Manager, Software Development

At Space Ops, we don't just build software, we engineer systems that scale. We are seeking an exceptional Manager, Software Development to help define the future of our engineering organization. This is a hands-on technical leadership role for someone who has moved beyond traditional software development and embraces the power of AI-augmented engineering.

In this role, you will serve as both a technical authority and force multiplier, driving architecture decisions, establishing engineering best practices, mentoring developers, and helping shape how AI transforms software delivery across the organization. This is not a traditional development role. You will lead the design and delivery of mission-critical applications while establishing the standards, frameworks, and AI-driven workflows that enable engineering teams to operate at scale. You'll work closely with Product, Design, Data, and Leadership teams to transform ambitious ideas into secure, scalable, and maintainable solutions.

If you thrive at the intersection of software architecture, rapid product delivery, and AI powered development workflows, we want to hear from you. 

What You’ll be Doing   

Technical Leadership & Engineering Excellence  

• Lead the design, architecture, and development of scalable full-stack applications. 
• Establish engineering standards, coding practices, and architectural principles across teams. 
• Drive technical decision-making and provide guidance on complex engineering challenges. 
• Conduct architecture reviews, code reviews, and technical design sessions. 
• Champion software quality, performance, security, and maintainability. 

AI-Driven Software Development  

• Lead adoption of AI-assisted development tools and workflows across the engineering organization. 
• Define best practices for leveraging Cursor, Windsurf and emerging AI technologies. 
• Develop internal playbooks, prompting standards, and governance frameworks for AI-enabled software development. 
• Evaluate and implement agentic AI capabilities that accelerate engineering productivity and software quality. 
• Help establish the future-state AI engineering strategy for Space Ops. 

Full Stack Architecture & Development  

• Design and build scalable backend services using Node.js, TypeScript, and Python. 
• Architect modern frontend experiences using React, Next.js, and Tailwind CSS. 
• Lead the design of APIs, microservices, integrations, and event-driven systems. 
• Ensure systems are designed for scalability, resilience, observability, and long-term maintainability. 
• Drive modernization and continuous improvement of the technology stack. 

Product Delivery & Execution  

• Partner with Product and Design teams to transform ideas into production-ready solutions. 
• Lead end-to-end feature delivery from architecture through deployment. 
• Accelerate prototyping and product experimentation through AI-powered development workflows. 
• Balance speed, technical debt, and long-term platform health. 

Mentorship & Team Development  

• Mentor and develop engineers across varying levels of experience. 
• Coach teams on architecture, software craftsmanship, AI-assisted development,
• and problem-solving. 
• Foster a culture of innovation, ownership, continuous learning, and technical excellence. 
• Act as a trusted technical advisor to leadership and cross-functional stakeholders. 

DevOps, Security & Reliability  

• Drive CI/CD best practices and deployment automation. 
• Ensure security, compliance, monitoring, and operational excellence are embedded throughout the SDLC. 
• Partner with engineering teams to improve reliability, observability, and performance across platforms. 
• Support incident response, root-cause analysis, and continuous operational improvements. 

Our Technology Stack   

Python | Selenium | Jenkins | Xray (Jira) | REST & GraphQL APIs | Microservices | Cloud-Native Architectures | Kafka | RabbitMQ | Temporal | New Relic | CI/CD Pipelines | Distributed Systems | Event-Driven Architectures | AI-Assisted Development Tools (Cursor, Windsurf, etc.) 

What We're Looking For  

• 7+ years of professional full-stack software development experience is preferred.
• Proven experience leading technical initiatives, architecture decisions, and engineering teams.
• Strong expertise building and scaling modern web applications and distributed systems.
• Deep experience with Node.js, TypeScript, Python, React, and Next.js.
• Strong understanding of software architecture patterns, system design, and engineering best practices.
• Hands on experience with modern CI/CD practices and DevOps workflows.
• Expertise in OOP, SOLID principles, Design Patterns, and Clean Architecture.
• Experience working in Agile product development environments.
• Exceptional communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated experience leveraging AI tools to significantly improve engineering productivity and software quality.
• Advanced proficiency with Cursor, Windsurf, or similar AI- powered development platforms.
• Strong prompt engineering skills and experience guiding AI-generated code.
• Ability to determine when AI acceleration is appropriate and when deeper engineering expertise is required.
• Passion for helping organizations evolve toward AI-augmented software development.

Compensation & Perks   

• $140,000 - $170,000 Annual Compensation.
• Annual Bonus.
• Health & Dental Benefits.
• Health & Wellness Spending Accounts.
• Perkopolis Staff Discounts.
• On-site Gym + Planet Fitness Membership Concession.
• Coffee Bar with Barista + Unlimited Snacks.
• Monthly Events, Friday Lunches & Daily Breakfast.
• Professional Growth & Development Opportunities.

Space Ops welcomes applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

AI Disclosure: As part of our recruitment process, we may use AI-enabled tools to support the screening and assessment of applications. All AI-generated recommendations and outputs are reviewed and validated by our recruitment team.