Software Development Senior Manager

Sidley Austin LLP; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 141,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Sidley Austin LLP seeks a Software Development Senior Manager to architect, build, and operate a cloud-native automation platform in the Texas area. You will guide Azure-based infrastructure and lead modern software practices, mentoring engineers across teams.

The role emphasizes technical leadership with hands-on delivery of distributed systems, .NET and React development, and DevOps, delivering secure, scalable solutions for the firm.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or related field or equivalent professional experience with cloud architecture expertise.
• 10+ years of software engineering experience including cloud-based applications.
• 3+ years of direct people management experience leading software teams.
• Strong ability to mentor engineers and guide execution while empowering the team.
• Experience delivering greenfield enterprise-grade applications and complex software initiatives.
• Proficiency in .NET, React, and Azure cloud technologies.
• Excellent communication of technical concepts to leadership and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Design and evolve distributed system architecture for the cloud-native platform (Azure components).
• Lead .NET backend development (ASP.NET Core, CQRS/MediatR, EF Core).
• Design event-driven architectures using Azure Service Bus for high-volume processing.
• Own and evolve multi-stage Azure DevOps pipelines for deployments.
• Mentor software engineers and lead cloud engineering skill development.
• Drive performance, cost optimization, and architectural improvements.

Skills

Leadership

Cloud architecture

Distributed systems

Mentoring

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Azure DevOps

ASP.NET Core

CQRS/MediatR

Entity Framework Core

Azure services (Service Bus, SQL Database, PostgreSQL)

Job description

The Software Development Senior Manager is a senior technical leader responsible for architecting, building, and operating the firm's cloud-native automation platform. This role requires deep expertise in Azure cloud architecture, distributed systems, and software engineering. This is a technical leadership role first, people management second. This role has a strong background in cloud engineering, platform engineering, or full-stack development background with DevOps expertise.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Design and evolve the distributed system architecture for the cloud-native automation platform, including Azure Container Apps, Service Bus, PostgreSQL, Redis, and Blob Storage
• Design event-driven architectures using Azure Service Bus for high-volume asynchronous processing
• Optimize platform performance, cost, and operational complexity through architectural improvements
• Lead .NET backend development including ASP.NET Core APIs, CQRS pattern with MediatR, Entity Framework Core, and FluentValidation
• Conduct code reviews ensuring adherence to SOLID principles, async programming best practices, and distributed systems patterns
• Own and evolve multi-stage Azure DevOps YAML pipelines including multi-phase infrastructure deployment, container image builds, and environment-specific deployments
• Manage and mentor software engineers, focusing on cloud engineering skill development

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or related technical field; or equivalent professional experience with demonstrable cloud architecture expertise.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in software engineering, application development, information technology, or a related technical field.
• Minimum of 6 years of hands-on software engineering experience, including experience developing cloud-based applications and solutions.
• Minimum of 3 years of direct people management experience, including experience leading and developing software engineering teams.
• Strong technical foundation with the ability to provide technical guidance, mentor engineers, and effectively delegate while empowering team members to own execution.
• Experience leading and delivering greenfield/net-new development of enterprise-grade applications and solutions, or comparable large-scale software development initiatives.
• Experience with modern application development technologies and cloud platforms, including .NET, React, Microsoft Azure, or comparable technologies.
• Proven ability to mentor software engineers on cloud-native development patterns, distributed systems concepts, and cloud architecture
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to effectively communicate technical concepts, strategies, and recommendations to senior leadership and key stakeholders.

Preferred

• A minimum of 6 years of hands-on software engineering experience building cloud-native applications on Azure.
• A minimum of 3 years of experience with Azure Container Apps, Azure Kubernetes Service(AKS), or equivalent container orchestration platforms.
• A minimum of 2 years of people management experience leading software engineering teams.
• Proven track record delivering distributed systems in production using microservices architecture and event-driven patterns.
• Hands-on experience with Azure Service Bus, Azure database services including Azure SQL Database with Elastic Pools, Azure PostgreSQL Flexible Server, managed identity authentication, connection pooling, and private endpoint configuration.
• Deep understanding of microservices communication patterns including synchronous HTTP, asynchronous messaging, event-driven architecture, and service discovery.
• Proficiency in C# and .NET (minimum .NET 6, preferably .NET 8+) including NET Core Web API with Controllers, Async/await patterns and Task-based asynchronous programming, LINQ and lambda expressions, Dependency injection and Options pattern and Entity Framework Core.
• Proficiency in TypeScript/JavaScript including js development, Async patterns (Promises, async/await), npm/pnpm package management, Module systems (CommonJS, ES modules) and scripting proficiency in Bash or PowerShell for deployment automation and troubleshooting.
• Container image build and deployment workflows including Dockerfile optimization, multi-stage builds, and Azure Container Registry integration.
• Proven ability to mentor software engineers on cloud-native development patterns, distributed systems concepts, and Azure architecture.
• Strong code review skills with ability to provide constructive feedback on backend APIs, infrastructure code, and integration logic systematic troubleshooting approach for complex distributed systems issues.
• Strong analytical skills for capacity planning, performance optimization, and cost analysis.

Azure Certifications

• Expert-level experience with Azure DevOps YAML pipelines including multi-stage pipelines, pipeline templates, variable groups, and environment-based deployments
• AZ-400: Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions
• AZ-305: Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions
• AZ-204: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure
• AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator

Advanced Technical Skills

• Experience with .NET Aspire for cloud-native application orchestration and service discovery
• Experience with CQRS and Mediator patterns (MediatR or equivalent)
• Event Grid and Event Hubs for event-driven architectures
• Agile/Scrum certifications including Certified Scrum Master (CSM) or SAFe Agilist
• Experience in professional services industry (legal, financial services, accounting, consulting)
• Understanding of enterprise security and compliance requirements (SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR)
• Familiarity with legal technology or document management systems
• Deep Azure networking expertise including VNETs, subnets, Network Security Groups, private endpoints, Private DNS Zones, VNET peering, Application Gateway, and NAT Gateway
• Ability to diagnose Azure networking problems including DNS resolution failures, private endpoint connectivity issues, and Application Gateway routing problems
• Expert-level Bicep or Terraform proficiency with ability to read, write, and debug complex Infrastructure-as-Code modules (500+ lines)

Other Skills And Abilities

• Strong organizational skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Good judgment
• Strong interpersonal communication skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Able to work harmoniously and effectively with others
• Able to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion
• Able to work under pressure
• Able to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship, now or in the future

The Target Salary Range For This Role Is

$141,400 - $230,400 if located in Illinois, New York, or Texas.

Salaries vary by location and are based on numerous factors, including, but not limited to, the relevant market, skills, experience, and education of the selected candidate. Our compensation package also includes bonus eligibility and a comprehensive benefits program. Benefits information can be found at Sidley.com/Benefits.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the Duties and Responsibilities above satisfactorily and meet the requirements. The requirements listed above are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. If you need such an accommodation, please email [e-mail] (current employees should contact Human Resources).

Sidley Austin LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer.