Senior Director of Software Development

Pet Food Express; California (MO); Hybrid; USD 190,000 - 225,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading pet specialty retailer is seeking a visionary Senior Director of Software Development to lead its engineering organization. The role focuses on driving software development strategies, managing cross-functional teams, and ensuring the delivery of scalable software solutions in a hybrid work environment. Candidates should possess significant experience in software architecture, agile practices, and team management, particularly within the realm of Microsoft technologies.

Benefits

Pet Friendly Workplace - bring your well-behaved pup!

Generous in-store employee discount

Full range of health insurance options

401(k) plan with employer match

Paid holidays and unlimited PTO

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in software development, including 5 years in leadership.
• Proven track record managing distributed engineering teams.
• Deep understanding of software development practices and cloud platforms.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute software development strategy aligned with company objectives.
• Lead and mentor a team of engineering managers and developers.
• Oversee planning and delivery of complex software projects.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic Thinking

Communication

Organizational Skills

Innovation

Cloud Computing

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Azure

.NET

SQL

Power Platform

Job description

Pet Food Express is seeking a visionary and strategic Senior Director of Software Development to lead our software engineering organization in the retail industry. Reporting to the Chief Information Officer, this role is responsible for driving the technical direction, overseeing a development team, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality, scalable software solutions that align with business goals. The ideal candidate is a seasoned leader with a strong background in software architecture, agile methodologies, and people management, with expertise in Microsoft technologies such as Azure, .NET, SQL and Power Platform. You will also work collaboratively with cross-departmental leaders in the refinement and execution of strategic initiatives to support our business goals.

Please Note: This position is a hybrid role, involving on-site work each week at our corporate headquarters in Concord, CA. Candidates who are fully remote or outside of reasonable commuting distance will not be considered at this time.

Responsibilities:

Leadership & Strategy

• Define and execute the software development strategy in alignment with company objectives.
• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of engineering managers, software developers, and technical leads.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Participate with executive leadership team and other key contributors on the execution of goals and strategy to insure alignment across departments

Project & Product Delivery

• Oversee the planning, execution, and delivery of complex software projects across multiple environments and channels.
• Partner with Business Stakeholders to design, test, and implement timely and high-quality releases.
• Establish and monitor KPIs to track team performance and product quality.
• Program manage all software development projects, including tracking, status reporting, and cost management.
• Report progress effectively to executive leadership

Technical Oversight

• Guide architectural decisions and ensure adherence to best practices in software design and development.
• Stay current with emerging technologies and evaluate their potential impact on the business.
• Ensure robust security, scalability, and performance standards are met in partnership with the cybersecurity team.

Operational Excellence

• Optimize development processes and tools to improve efficiency and reduce technical debt.
• Manage budgets, resource allocation, and vendor relationships as needed.
• Foster an environment that ensures platform stability while delivering new features.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
  12+ years of experience in software development, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Proven track record of managing distributed engineering teams.
• Deep understanding of modern software development practices, cloud platforms (e.g., Azure), and microservices architecture.
• Strong communication, organizational, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in retail or supply chain.
• Familiarity with compliance and regulatory standards (e.g., SOC 2, PCI, CCPA).
• Background in AI/ML, data engineering, and/or cybersecurity is a plus.

PFE Perks:

• Pet Friendly Workplace - bring your well-behaved pup!
• Generous in-store employee discount that extends to your family
• Be Healthy with a full range of health insurance options: Medical, dental, vision, life, long-term disability insurance. FSA and HSA options.
• 401(k) plan with employer match
• Paid holidays and “unlimited” PTO

The salary range for this position is expected to be $190,000 to $225,000. Pet Food Express determines starting salary based on many factors, including but not limited to, local market rate, the qualified pool of candidates, internal compensation practices, a candidate’s actual skills and experience.

About the Company
Pet Food Express is a leading California-based pet specialty retailer with a passion for improving the lives of pets and their owners. Our philosophy revolves around the belief that pets are part of the family, deserving of the best care possible. Since our inception, Pet Food Express has been committed to making a positive impact on the communities we serve by promoting responsible pet ownership, supporting various animal welfare initiatives, and ensuring pets are happy, healthy and homed. With over 60 locations across the state, Pet Food Express has become a trusted destination for pet parents seeking high-quality products and personalized advice from knowledgeable and dedicated staff.

This job summary is intended to describe the general nature and level of work associates/leaders assigned to this job perform. It is not intended to include all duties and responsibilities.

Pet Food Express is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against employees or applicants based on race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristics protected by applicable law. This applies to all Pet Food Express activities, including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, compensation, assignment, training, promotion, performance evaluation, discipline and discharge. Pet Food Express also provides reasonable accommodation of religion and disability in accordance with applicable law. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Pet Food Express is a place where everyone can learn and grow. However you identify and whatever your background, please apply if this is a role that would make you excited to come to work every day.

For applicants in our San Francisco, or Los Angeles locations: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, as well as the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, we will consider for employment, qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in a manner consistent with the law.