Sr Software Development Manager Jobs in Santa Clara, CA
Sr Software Development Manager jobs in Santa Clara are concentrated across the tech corridor anchoring Central Expressway, the Lawrence Expressway zone, and the Great America Parkway district, where Amazon Web Services, Amazon, and NVIDIA are actively hiring in enterprise software, semiconductors, and cloud infrastructure. Demand is strong and openings turn over quickly at this level. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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DESCRIPTION
Amazon OpenSearch Service powers search, log analytics, observability, and vector workloads for tens of thousands of customers. Every one of those customers runs on software that our Data Plane Platform team ships, and keeping it current means updating and managing software updates across millions of instances at scale, safely and continuously. We own the release engine for the managed OpenSearch data plane: the pipelines, the automation, and the self-service release platform that take an upstream open source cut all the way to GA across every supported version and region.
We are looking for a Software Development Engineer to help us turn releasing OpenSearch from a hand-coordinated effort into a fully automated, self-service platform. The team has already sharply reduced release cycle time, increased release throughput, consolidated its pipelines, and driven per-engineer release effort close to zero. You will build pieces of that system: the tooling, orchestration, and AI-assisted automation that let teams release safely with less manual effort.
This is a hands-on builder role at the intersection of distributed systems, CI/CD, and developer experience, with a strong and growing emphasis on AI. You will own well-scoped components end to end, from design through operations, with mentorship from senior engineers on the team, and you will have real opportunity to apply AI and agentic automation to real release problems. The code you ship becomes part of the paved road the OpenSearch organization releases on.
Key job responsibilities
Build and operate the services, pipelines, and automation that update and manage software updates across millions of instances at scale, safely and continuously, across many versions and regions.
Build and extend the self-service release platform so builders across the organization can ship features quickly and reliably.
Improve release safety with staged rollouts, automated validation, rollback, and blast-radius controls so a bad change does not reach customers at scale.
Apply AI and agentic automation to the parts of releasing that still require manual effort today.
Own the operations of what you build: on-call, runbooks, metrics, and reducing operational load over time.
Partner with the engineering teams who build and release on top of your platform.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 5+ years of non-internship professional software development experience
- 5+ years of programming with at least one software programming language experience
- 5+ years of leading design or architecture (design patterns, reliability and scaling) of new and existing systems experience
- Experience as a mentor, tech lead or leading an engineering team
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 5+ years of full software development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, and operations experience
- Bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
USA, CA, Santa Clara - 193,300.00 - 261,500.00 USD annually
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Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Retail
- E-Commerce & Online Marketplaces
- Distribution & Wholesale
Sr Software Development Manager Jobs in Santa Clara: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a sr software development manager job in Santa Clara?
The strongest path is targeting Santa Clara's dense concentration of enterprise software and semiconductor companies, particularly those clustered around the Great America Parkway corridor and the Lawrence Expressway tech parks. Hiring managers here prioritize candidates who have led cross-functional engineering teams, delivered large-scale platform products, and managed roadmaps under tight release cycles. Experience with Agile at scale and a history of growing teams gives candidates a clear edge in this market.
Which companies hire sr software development managers in Santa Clara?
Companies currently hiring sr software development managers in Santa Clara include Amazon Web Services, Amazon, and NVIDIA, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. The local employer mix leans heavily toward established tech giants, semiconductor firms, and cloud-platform companies that maintain large engineering organizations in the city.
Are there remote sr software development manager jobs in Santa Clara?
Yes, though partially: sr software development manager roles are moderately remote-friendly since planning and leadership work can run distributed, but many Santa Clara employers expect on-site presence for team leadership and stakeholder alignment. About 50% of sr software development manager openings tied to Santa Clara are remote or hybrid as of November 2026. Hybrid arrangements are most common for the strategic and program-planning portions of the role.
How can I get a sr software development manager job in Santa Clara with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is moving into a software development manager role at a mid-size Santa Clara tech or semiconductor company first, then building toward the senior tier. Santa Clara employers frequently promote strong individual contributors who take on team lead responsibilities and delivery ownership. Targeting rotation programs or engineering manager roles at the city's established enterprise software firms gives the clearest local track upward.
Which industries hire the most sr software development managers in Santa Clara?
Most sr software development manager openings in Santa Clara sit in Technology & Software, Retail, and E-Commerce & Online Marketplaces, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Santa Clara's identity as a semiconductor and enterprise cloud hub means those sectors consistently generate the highest volume of senior engineering leadership demand in the city.
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