Software Engineering Manager - Lead, Mentor, Deliver

Cogent Communications; Herndon (VA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

PTO

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Holidays

401(k) with employer match

Stock options

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Cogent Communications, a Tier 1 network provider, is seeking a Manager, Software Engineering to lead, mentor, and inspire development staff. You will guide technical direction through research, prototyping, and design decisions while supporting the team in delivering high‑quality software solutions.

The role requires extensive hands‑on software experience, strong leadership, and the ability to work with product management and end‑users to define requirements.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands-on software development across languages and frameworks.
• 2+ years leading and mentoring software developers.
• 5+ years collaborating with department heads and end-users to define specifications.
• 2+ years PHP/Laravel is a plus.
• Strong SQL and data modelling skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of software developers, including hiring and performance management.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performance culture within the team.
• Oversee full software development lifecycle from planning to deployment.
• Collaborate with product management, QA, and stakeholders to define requirements.
• Drive and improve software development processes and tools.
• Lead efforts to automate manual processes and improve efficiency.
• Communicate progress, challenges, and risks to stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership & mentoring

Technical problem-solving

Requirements gathering

PHP/Laravel

SQL & data modelling

Communication

Documentation

Learning agility

Time management

Team collaboration

Customer focus

Job description

Cogent Communications, a Tier 1 network provider, is seeking a Manager, Software Engineering to lead, mentor, and inspire development staff. You will guide technical direction through research, prototyping, and design decisions while supporting the team in delivering high‑quality software solutions.

The role requires extensive hands‑on software experience, strong leadership, and the ability to work with product management and end‑users to define requirements.