5 Networks Australia; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 191,000 - 286,000; Full time

Job summary

F5 Networks is seeking a Software Engineering Manager to lead development of cloud-native networking, security, and AI platforms. You will oversee distributed teams, guide architecture decisions, and drive modernization across requirements, development, integration, and operations.

The role emphasizes hands-on technical mentorship, collaboration with product management, and delivering high-quality software while advancing security and interoperability across geographies.

Qualifications

• Experience leading software teams delivering complex systems.
• Strong mentorship and people development skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Support, mentor, and coach your team and drive high-quality software delivery.
• Advise on architecture, patterns, testing, and CI details.
• Own customer issues with timely fixes and RCA for broader teams.
• Collaborate with engineering and product management on roadmap and requirements.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Communication

Stakeholder management

Team building

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PhD

Tools

Kubernetes

Docker

gRPC

Protobufs

Helm

Job description

At F5, we strive to bring a better digital world to life. Our teams empower organizations across the globe to create, secure, and run applications that enhance how we experience our evolving digital world. We are passionate about cybersecurity, from protecting consumers from fraud to enabling companies to focus on innovation.

Everything we do centers around people. That means we obsess over how to make the lives of our customers, and their customers, better. And it means we prioritize a diverse F5 community where each individual can thrive.

We are seeking a Software Engineering Manager to lead the development of our next‑generation cloud‑native networking, security and AI platforms. This role will oversee the design and implementation of advanced distributed computing architectures, with an emphasis on eBPF‑based observability, AI‑powered analytics, and next‑generation 5G / telco solutions, while providing hands‑on technical guidance across the full lifecycle from requirements and architecture through development, integration, and operations. The position is responsible for leading cross‑functional, geographically dispersed teams; driving modernization and capacity upgrades; and coordinating with internal and external stakeholders, including international and interagency partners, to align technical roadmaps with strategic objectives. The leader serves as a senior technical advisor, distilling complex concepts into clear, actionable plans, shaping interoperability and security posture, and fostering strong collaboration and trust across organizations. A solid foundation in software development, network protocols, signal processing, and cybersecurity, combined with proven experience in technical mentorship and stakeholder management, is essential.

Primary Responsibilities

• Support, mentor, and coach as well as provide professional development for your team. Collaborate across teams and deliver high‑quality software to meet customer needs.
• Advise on the architecture, code design patterns, testing, and continuous integration details.
• Take ownership of customer issues with timely fixes and provide proper RCA (Root Cause Analysis) to the wider group.
• Collaborate with leaders in engineering and product management on roadmap, strategy, coordinating dependencies, and establishing clear requirements to effectively meet delivery and quality commitments.
• Perform continuous team member evaluations to enable frequent feedback.
• Identify hiring needs and be the hiring manager for recruiting engineers.
• Motivate and foster a collaborative environment within your team, actively engaging with senior management and executives. Adopt a managerial approach that emphasizes support and empowerment for your teams, while also championing the cultivation of a positive and cohesive team culture.
• Establish best practices for software quality, reliability, security, and operational excellence
• Foster a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and innovation

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Experience and passion for taking a leading role in building complex software systems, delivered successfully to customers.
• Experience building Kubernetes native micro‑services leveraging gRPC, protobufs, helm etc.
• Deep understanding of Kubernetes Controllers, distributed systems, and cloud‑native architectures
• Hands‑on familiarity with Kubernetes and container‑based platforms
• Able to collaborate and thrive in a fast‑paced high‑performance environment.
• Knowledge and expertise in software engineering methodologies and practices for full software development process, including coding standards, code reviews, build process, CI/CD, testing, and operations.
• Knowledge of eBPF tech stack and eBPF based observability solutions is a plus
• Knowledge of 5G native telco ecosystems and understanding of 3GPP specs is preferred
• Demonstrated ability in mentoring and developing people.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Demonstrated excellence in all written communications.

Qualifications

• Typically requires a minimum of 8 years of related experience with a bachelor's degree; or 6 years and a master's degree; or a PhD with 3 years' experience; or equivalent experience.
• 1+ years of prior experience in managing / leading team of software engineers preferred

#LI-ZB1

The Job Description is intended to be a general representation of the responsibilities and requirements of the job. However, the description may not be all‑inclusive, and responsibilities and requirements are subject to change.

The annual base pay for this position is: $191,000.00 - $286,400.00

F5 maintains broad salary ranges for its roles in order to account for variations in knowledge, skills, experience, geographic locations, and market conditions, as well as to reflect F5's differing products, industries, and lines of business. The pay range referenced is as of the time of the job posting and is subject to change.

You may also be offered incentive compensation, bonus, restr