Software Engineering Manager Jobs in California
Software Engineering Manager jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in enterprise software, cloud infrastructure, consumer technology, and defense-adjacent systems development across seniority levels from first-time manager through distinguished principal manager. The largest hiring metros are the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where companies like Google, Apple, and Salesforce maintain major engineering operations. Most in-demand specialties include platform engineering leadership, machine learning infrastructure, and distributed systems management. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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INTRODUCTION
Tyler Technologies is seeking an experienced Software Engineering Manager to join the Enterprise Supervision engineering organization. In this role, you will lead a team of software engineers building cloud-native solutions on AWS while maintaining and evolving an established product platform. You will partner closely with product management, architecture, and peer engineering teams to deliver high-quality software that serves public safety and enterprise customers across the country. This position is based in our Modesto, CA office with a hybrid schedule of 3 days per week on-site. If you are a technically grounded leader who thrives on developing talent, driving continuous improvement, and shipping reliable software at scale, we want to hear from you.
Hybrid Work Policy: The candidate is required to report into the Modesto, CA office at least 3x per week.
Responsibilities
- Lead a team of software engineers responsible for building and maintaining Enterprise Supervision features on a modern AWS-native platform (Lambda, SQS, RDS, ECS, and related services) alongside a legacy PHP stack, including engineers who work remotely.
- Partner with product management, architecture, platform operations, and support to align development priorities with business goals and customer outcomes.
- Coach, mentor, and develop engineers through regular one-on-ones, performance evaluations, and career growth planning; foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and innovation.
- Drive adoption of Agile methodologies and DevOps practices to improve delivery velocity, quality, and operational reliability across the software development lifecycle.
- Balance roadmap execution with operational escalations; work with engineering peers to prioritize effectively and protect team capacity without sacrificing responsiveness to production issues.
- Define and track Key Performance Indicators to measure team health and delivery effectiveness; use data to identify and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
- Contribute to the year-over-year evolution of the Enterprise Supervision product and its underlying platform, including ongoing cloud modernization efforts.
- Champion process improvement initiatives across the team, including tooling enhancements, internal education programs, and engineering best practices.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field required.
- Minimum of 4 years of experience leading software engineering teams, with demonstrated ability to develop talent and deliver complex software projects on time.
- Hands-on software engineering background with experience building or maintaining large-scale web applications; familiarity with PHP, Node.js, MySQL, and RESTful API design is a plus.
- Experience with AWS services, particularly serverless and container-based architectures (Lambda, SQS, RDS, ECS), or comparable cloud platforms.
- Strong understanding of DevOps principles and modern software delivery practices, including CI/CD pipeline design and operation.
- Experience working within an Agile framework (Scrum or similar) and solid familiarity with SDLC principles and methodologies.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
- Proven ability to make sound, timely decisions and navigate complex organizational and technical challenges.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities across multiple workstreams simultaneously.
- Ability to travel approximately 10% of the time to our Plano, TX office.
INTRODUCTION
Tyler Technologies is seeking an experienced Software Engineering Manager to join the Enterprise Supervision engineering organization. In this role, you will lead a team of software engineers building cloud-native solutions on AWS while maintaining and evolving an established product platform. You will partner closely with product management, architecture, and peer engineering teams to deliver high-quality software that serves public safety and enterprise customers across the country. This position is based in our Modesto, CA office with a hybrid schedule of 3 days per week on-site. If you are a technically grounded leader who thrives on developing talent, driving continuous improvement, and shipping reliable software at scale, we want to hear from you.
Hybrid Work Policy: The candidate is required to report into the Modesto, CA office at least 3x per week.
Responsibilities
- Lead a team of software engineers responsible for building and maintaining Enterprise Supervision features on a modern AWS-native platform (Lambda, SQS, RDS, ECS, and related services) alongside a legacy PHP stack, including engineers who work remotely.
- Partner with product management, architecture, platform operations, and support to align development priorities with business goals and customer outcomes.
- Coach, mentor, and develop engineers through regular one-on-ones, performance evaluations, and career growth planning; foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and innovation.
- Drive adoption of Agile methodologies and DevOps practices to improve delivery velocity, quality, and operational reliability across the software development lifecycle.
- Balance roadmap execution with operational escalations; work with engineering peers to prioritize effectively and protect team capacity without sacrificing responsiveness to production issues.
- Define and track Key Performance Indicators to measure team health and delivery effectiveness; use data to identify and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
- Contribute to the year-over-year evolution of the Enterprise Supervision product and its underlying platform, including ongoing cloud modernization efforts.
- Champion process improvement initiatives across the team, including tooling enhancements, internal education programs, and engineering best practices.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field required.
- Minimum of 4 years of experience leading software engineering teams, with demonstrated ability to develop talent and deliver complex software projects on time.
- Hands-on software engineering background with experience building or maintaining large-scale web applications; familiarity with PHP, Node.js, MySQL, and RESTful API design is a plus.
- Experience with AWS services, particularly serverless and container-based architectures (Lambda, SQS, RDS, ECS), or comparable cloud platforms.
- Strong understanding of DevOps principles and modern software delivery practices, including CI/CD pipeline design and operation.
- Experience working within an Agile framework (Scrum or similar) and solid familiarity with SDLC principles and methodologies.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
- Proven ability to make sound, timely decisions and navigate complex organizational and technical challenges.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities across multiple workstreams simultaneously.
- Ability to travel approximately 10% of the time to our Plano, TX office.
See All 1,591+ Software Engineering Manager Jobs in California
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Find JobsSoftware Engineering Manager Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Software Engineering Manager Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Apple157
- NVIDIA87
- BKF Engineers61
- Google61
- Amazon52
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software603
- Electronics & Hardware236
- Consulting & Professional Services205
- Banking & Financial Services77
- Automotive64
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in software engineering manager jobs across California.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related technical field
- At least five years of hands-on software engineering experience before moving into management
- Demonstrated experience directly managing software engineers or leading cross-functional technical teams
- Strong proficiency with modern software development practices including agile, CI/CD, and code review processes
- Experience driving engineering roadmaps in collaboration with product managers and senior leadership
- Familiarity with cloud platforms such as AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure in a production engineering environment
Software Engineering Manager Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a software engineering manager in California?
Becoming a software engineering manager in California typically follows a path from individual contributor engineer to a tech lead or staff engineer role before stepping into management. California employers, especially in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, most commonly promote from within or recruit candidates who have led engineering projects or mentored junior engineers. No state-issued license is required, but a bachelor's or master's degree in computer science or engineering, combined with a strong code and leadership record, is the standard baseline California hiring managers expect.
Which companies hire software engineering managers in California?
Employers hiring software engineering managers in California right now include Apple, NVIDIA, and BKF Engineers, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026. California's deep concentration of technology headquarters and research centers means the state consistently generates some of the highest volumes of these openings nationwide across both large enterprise employers and growth-stage companies.
Which California cities have the most software engineering manager jobs?
The California cities with the most software engineering manager openings are San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Cupertino. The San Francisco Bay Area dominates the distribution because of its density of technology headquarters and venture-backed engineering teams, while Los Angeles draws openings through its expanding tech and entertainment-technology sector, and San Diego contributes through its defense technology and biotech software organizations.
Are there remote software engineering manager jobs in California?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 23% of software engineering manager openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of June 2026, reflecting how central distributed engineering teams have become across the California technology industry. The parts of the role most likely to stay fully remote are those focused on roadmap planning, code review, and cross-team coordination, rather than roles that require regular on-site presence with hardware or lab environments.
How can I get hired as a software engineering manager in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is moving into a tech lead or engineering lead role first, which gives you people management exposure without requiring a formal manager title. Large California employers including Google, Meta, and Apple run structured rotational and associate programs that develop senior engineers into managers, and many mid-size Bay Area and Los Angeles companies promote strong individual contributors who proactively mentor peers. Building a portfolio of cross-functional projects, leading a meaningful open-source initiative, or completing a recognized leadership development program can strengthen a candidacy considerably in California's competitive market.
Where can I find and apply to software engineering manager jobs in California?
You can find and apply to software engineering manager jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings from employers actively hiring right now. Search for roles that match your experience level, location preference, and specialty area, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 1,591+ Software Engineering Manager Jobs in California
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