Senior Software Engineer, Windows​/Desktop - Federal Way

Senior Software Engineer, Windows/Desktop Applications - Federal Way, USA

Speechify is on a mission to make reading a universal and accessible experience. Over 50 million people use our text‑to‑speech products—iOS, Android, Mac, Chrome Extension, and Web App—to turn PDFs, books, news articles, and website content into audio.

Today, Speechify’s globally distributed engineering team includes frontend and backend engineers, AI researchers, and Senior Software Engineers who collaborate across continents to innovate.

• Lead the design, architecture, and development of native Windows desktop applications using Windows App SDK, WinUI (or related UI frameworks), C#, XAML, and—when needed—C++.
• Define and enforce best‑practices for Windows desktop development across the codebase: code architecture, performance, memory usage, responsive UI, cross‑version compatibility (Windows 10/11+), and maintainability.
• Drive accessibility efforts: integrate and validate support for accessibility APIs (e.g. Microsoft UI Automation), ensure UI controls, focus management, keyboard navigation, screen‑reader support, and usability for users with disabilities.
• Collaborate closely with product designers, UX researchers, QA, and other stakeholders to shape feature planning, UI/UX architecture, and long‑term roadmap for the Windows platform.
• Take ownership of the full lifecycle of features: conception → design → implementation → testing → release → maintenance, ensuring quality, reliability, and consistency across releases.
• Identify, diagnose, and resolve complex bugs, performance bottlenecks, memory leaks, rendering issues, or compatibility problems and propose robust architectural or design solutions.

• 3+ years of Windows desktop application development using Windows App SDK, WinUI (or similar), C#, XAML, and preferably additional experience with native Windows code (C++, Win
  32/WinRT/COM).
• Deep understanding of Windows application architecture, including interop between managed (.NET) and native code.
• Proven track record of designing, building, and shipping production‑quality desktop applications, with an emphasis on reliability, performance, scalability, and maintainability.
• Strong experience with accessibility APIs on Windows (e.g. Microsoft UI Automation or similar) and a dedication to building accessible and inclusive software.
• Excellent software engineering fundamentals: OOP, design patterns, data structures, algorithms, memory management, multi‑threading or asynchronous programming where relevant.
• Experience leading technical design, mentoring other engineers, conducting code reviews, and making architecture‑level decisions.
• Strong communication skills; ability to articulate trade‑offs, collaborate with cross‑functional teams, and drive consensus.
• A user‑centric mindset: focus on building polished, intuitive, and accessible experiences for end users.

• Experience writing automated tests for UI—unit tests, integration tests, UI automation tests—and familiarity with relevant testing frameworks.
• Experience with performance optimization for desktop apps (memory usage, startup time, rendering performance, high‑DPI support, responsiveness under load).
• Experience with localization/globalization, right‑to‑left UI support, internationalization, and accessibility for multiple regions.
• Familiarity with telemetry, analytics, crash reporting, logging, and error monitoring in desktop applications.
• Previous experience shaping CI/CD workflows, release pipelines, and deployment strategies for desktop applications.
• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of feature areas or modules and drive them long‑term, including maintenance, refactoring, and technical debt management.

• A high‑impact role: define architecture, shape the future of our Windows product, and directly influence what millions of users experience.
• A collaborative, flat‑structure engineering culture—build, decide, and lead.
• Opportunities to mentor others, steer technical direction, and grow into broader leadership roles (Tech Lead, Architect).
• Flexibility, autonomy, and responsibility: you define how to solve problems, own features end‑to‑end, and contribute to long‑term product vision.
• A purpose‑driven mission: building software that’s reliable, accessible, and user‑centered, making a real difference for people.

United States‑Based Salary Range: 140,000–200,000 USD/Year + Bonus + Stock (depending on experience)

Tell us more about yourself and why you’re interested in this role when you apply. Include links to your portfolio and Linked In.

Speechify is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Speechify does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.