Software Engineering Manager

Sotalent; Dublin (VA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Sotalent is seeking a Software Engineering Manager to lead embedded control and firmware product development in a hybrid setting in the United States. You will own software backlog, strategy, and cross-functional execution for motion-control solutions in industrial automation.

You will mentor engineers, drive Agile planning, architecture decisions, and collaboration with Product Management and customers. The role demands strong technical leadership, hands-on guidance, and a track record of

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 10+ years in software development
• 5+ years of technical leadership, project leadership, or people management experience
• Experience leading embedded software or firmware development teams
• Strong understanding of software development lifecycles, Agile methodologies, and engineering best practices

Responsibilities

• Own software backlog prioritization, release planning, and product execution strategy.
• Translate business objectives and customer requirements into actionable development roadmaps.
• Collaborate with Product Management and cross-functional stakeholders to define product direction and execution priorities.
• Balance feature development, technical debt, quality improvements, and long-term platform investments.
• Ensure product plans align with organizational goals and customer expectations.
• Lead software development initiatives from concept through release and post-launch support.
• Guide technical teams in delivering scalable, reliable, and high-performance embedded software solutions.
• Oversee development activities including requirements definition, architecture reviews, implementation, testing, and deployment.
• Drive engineering excellence through best practices, code quality standards, and disciplined execution.
• Ensure software releases meet quality, schedule, and performance objectives.
• Provide leadership for embedded software and firmware development initiatives.
• Support technical design and architecture decisions for control systems and embedded platforms.
• Guide teams in developing robust software solutions for complex hardware-integrated products.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to ensure seamless integration between hardware, firmware, and supporting software tools.
• Promote development practices that improve reliability, maintainability, and product performance.
• Lead Agile planning, prioritization, and delivery processes.
• Convert product goals and business requirements into well-defined user stories, tasks, and development objectives.
• Monitor project progress and adjust priorities as needed to ensure successful delivery.
• Facilitate collaboration between engineering, product, support, and business teams.
• Drive continuous improvement across software development processes and workflows.
• Provide technical direction and guidance on software architecture, system design, and major development efforts.
• Evaluate technical tradeoffs and make informed decisions regarding scope, risk, and implementation strategies.
• Participate in architecture reviews and establish engineering standards.
• Ensure development activities align with long-term technology strategy and product goals.
• Support innovation through adoption of modern tools, frameworks, and engineering practices.
• Lead, mentor, and develop software engineering team members.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and high-performing engineering culture.
• Provide coaching, performance feedback, and career development support.
• Help engineers strengthen both technical expertise and professional skills.
• Create opportunities for knowledge sharing, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Partner with Product Management, application engineering, customer support, and leadership teams.
• Align technical execution with product strategy and customer needs.
• Facilitate communication across engineering disciplines to ensure coordinated delivery.
• Support resolution of technical challenges, resource constraints, and project risks.
• Build strong relationships that improve collaboration and product outcomes.
• Continuously improve software delivery processes and development practices.
• Identify opportunities to enhance team productivity, efficiency, and quality.
• Implement processes that improve release predictability and execution discipline.
• Remove obstacles that impede team success and product delivery.
• Establish metrics and reporting that support informed decision-making.

Skills

Embedded Software Development

Firmware Engineering

Software Architecture & Design

Product Roadmap Management

Agile Development

Backlog Prioritization

Release Planning

Requirements Management

Systems Integration

Software Quality Assurance

Technical Leadership

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Engineering Process Improvement

Education

Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field

Tools

Embedded toolchain

Job description

Industry: Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution

Work Setting: Hybrid

Are you passionate about leading embedded software teams, shaping product strategy, and delivering innovative motion control solutions that power next-generation industrial automation systems? We are seeking a Software Engineering Manager to lead software product planning, technical execution, and engineering team development for embedded control and firmware-based products. This role combines technical leadership, product ownership, Agile execution, and people management to ensure the successful delivery of high-quality software solutions that meet customer needs and business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Own software backlog prioritization, release planning, and product execution strategy.
• Translate business objectives and customer requirements into actionable development roadmaps.
• Collaborate with Product Management and cross-functional stakeholders to define product direction and execution priorities.
• Balance feature development, technical debt, quality improvements, and long-term platform investments.
• Ensure product plans align with organizational goals and customer expectations.

Software Development Leadership

• Lead software development initiatives from concept through release and post-launch support.
• Guide technical teams in delivering scalable, reliable, and high-performance embedded software solutions.
• Oversee development activities including requirements definition, architecture reviews, implementation, testing, and deployment.
• Drive engineering excellence through best practices, code quality standards, and disciplined execution.
• Ensure software releases meet quality, schedule, and performance objectives.

Embedded Systems & Firmware Development

• Provide leadership for embedded software and firmware development initiatives.
• Support technical design and architecture decisions for control systems and embedded platforms.
• Guide teams in developing robust software solutions for complex hardware-integrated products.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to ensure seamless integration between hardware, firmware, and supporting software tools.
• Promote development practices that improve reliability, maintainability, and product performance.

Agile Planning & Execution

• Lead Agile planning, prioritization, and delivery processes.
• Convert product goals and business requirements into well-defined user stories, tasks, and development objectives.
• Monitor project progress and adjust priorities as needed to ensure successful delivery.
• Facilitate collaboration between engineering, product, support, and business teams.
• Drive continuous improvement across software development processes and workflows.

Technical Leadership & Architecture

• Provide technical direction and guidance on software architecture, system design, and major development efforts.
• Evaluate technical tradeoffs and make informed decisions regarding scope, risk, and implementation strategies.
• Participate in architecture reviews and establish engineering standards.
• Ensure development activities align with long-term technology strategy and product goals.
• Support innovation through adoption of modern tools, frameworks, and engineering practices.
• Lead, mentor, and develop software engineering team members.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and high-performing engineering culture.
• Provide coaching, performance feedback, and career development support.
• Help engineers strengthen both technical expertise and professional skills.
• Create opportunities for knowledge sharing, innovation, and continuous learning.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Product Management, application engineering, customer support, and leadership teams.
• Align technical execution with product strategy and customer needs.
• Facilitate communication across engineering disciplines to ensure coordinated delivery.
• Support resolution of technical challenges, resource constraints, and project risks.
• Build strong relationships that improve collaboration and product outcomes.

Process Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Continuously improve software delivery processes and development practices.
• Identify opportunities to enhance team productivity, efficiency, and quality.
• Implement processes that improve release predictability and execution discipline.
• Remove obstacles that impede team success and product delivery.
• Establish metrics and reporting that support informed decision-making.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 10+ years of software development experience.
• 5+ years of technical leadership, project leadership, or people management experience.
• Experience leading embedded software or firmware development teams.
• Strong understanding of software development lifecycles, Agile methodologies, and engineering best practices.

Technical Skills

• Embedded Software Development
• Firmware Engineering
• Software Architecture & Design
• Product Roadmap Management
• Agile Development
• Backlog Prioritization
• Release Planning
• Requirements Management
• Systems Integration
• Software Quality Assurance
• Technical Leadership
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Engineering Process Improvement

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in industrial automation environments.
• Experience serving as a product owner, software manager, or technical program leader.
• Experience leading engineering teams through organizational growth and transformation initiatives.