Software Engineering Manager II

General Atomics; Poway (CA); On-site; USD 119,000 - 208,000; Full time

Job summary

General Atomics is seeking a Software Engineering Manager in California to lead a software team and drive execution, quality, and delivery improvements. This role requires strong technical depth, people leadership, and experience with Agile practices in a DoD environment.

The candidate will guide engineers, coordinate cross-team work, and partner with DevOps to enhance SDLC, testing, and release readiness while maintaining high engineering standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in software engineering or related field.
• Six+ years of progressively complex software experience; leadership preferred.
• Strong understanding of Agile methodologies including SAFe/PI Planning.
• Experience improving software delivery and engineering practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead a software engineering team, mentoring engineers and guiding career growth.
• Drive Agile execution, PI Planning, and delivery predictability for projects.
• Collaborate with DevOps to improve testing, builds, and release processes.
• Partner with architects and senior engineers to ensure sound technical decisions.

Skills

Leadership

Coaching

Cross-functional leadership

Agile/Safe

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering or related discipline

Tools

Jira

Confluence

GitLab

Job description

56922BR

Job Summary:

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a world leader in proven, reliable remotely piloted aircraft and tactical reconnaissance radars, as well as advanced high-resolution surveillance systems.

The Software Engineering Manager will lead a team of software engineers while driving improvements in engineering execution, Agile practices, software quality, and delivery processes. This role requires a strong software engineering foundation, excellent people leadership skills, and the ability to improve how teams plan, develop, test, and deliver software.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

People Leadership

• Hire, mentor, coach, and develop software engineers.
• Support career growth and provide technical and professional guidance.
• Build a high-performing engineering team.
• Establish engineering best practices and a culture of continuous improvement.

Engineering Execution

• Lead Agile execution and support PI Planning activities.
• Improve predictability of software delivery.
• Coordinate cross-team dependencies and execution risks.
• Remove process and technical blockers affecting delivery.
• Improve SDLC practices and engineering workflows.

Software Delivery and Quality

• Partner with DevOps to improve software development, testing, and release processes.
• Define and improve testing strategies.
• Coordinate release readiness activities.
• Improve engineering quality metrics.
• Support build validation and integration processes.

Technical Leadership

• Maintain enough technical depth to understand software architecture, development practices, source control, builds, CI/CD concepts, and containerized application environments.
• Partner with architects, senior engineers, and DevOps teams.
• Help teams make effective technical decisions and improve engineering effectiveness.

We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply.

Job Qualifications:

• Typically requires education or formal training equivalent to the completion of a Bachelors degree in Software Engineering or related discipline and six or more years progressively complex experience. Additional professional experience may be substituted in lieu of education.
• Experience leading software engineering teams or serving as a technical leader.
• Strong understanding of Agile methodologies; SAFe and PI Planning experience preferred.
• Strong understanding of the Software Development Lifecycle.
• Experience improving software delivery processes and engineering practices.
• Familiarity with CI/CD concepts, source control, branching strategies, automated testing, and containerized software environments.
• Experience with tools such as Jira, confluence, and GitLab.
• Strong communication, coaching, and cross-functional leadership skills.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret Clearance is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience as a Software Engineer, Senior SDET, Systems Engineer, or Technical Lead.
• Experience managing teams developing containerized applications.
• Experience defining engineering metrics and operational KPIs.
• Experience driving continuous improvement within software engineering organizations.

Job Category:

Engineering

Experience Level:

Management

Workstyle:

Onsite

Full-Time/Part-Time:

Full-Time Salary

Pay Range Low:

118,500

Pay Range High:

207,750

Travel Percentage Required:

0% - 25%

Relocation Assistance Provided?:

No

US Citizenship Required?:

Yes

Clearance Required?:

Desired

Clearance Level:

Secret

General Atomics is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, ancestry, gender, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, transitioning status, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, medical condition, mental disability, physical disability, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law. In accordance with applicable federal law, General Atomics takes affirmative action to employ and advance the employment of qualified protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. We also prohibit compensation discrimination under all applicable laws. U.S. Citizenship is required for certain positions. To learn more, please review the EEOC’s "Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal" poster.