R&D Software Director-16428

Category Engineering Hire Type Employee Job ID 16428 Base Salary Range $170000-$255000 Remote Eligible No Date Posted 05/06/2026

We Are

Synopsys is the leader in engineering solutions from silicon to systems, enabling customers to rapidly innovate AI-powered products. We deliver industry-leading silicon design, IP, simulation and analysis solutions, and design services. We partner closely with our customers across a wide range of industries to maximize their R&D capability and productivity, powering innovation today that ignites the ingenuity of tomorrow.

You Are

You will lead a small software team through real challenges—balancing new features, code maintenance, and fast-changing business needs. You can explain Zemax’s vision to a customer or executive, cut through ambiguity, and translate strategy into action. You’re hands-on enough to understand code but focused on growing managers and teams. You are comfortable translating business needs into technical plans, and you make the hard calls—balancing immediate deliverables with long-term investment in quality and productivity. You do not just manage; you mentor, challenge, and grow your team. You believe in Agile practices, but you know when to adapt them to fit reality.  You push for modernization, not just maintenance, and you want to see Zemax stay essential to customers and the business.

What You'll Be Doing

• Guide Zemax R&D teams in Canada, USA, and the UK to deliver features and modernize the platform.
• Set and drive department goals, balancing delivery on the product charter with codebase maintenance and continuous improvement in developer productivity.
• Oversee delivery of next-gen features that keep Zemax leading in optics simulation.
• Drive modernization initiatives for Zemax, evolving legacy code and architecture to support next-generation features and scale.
• Champion Agile software development practices, providing oversight on implementation and adapting processes where needed.
• Work closely with Product Management to build, prioritize, and communicate the roadmap.
• Present product direction, progress, and vision to Customer Advisory Boards, Technical Review Meetings, and executive stakeholders.
• Oversee resource allocation, staffing, and compensation planning for your teams, ensuring you have the right mix of skills and experience to deliver.

The Impact You Will Have

• Move Zemax forward with new features and a modern codebase.
• Drive growth for a world-renowned product essential to optical designers
• Reduce technical debt and speed up release cycles.
• Shape a collaborative, high-performing global team.
• Raise Zemax’s reputation with customers and leadership.

What You'll Need

• BS in Engineering, Computer Science, or related field with 12 years’ experience (or MS with 10, PhD with 8).
• 6+ years managing software teams.
• Proven record of delivering commercial software products.
• Experience with Agile development and legacy code modernization.
• Able to connect technical decisions to business impact.
• Zemax or optics simulation experience is a plus.

Who You Are

• You can explain a complex technical tradeoff to a customer or executive in plain language and hold your ground when needed.
• You see and fix problems early, not after they escalate.
• You value team trust, openness, and accountability.
• You thrive on cross-team alignment, finding ways to standardize and share rather than reinventing the wheel.
• You mentor managers, not just engineers, and you are intentional about growing future leaders.

The Team You'll Be Part Of

You will lead a global Zemax R&D team with members based in Canada, US, and UK, collaborating across time zones to deliver world-class optics software.

Rewards and Benefits

We offer a comprehensive range of health, wellness, and financial benefits to cater to your needs. Our total rewards include both monetary and non-monetary offerings. Your recruiter will provide more details about the salary range and benefits during the hiring process.

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Synopsys Canada ULC values the diversity of our workforce. We are committed to provide access & opportunity to individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodation to individuals throughout the recruitment and employment process. Should you require an accommodation, please contact View email address on careers.synopsys.com .