Director, Software Engineering – Product Engineering

SNAP/SNAP

. Lead, manage, and mentor a team of software engineers .

Posted 10/5/2026full-timeUnited StatesLead💰 $334,000 - $500,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in leading and mentoring engineering teams while setting technical direction and strategy for product development. Proficient in architecting and developing distributed systems, ensuring high availability, scalability, and performance.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Engineering ManagementDistributed Systems ArchitectureTechnical Direction SettingTeam Development and MentorshipProgramming Languages (Java, C++, Go, Python, Swift, Kotlin, JavaScript)

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Software DevelopmentDebuggingPerformance AnalysisTestingTechnical Decision MakingProduct JudgmentProblem SolvingComplex Initiative LeadershipSoftware DesignContinuous Improvement

Soft Skills

CollaborationCommunicationMentorshipStakeholder Management

Certifications & Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or Related FieldMaster’s Degree in Technical Field (Preferred)PhD in Related Technical Field (Preferred)

Industry Keywords

Product EngineeringHigh AvailabilityScalabilityOperational ExcellenceArtificial IntelligenceMachine LearningConsumer ProductsGlobal Scale

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Distributed SystemsJavaJavaScriptKotlinPythonSwiftC++Go

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead, manage, and mentor a team of software engineers
Create an environment where people can do their best work, grow their careers, and feel included and supported
Set the technical vision, strategy, roadmap, and measurable goals for a product engineering area aligned to company priorities
Partner with Product, Design, Data Science, Operations, and Engineering teams to understand customer needs, define product requirements, evaluate tradeoffs, and deliver high quality experiences
Design, implement, and scale critical product components and services across backend services, distributed systems, client applications, and data platforms
Drive technical execution across near-term product launches and longer-term architecture, platform, and engineering excellence investments
Establish high standards for availability, scalability, performance, privacy, security, operational excellence, and cost management
Identify opportunities using product and engineering insights and improve customer and business outcomes
Provide technical direction beyond the immediate team
Hire, retain, and develop engineers and leaders while building a diverse and inclusive team
Communicate with senior leaders and cross-functional partners on priorities, risks, decisions, and outcomes

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant technical field such as computer science, mathematics, statistics, or equivalent years of practical work experience
10+ years of post Bachelor’s software development experience; or a Master’s degree in a technical field plus 9+ years of post graduate software development experience; or a PhD in a related technical field plus 6+ years of post graduate software development experience
5+ years of experience as an engineering manager or technical leader
Experience setting technical direction for engineering projects or organizations
Experience architecting, designing, and developing distributed systems and business critical products
Experience leading, mentoring, and scaling engineering teams to consistently deliver complex, high impact work
Excellent programming and software design skills, including debugging, performance analysis, testing, and technical decision making
Proven experience building and operating highly available products or services at significant scale
Strong product judgment and ability to connect technical choices to customer value and business outcomes
Ability to solve ambiguous problems, set direction, and lead complex initiatives from strategy through delivery and operation
Strong collaboration, communication, mentorship, and stakeholder management skills
Experience developing engineering talent, building effective teams, and fostering accountability, inclusion, and continuous improvement
Ability to learn new concepts and technologies quickly
Experience with one or more modern programming languages such as Java, C++, Go, Python, Swift, Kotlin, or JavaScript
Preferred: advanced degree in a technical field
Preferred: experience building consumer products used at global scale
Preferred: experience partnering with senior executives across a globally distributed organization
Preferred: experience leading product engineering teams across web, mobile, and backend systems
Preferred: experience applying artificial intelligence or machine learning to product development

Benefits

Comp & perks

Paid parental leave
Comprehensive medical coverage
Emotional and mental health support programs
Compensation packages that let employees share in Snap’s long-term success
Equity in the form of RSUs
Default Together approach with in-office collaboration 4+ days per week