Software Systems Engineer Jobs in San Diego, CA
Software Systems Engineer jobs in San Diego are concentrated in defense, cybersecurity, and biotech, with activity in Sorrento Valley, Kearny Mesa, and the Torrey Pines corridor. Employers hiring right now include Apple, SAIC, and ServiceNow. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
Find JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 285+ Software Systems Engineer jobs
It all started when engineer Fred Luddy wrote code that automated a tedious task for his coworker, Phyllis. She cried tears of joy. That moment inspired Fred to build a company that could do that for everyone—freeing people from busywork so they could focus on meaningful work. Today, ServiceNow is the AI control tower for business reinvention. Our ServiceNow AI platform brings together any AI, any data, and any workflow— helping 85% of the Fortune 500® work smarter, faster, and better. We're building an AI-native culture where technology and talent are unstoppable together. And we're just getting started.
Join us to put AI to work for people.
Job Description
Position Location:
This is a Flexible (Hybrid) position. Flexible positions require 2 days per week in a ServiceNow office location. We have offices in several locations, including San Francisco, CA; Pleasanton, CA; Santa Clara, CA; San Diego, CA; and Kirkland, WA
Please Note: This position will include supporting our US Regulated Markets.
“This position requires passing a ServiceNow background screening, USFedPASS (US Federal Personnel Authorization Screening Standards). This includes a credit check, criminal/misdemeanor check and taking a drug test. Any employment is contingent upon passing the screening. Due to Federal requirements, only US citizens, US naturalized citizens or US Permanent Residents, holding a green card, will be considered.
About the team:
We are seeking a Staff Software Engineer (IC4 Level) to join our Data Platform Engineering organization. You are a strong hands-on contributor who will own well-scoped components and projects within the team and deliver them end-to-end.
What you get to do in this role:
- You will design, build, and operate components and services within the cloud-native platform, taking features from design through to production.
- You will lead well-scoped projects within your team, turning requirements and rough ideas into solid technical designs and delivering them.
- You will collaborate with senior, staff, and principal engineers to align your work with the platform’s architecture and standards.
- You will contribute to the reliability, scalability, and operability of what you build — writing tests and instrumentation, improving runbooks, and participating in on-call.
- You will spend most of your time hands-on building — operators, controllers, automation, and platform services that other teams depend on.
- You will help onboard and mentor junior engineers through code review, design feedback, and pairing.
Qualifications
To be successful in this role you have:
- Experience leveraging or critically thinking about how to integrate AI into engineering work — whether using AI-powered coding and operational tooling, automating workflows, or reasoning about how AI changes the way software and infrastructure are built.
- 8+ years of software development experience with a Bachelor's degree; OR 5+ years with a Master's degree; OR 3+ years with a PhD; OR equivalent work experience.
- 5+ years of hands-on experience building, deploying and operating workloads on Kubernetes.
- Working experience with at least one major hyperscaler (AWS, Azure, GCP), including its core compute, networking, and IAM primitives.
- A track record of delivering complex features or services as a key contributor.
- Solid working knowledge of containers, CI/CD and GitOps-based delivery, and infrastructure-as-code.
- Strong programming skills in Go (or another systems language with a willingness to work primarily in Go).
It also helps if you have:
- Experience building Kubernetes controllers or working with the operator pattern.
- Familiarity with container networking (CNI) or service mesh.
- Experience with workload identity, mTLS, or secrets management.
- Experience with observability — metrics, tracing, and dashboards.
- Experience with managed Kubernetes (EKS/AKS/GKE) and infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform.
For positions in this location, we offer a base pay of $149,800 - $262,200, plus equity (when applicable), variable/incentive compensation and benefits. Sales positions generally offer a competitive On Target Earnings (OTE) incentive compensation structure. Please note that the base pay shown is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies, and work location. We also offer health plans, including flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) Plan with company match, ESPP, matching donations, a flexible time away plan and family leave programs. Compensation is based on the geographic location in which the role is located and is subject to change based on work location.
Additional Information
Work Personas
We approach our distributed world of work with flexibility and trust. Work personas (flexible, remote, or required in office) are categories that are assigned to ServiceNow employees depending on the nature of their work and their assigned work location. Learn more here. To determine eligibility for a work persona, ServiceNow may confirm the distance between your primary residence and the closest ServiceNow office using a third-party service.
Equal Opportunity Employer
ServiceNow is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, gender identity, veteran status, or any other category protected by law. In addition, all qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with legal requirements.
Accommodations
We strive to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, or are unable to use this online application and need an alternative method to apply, please contact globaltalentss@servicenow.com for assistance.
Export Control Regulations
For positions requiring access to controlled technology subject to export control regulations, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR), ServiceNow may be required to obtain export control approval from government authorities for certain individuals. All employment is contingent upon ServiceNow obtaining any export license or other approval that may be required by relevant export control authorities.
From Fortune. ©2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license.
It all started when engineer Fred Luddy wrote code that automated a tedious task for his coworker, Phyllis. She cried tears of joy. That moment inspired Fred to build a company that could do that for everyone—freeing people from busywork so they could focus on meaningful work. Today, ServiceNow is the AI control tower for business reinvention. Our ServiceNow AI platform brings together any AI, any data, and any workflow— helping 85% of the Fortune 500® work smarter, faster, and better. We're building an AI-native culture where technology and talent are unstoppable together. And we're just getting started.
Join us to put AI to work for people.
Job Description
Position Location:
This is a Flexible (Hybrid) position. Flexible positions require 2 days per week in a ServiceNow office location. We have offices in several locations, including San Francisco, CA; Pleasanton, CA; Santa Clara, CA; San Diego, CA; and Kirkland, WA
Please Note: This position will include supporting our US Regulated Markets.
“This position requires passing a ServiceNow background screening, USFedPASS (US Federal Personnel Authorization Screening Standards). This includes a credit check, criminal/misdemeanor check and taking a drug test. Any employment is contingent upon passing the screening. Due to Federal requirements, only US citizens, US naturalized citizens or US Permanent Residents, holding a green card, will be considered.
About the team:
We are seeking a Staff Software Engineer (IC4 Level) to join our Data Platform Engineering organization. You are a strong hands-on contributor who will own well-scoped components and projects within the team and deliver them end-to-end.
What you get to do in this role:
- You will design, build, and operate components and services within the cloud-native platform, taking features from design through to production.
- You will lead well-scoped projects within your team, turning requirements and rough ideas into solid technical designs and delivering them.
- You will collaborate with senior, staff, and principal engineers to align your work with the platform’s architecture and standards.
- You will contribute to the reliability, scalability, and operability of what you build — writing tests and instrumentation, improving runbooks, and participating in on-call.
- You will spend most of your time hands-on building — operators, controllers, automation, and platform services that other teams depend on.
- You will help onboard and mentor junior engineers through code review, design feedback, and pairing.
Qualifications
To be successful in this role you have:
- Experience leveraging or critically thinking about how to integrate AI into engineering work — whether using AI-powered coding and operational tooling, automating workflows, or reasoning about how AI changes the way software and infrastructure are built.
- 8+ years of software development experience with a Bachelor's degree; OR 5+ years with a Master's degree; OR 3+ years with a PhD; OR equivalent work experience.
- 5+ years of hands-on experience building, deploying and operating workloads on Kubernetes.
- Working experience with at least one major hyperscaler (AWS, Azure, GCP), including its core compute, networking, and IAM primitives.
- A track record of delivering complex features or services as a key contributor.
- Solid working knowledge of containers, CI/CD and GitOps-based delivery, and infrastructure-as-code.
- Strong programming skills in Go (or another systems language with a willingness to work primarily in Go).
It also helps if you have:
- Experience building Kubernetes controllers or working with the operator pattern.
- Familiarity with container networking (CNI) or service mesh.
- Experience with workload identity, mTLS, or secrets management.
- Experience with observability — metrics, tracing, and dashboards.
- Experience with managed Kubernetes (EKS/AKS/GKE) and infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform.
For positions in this location, we offer a base pay of $149,800 - $262,200, plus equity (when applicable), variable/incentive compensation and benefits. Sales positions generally offer a competitive On Target Earnings (OTE) incentive compensation structure. Please note that the base pay shown is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies, and work location. We also offer health plans, including flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) Plan with company match, ESPP, matching donations, a flexible time away plan and family leave programs. Compensation is based on the geographic location in which the role is located and is subject to change based on work location.
Additional Information
Work Personas
We approach our distributed world of work with flexibility and trust. Work personas (flexible, remote, or required in office) are categories that are assigned to ServiceNow employees depending on the nature of their work and their assigned work location. Learn more here. To determine eligibility for a work persona, ServiceNow may confirm the distance between your primary residence and the closest ServiceNow office using a third-party service.
Equal Opportunity Employer
ServiceNow is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, gender identity, veteran status, or any other category protected by law. In addition, all qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with legal requirements.
Accommodations
We strive to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, or are unable to use this online application and need an alternative method to apply, please contact globaltalentss@servicenow.com for assistance.
Export Control Regulations
For positions requiring access to controlled technology subject to export control regulations, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR), ServiceNow may be required to obtain export control approval from government authorities for certain individuals. All employment is contingent upon ServiceNow obtaining any export license or other approval that may be required by relevant export control authorities.
From Fortune. ©2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license.
See All 285+ Software Systems Engineer Jobs in San Diego
Find roles in San Diego that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find JobsSoftware Systems Engineer Job Market in San Diego
Who's Hiring
- Apple62
- SAIC25
- ServiceNow25
- TrellisWare Technologies25
- Zoox12
Top Industries Hiring
- Electronics & Hardware
Software Systems Engineer Jobs in San Diego: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a software systems engineer job in San Diego?
Focus your search on defense contractors, cybersecurity firms, and biotech companies, which drive the heaviest hiring for software systems engineers in San Diego. Sorrento Valley, Kearny Mesa, and the Miramar corridor are where most openings cluster. Candidates with systems integration experience, familiarity with embedded systems, or a security clearance stand out in this market. Tailoring your resume to mission-critical or regulated-environment work gives you a clear edge locally.
Which companies hire software systems engineers in San Diego?
San Diego software systems engineer roles are posted by Apple, SAIC, and ServiceNow and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. The local employer mix leans heavily toward defense primes, cybersecurity specialists, and medical device companies, many of which maintain large engineering campuses in and around Sorrento Valley and Kearny Mesa.
Are there remote software systems engineer jobs in San Diego?
Yes, though remote availability depends on the work type, since software systems engineering often involves hardware integration, lab environments, or classified facilities that require on-site presence. About 46% of software systems engineer openings tied to San Diego are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, with remote options most common for roles focused on software architecture, requirements analysis, or modeling and simulation rather than hands-on hardware or defense work.
How can I get a software systems engineer job in San Diego with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in San Diego is targeting associate systems engineer or junior software engineer roles at defense contractors and mid-size cybersecurity firms, many of which hire recent graduates from UC San Diego and San Diego State University through campus and internship pipelines. Entry-level positions in test engineering, systems integration support, or requirements documentation are common starting points locally. Familiarity with model-based systems engineering tools and a willingness to pursue a security clearance will accelerate your candidacy with San Diego employers.
Which industries hire the most software systems engineers in San Diego?
San Diego software systems engineer roles concentrate in Electronics & Hardware, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. San Diego's strong defense contracting base, combined with its growing cybersecurity and life sciences sectors, creates consistent demand for engineers who can work across hardware, software, and regulated-system environments.
Related Jobs in California
See All 285+ Software Systems Engineer Jobs in San Diego
Find roles in San Diego that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Jobs