Software Engineering Leader

CLA is a top 10 national professional services firm where our purpose is to create opportunities every day, for our clients, our people, and our communities through industry-focused wealth advisory, digital, audit, tax, consulting, and outsourcing services. Even with more than 8,500 people, 130 U.S. locations, and a global reach, we promise to know you and help you.

We are seeking a Software Engineering Leader to help build, lead, and scale a growing software engineering capability within a client-facing consulting environment. This leader will oversee teams delivering custom software, cloud solutions, Microsoft platform solutions, automation, integrations, AI-enabled applications, and technology solutions deployed in client environments.

This role is ideal for a technical leader who can combine software engineering judgment, architecture discipline, team leadership, delivery excellence, and practical consulting instincts. The right candidate will be comfortable leading both pro code and low code engineering work, helping teams choose the right solution approach based on client needs, technical complexity, scalability, maintainability, security, and long-term value.

The Software Engineering Leader will play a key role in shaping how the team builds solutions, manages quality, develops talent, uses AI-enabled development tools, and scales delivery as demand grows.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a software engineering team delivering custom applications, integrations, automation, Microsoft platform solutions, cloud-based solutions, and AI-enabled software.
• Provide technical leadership across a broad range of solution types, including full stack applications, APIs, Azure services, Power Platform, SharePoint, Dataverse, workflow automation, DBX integration work, data platform integrations, and solutions built within client environments.
• Establish and mature engineering standards for architecture, development, testing, documentation, deployment, security, supportability, and maintainability.
• Guide solution design decisions, including when to use custom code, Microsoft platform capabilities, cloud-native services, automation tools, AI-enabled capabilities, or a hybrid approach.
• Partner with client-facing teams to scope opportunities, estimate work, assess technical feasibility, manage delivery risk, and support successful project execution.
• Create practical delivery patterns, reusable templates, accelerators, estimation models, and implementation standards that improve consistency, quality, and margin.
• Lead engineering practices related to code review, solution review, DevOps, CI/CD, release management, QA, production readiness, and operational support.
• Support work delivered in client environments, including adapting to client technology stacks, security requirements, infrastructure constraints, data access patterns, deployment processes, and governance requirements.
• Mentor and coach engineers across different skill sets, including pro code developers, Microsoft platform engineers, automation specialists, cloud engineers, and emerging technical leads.
• Help define hiring needs, role expectations, career paths, skill development plans, and team structure as the software engineering capability grows.
• Promote the responsible use of AI-enabled development tools for coding, testing, documentation, analysis, solution design, and delivery acceleration.
• Ensure AI-assisted work is reviewed appropriately and aligns with expectations for quality, security, confidentiality, maintainability, and client value.
• Build a strong engineering culture that values technical excellence, practical problem solving, accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and client impact.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a hands-on technical leader who has grown beyond individual contribution into team leadership, architecture, delivery oversight, and capability building. They know how to lead engineers, communicate with business stakeholders, and guide technical decisions without overcomplicating solutions.

They are equally comfortable discussing software architecture with engineers, delivery risk with project leaders, and business outcomes with client stakeholders. They understand that successful consulting delivery requires more than building technically sound solutions. It requires clear scope, strong communication, delivery discipline, maintainable design, quality control, and practical judgment.

Required Qualifications

Experience

6 years relevant experience required. 7 Years preferred in software engineering, solution architecture, cloud engineering, application development, Microsoft platform delivery, or related technology roles.

Education

Bachelor's degree is required. Combination of relevant experience, education, and training may be accepted in lieu of degree.

Preferred Qualifications

• 3 or more years of experience leading engineers, technical teams, delivery teams, architecture functions, or software development initiatives.
• Strong understanding of modern software engineering practices, including application architecture, APIs, integrations, cloud platforms, DevOps, testing, documentation, deployment, and supportability.
• Experience working with Microsoft technologies such as Azure, Microsoft 365, Power Platform, SharePoint, Dataverse, Azure DevOps, GitHub, SQL, Entra ID, or related tools.
• Ability to evaluate technical tradeoffs across custom software, low code platforms, cloud services, automation tools, integrations, and AI-enabled solutions.
• Experience establishing or improving engineering standards, delivery processes, code review practices, QA expectations, release management, and production readiness.
• Ability to lead teams delivering work in varied technical environments, including client-owned environments with unique security, infrastructure, access, deployment, and governance requirements.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to translate technical concepts for business stakeholders, client leaders, project teams, and executive audiences.
• Experience mentoring engineers, developing technical talent, and helping teams grow in both capability and delivery maturity.
• Experience in consulting, professional services, client-facing technology delivery, managed services, or project-based delivery environments.
• Experience leading blended teams that include software engineers, cloud engineers, Microsoft platform engineers, Power Platform developers, automation specialists, or data integration professionals.
• Hands-on or leadership experience with Azure services, APIs, App Services, Azure Functions, SQL, API Management, Key Vault, storage services, infrastructure patterns, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Hands-on or leadership experience with Power Apps, Power Automate, SharePoint, Dataverse, Copilot Studio, Power Platform governance, or Power Platform application lifecycle management.
• Experience with DBX integration work, data platform integrations, enterprise system integrations, or solutions that connect multiple client systems and data sources.
• Experience using or governing AI-enabled development tools, including code generation, AI-assisted testing, documentation support, agent-based applications, or Microsoft Copilot-related technologies.
• Experience building reusable engineering assets, delivery frameworks, templates, accelerators, or technical standards that improve scalability and consistency.
• Understanding of consulting economics, including estimation, utilization, margin, delivery risk, change management, and client expectation management.

Key Skills

• Software engineering leadership
• Solution architecture
• Cloud architecture
• Microsoft platform delivery
• Power Platform governance
• Application development
• API and systems integration
• DevOps and CI/CD
• QA and production readiness
• Client environment delivery
• AI-enabled software development
• Technical team leadership
• Consulting delivery discipline
• Reusable asset development
• Technical standards and governance
• Stakeholder communication

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role will be measured by the leader's ability to build a scalable, high-quality software engineering capability that consistently delivers value to clients.

In the first several months, this leader will assess current engineering practices, clarify standards, identify capability gaps, improve delivery consistency, and establish practical expectations for architecture, development, testing, deployment, documentation, and support.

Over time, this leader will help the team mature into a stronger and more scalable engineering organization with clearer roles, stronger technical leadership, better delivery patterns, improved quality controls, reusable assets, and a more intentional approach to hiring and skill development.

The successful candidate will help create an engineering culture where teams can move quickly without sacrificing quality, use AI-enabled tools responsibly, make sound technical decisions, and deliver solutions that are secure, maintainable, scalable, and aligned to client needs.

Summary

This is an opportunity to shape and scale a growing software engineering capability. The Software Engineering Leader will help define how the team builds solutions, develops talent, applies modern engineering practices, uses Microsoft and cloud technologies, integrates with client systems, and delivers meaningful outcomes for clients.

The right person will bring technical credibility, leadership maturity, consulting judgment, and a practical vision for how software engineering, cloud platforms, low code tools, integrations, and AI-enabled development can work together to solve real business problems.

Our Perks:

• Flexible PTO (designed to offer flexible time away for you!)
• Up to 12 weeks paid parental leave
• Paid Volunteer Time Off
• Mental health coverage
• Quarterly Wellness stipend
• Fertility benefits
• Complete list of benefits here

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Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

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Wellness at CLA

To support our CLA family members, we focus on their physical, financial, social, and emotional well-being and offer comprehensive benefit options that include health, dental, vision, 401k and much more.

To view a complete list of benefits, click here.