Sr Dir, Software Engineering

Blackboard

1d • $186,370 - $279,554 • Hybrid

About The Position

Blackboard is seeking a Senior Director of Software Engineering to lead and support product development teams as the company evolves. The role focuses on more than maintaining existing products: the leader will help establish a refreshed operating system for the company, optimize tools and processes, and apply artificial intelligence to improve engineering productivity and customer value. Success will be measured by the company operating more effectively and teams moving faster.

The position leads work across Blackboard’s premium and point solutions, including Ally, and partners closely with Product Management and Design, Security, and Cloud Operations. The leader will help build, develop, and potentially restructure a global organization, handling changes to roles with honesty and care. The role also supports audit and compliance obligations, including ISO 27001, SOC 2, FedRAMP, and GovRAMP, working with Security and auditors to produce evidence as needed. Occasional travel is expected.

The expected base salary range is $186,300–$232,900. Placement depends on factors including experience, skills, internal parity, and location. Additional compensation such as company bonus, sales incentives, or benefits is not included in this range. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the country where the role is based; visa sponsorship and immigration support are not provided.

Requirements

• 10 or more years of related experience with a bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant experience.
• Experience running a large software engineering team at scale and transforming its effectiveness.
• Experience leveraging artificial intelligence and automation to build and deploy software globally.
• Ability to manage costs, including reducing cloud spending through frugal architecture principles or identifying other savings opportunities.
• Experience leading structural change, delivering difficult news, retaining strong employees, and maintaining team trust.
• Comfort with measurement, publishing service levels, and using continuous feedback to drive improvement.
• Practical global operating experience, including managing across time zones, navigating works councils and regional employment norms, and addressing data residency requirements.
• Deep experience in EdTech, SaaS, or technology-enabled services.

Nice To Haves

• A track record of leading organizations through complex transformation initiatives.
• Experience driving AI and automation programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support product development teams in Blackboard’s next stage of evolution.
• Oversee premium and point solutions, including the Ally solution.
• Refresh the company’s operating system of work to improve productivity and leverage AI.
• Improve efficiency and automation across software engineering.
• Collaborate with Product Management and Design, Security, and Cloud Operations on product development systems decisions.
• Build, develop, and where needed restructure a global organization, communicating and managing changes with honesty and care.
• Support audit and compliance requirements for ISO 27001, SOC 2, FedRAMP, and GovRAMP; work with Security and auditors and produce evidence as needed.
• Occasionally travel.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior