Engineering Director Jobs in California
Engineering Director jobs in California concentrate heavily in technology, defense, semiconductor, and clean energy sectors, with the state representing one of the most active markets in the country for senior engineering leadership. The largest hiring metros are the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where companies like Apple, Lockheed Martin, and Qualcomm maintain deep engineering leadership pipelines. Demand is strongest for directors with expertise in systems engineering, software infrastructure, and hardware development. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
Find Engineering Director JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 313+ Engineering Director jobs
Responsibilities
Organizational Leadership & Talent Development
- Lead, develop, and inspire a geographically distributed organization of Solution Engineering Managers and Solution Engineers.
- Establish a high-performance culture focused on accountability, technical excellence, collaboration, inclusion, and continuous learning.
- Develop leadership bench strength through coaching, succession planning, manager development, and talent investment.
- Drive employee engagement, organizational health, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and retention strategies.
- Create career growth opportunities that strengthen both technical expertise and leadership capabilities across the organization.
Business Leadership & Strategy Execution
- Own technical strategy and execution across Cloud & AI Platform solution areas, including AI, Data, Infrastructure, Applications, Development Platforms, and Modernization.
- Partner with business leaders to define territory strategies, organizational priorities, resource allocation plans, and growth objectives.
- Support achievement of strategic business goals through technical engagement, customer influence, and solution adoption.
- Leverage business insights, customer trends, and market opportunities to shape organizational priorities and execution plans.
- Drive disciplined execution through clear accountability, performance management, and operational rigor.
Customer Impact & Executive Engagement
- Build trusted advisor relationships with CIOs, CTOs, Chief Data Officers, Chief AI Officers, and other senior customer decision makers.
- Help enterprise customers envision and execute cloud, data, and AI transformation strategies that deliver measurable business value.
- Engage directly in complex strategic opportunities, executive briefings, architecture reviews, and customer transformation programs.
- Guide teams in resolving technical blockers and accelerating customer decision making.
- Represent Microsoft as a senior technology leader with strategic customers, partners, and industry stakeholders.
Technical Leadership & Innovation
- Lead technical strategy supporting Azure, Microsoft Fabric, Azure AI, GitHub, Foundry, Intelligent Applications, Modern Infrastructure, Security, and Application Modernization solutions.
- Drive technical excellence across architecture design, solution envisioning, proofs of concept, demonstrations, and deployment planning.
- Ensure customer solutions are secure, scalable, resilient, and AI-ready.
- Foster innovation and adoption of emerging Microsoft technologies and AI-powered experiences.
- Deliver field insights that influence product direction, engineering priorities, and go-to-market strategy.
AI Transformation Leadership
- Champion Microsoft's vision for AI transformation and Frontier Firm enablement.
- Help customers accelerate adoption of generative AI, intelligent applications, copilots, agents, and data-driven business processes.
- Guide teams in helping customers build AI roadmaps aligned to business outcomes.
- Position Microsoft as the trusted platform for enterprise AI innovation and responsible AI implementation.
- Create organizational capability in rapidly evolving AI technologies and customer scenarios.
Partner & Cross-Functional Leadership
- Collaborate with Specialist Sellers, Customer Success Account Managers, Industry teams, Partner organizations, and Product Engineering.
- Ensure effective pod-based selling motions and seamless technical orchestration across solution areas.
- Drive strategic partner alignment that expands customer value and accelerates transformation outcomes.
- Help shape regional and national business strategies through thought leadership and field feedback.
Operational Excellence
- Manage organizational planning, headcount strategy, budget stewardship, workforce planning, and talent investments.
- Drive excellence in forecasting support, technical engagement quality, customer satisfaction, and business execution.
- Utilize data-driven insights and performance metrics to improve organizational effectiveness.
- Implement scalable processes and operational rhythms that increase consistency and impact across teams.
- Ensure effective governance, compliance, and execution against Microsoft business priorities.
Qualifications
Required/minimum qualifications
- Master's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business or related field AND 6+ years technical pre-sales or technical consulting experience OR Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field AND 8+ years technical pre-sales or technical consulting experience OR 10+ years technical pre-sales or technical consulting experience OR equivalent experience.
Other Requirements
This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Candidates must have authorization to work in the United States that does not now or in the future require employer sponsorship.
Additional or preferred qualifications
- 10+ years technical pre-sales, technical consulting, or technology delivery, or related experience OR equivalent experience.
- 5+ years people management experience (including leading virtual teams).
- Experience driving business growth through cloud platform, AI, data, application modernization, infrastructure modernization, security, developer technologies, or digital transformation initiatives.
- Deep executive communication, presentation, and customer engagement skills.
- Proven track record partnering across sales, customer success, engineering, and partner ecosysems to influence technical and business decision makers across complex enterprise environments.
- Experience supporting large strategic enterprise customers and executive-level transformation initiatives.
- Passion for coaching, developing talent, and fostering a high-performance team.
Solution Engineering M6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $155,800 - $277,200 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $202,400 - $303,600 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process.
Responsibilities
Organizational Leadership & Talent Development
- Lead, develop, and inspire a geographically distributed organization of Solution Engineering Managers and Solution Engineers.
- Establish a high-performance culture focused on accountability, technical excellence, collaboration, inclusion, and continuous learning.
- Develop leadership bench strength through coaching, succession planning, manager development, and talent investment.
- Drive employee engagement, organizational health, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and retention strategies.
- Create career growth opportunities that strengthen both technical expertise and leadership capabilities across the organization.
Business Leadership & Strategy Execution
- Own technical strategy and execution across Cloud & AI Platform solution areas, including AI, Data, Infrastructure, Applications, Development Platforms, and Modernization.
- Partner with business leaders to define territory strategies, organizational priorities, resource allocation plans, and growth objectives.
- Support achievement of strategic business goals through technical engagement, customer influence, and solution adoption.
- Leverage business insights, customer trends, and market opportunities to shape organizational priorities and execution plans.
- Drive disciplined execution through clear accountability, performance management, and operational rigor.
Customer Impact & Executive Engagement
- Build trusted advisor relationships with CIOs, CTOs, Chief Data Officers, Chief AI Officers, and other senior customer decision makers.
- Help enterprise customers envision and execute cloud, data, and AI transformation strategies that deliver measurable business value.
- Engage directly in complex strategic opportunities, executive briefings, architecture reviews, and customer transformation programs.
- Guide teams in resolving technical blockers and accelerating customer decision making.
- Represent Microsoft as a senior technology leader with strategic customers, partners, and industry stakeholders.
Technical Leadership & Innovation
- Lead technical strategy supporting Azure, Microsoft Fabric, Azure AI, GitHub, Foundry, Intelligent Applications, Modern Infrastructure, Security, and Application Modernization solutions.
- Drive technical excellence across architecture design, solution envisioning, proofs of concept, demonstrations, and deployment planning.
- Ensure customer solutions are secure, scalable, resilient, and AI-ready.
- Foster innovation and adoption of emerging Microsoft technologies and AI-powered experiences.
- Deliver field insights that influence product direction, engineering priorities, and go-to-market strategy.
AI Transformation Leadership
- Champion Microsoft's vision for AI transformation and Frontier Firm enablement.
- Help customers accelerate adoption of generative AI, intelligent applications, copilots, agents, and data-driven business processes.
- Guide teams in helping customers build AI roadmaps aligned to business outcomes.
- Position Microsoft as the trusted platform for enterprise AI innovation and responsible AI implementation.
- Create organizational capability in rapidly evolving AI technologies and customer scenarios.
Partner & Cross-Functional Leadership
- Collaborate with Specialist Sellers, Customer Success Account Managers, Industry teams, Partner organizations, and Product Engineering.
- Ensure effective pod-based selling motions and seamless technical orchestration across solution areas.
- Drive strategic partner alignment that expands customer value and accelerates transformation outcomes.
- Help shape regional and national business strategies through thought leadership and field feedback.
Operational Excellence
- Manage organizational planning, headcount strategy, budget stewardship, workforce planning, and talent investments.
- Drive excellence in forecasting support, technical engagement quality, customer satisfaction, and business execution.
- Utilize data-driven insights and performance metrics to improve organizational effectiveness.
- Implement scalable processes and operational rhythms that increase consistency and impact across teams.
- Ensure effective governance, compliance, and execution against Microsoft business priorities.
Qualifications
Required/minimum qualifications
- Master's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business or related field AND 6+ years technical pre-sales or technical consulting experience OR Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field AND 8+ years technical pre-sales or technical consulting experience OR 10+ years technical pre-sales or technical consulting experience OR equivalent experience.
Other Requirements
This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Candidates must have authorization to work in the United States that does not now or in the future require employer sponsorship.
Additional or preferred qualifications
- 10+ years technical pre-sales, technical consulting, or technology delivery, or related experience OR equivalent experience.
- 5+ years people management experience (including leading virtual teams).
- Experience driving business growth through cloud platform, AI, data, application modernization, infrastructure modernization, security, developer technologies, or digital transformation initiatives.
- Deep executive communication, presentation, and customer engagement skills.
- Proven track record partnering across sales, customer success, engineering, and partner ecosysems to influence technical and business decision makers across complex enterprise environments.
- Experience supporting large strategic enterprise customers and executive-level transformation initiatives.
- Passion for coaching, developing talent, and fostering a high-performance team.
Solution Engineering M6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $155,800 - $277,200 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $202,400 - $303,600 per year.
Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process.
See All 313+ Engineering Director Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Engineering Director JobsEngineering Director Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Engineering Director Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software51
- Electronics & Hardware29
- Consulting & Professional Services10
- Banking & Financial Services9
- Manufacturing8
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in engineering director jobs across California.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in engineering, computer science, or a related technical field
- Ten or more years of progressive engineering experience including team leadership
- Proven ability to manage cross-functional engineering teams of twenty or more engineers
- Experience driving product development cycles from concept through large-scale deployment
- Strong background in budget ownership, headcount planning, and executive stakeholder communication
- Familiarity with California-specific regulatory environments such as CEQA, Title 24, or defense contracting standards
Engineering Director Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a engineering director in California?
Most engineering directors in California reach the role by progressing through individual contributor, senior engineer, and engineering manager positions over a career of roughly ten to fifteen years, though the timeline varies by industry. In disciplines such as civil or structural engineering, holding an active Professional Engineer license issued by the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists strengthens candidacy significantly and is sometimes required. In software and hardware fields, a relevant graduate degree and a consistent record of growing teams into high-output organizations typically carries more weight than licensure.
How much do engineering directors make in California?
Engineering directors in California earn a median of about $210,280 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $137,900 for the lowest 10% to over $296,130 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire engineering directors in California?
California engineering director roles are posted by Adobe, Astera Labs, and NVIDIA and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. California's concentration of technology headquarters, aerospace primes, and clean energy companies means the pipeline of director-level openings is among the broadest of any state.
Which California cities have the most engineering director jobs?
San Francisco, San Jose, and Santa Clara account for the largest share of engineering director openings in California. The Bay Area's density of technology and semiconductor headquarters drives the volume there, while Los Angeles reflects the aerospace, defense, and entertainment technology industries anchored by large employers in the region, and San Diego's concentration of defense contractors, biotech firms, and wireless technology companies sustains consistent director-level demand.
Are there remote engineering director jobs in California?
Yes, though they represent a smaller share than in purely desk-based fields because engineering director roles frequently require on-site presence for lab oversight, manufacturing floor decisions, and in-person leadership of large teams. About 37% of engineering director openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, with remote arrangements most common for directors whose scope is primarily software, platform, or cloud infrastructure rather than physical product development.
How can I get hired as a engineering director in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic path is building toward the director level from a senior engineering manager or principal engineer role at a California employer, using that position to demonstrate cross-team ownership and organizational impact. Large California technology and aerospace employers such as those headquartered in the Bay Area and greater Los Angeles run rotational leadership development programs and internal promotion tracks that move high-performing managers into director roles. Candidates transitioning from adjacent roles like program director, head of engineering, or VP of product engineering at mid-size California companies often compete successfully by pairing that experience with a Professional Engineer license or a relevant graduate degree.
Where can I find and apply to engineering director jobs in California?
You can find and apply to engineering director jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings across industries and metro areas. Search the listings to find roles that match your background, seniority level, and target location, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 313+ Engineering Director Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Engineering Director Jobs