Senior Software Engineer, Windows​/Desktop - Laredo

Senior Software Engineer, Windows/Desktop Applications – Laredo, USA

Speechify invites applications for the role of Senior Software Engineer, Windows/Desktop Applications in Laredo, USA. The mission of Speechify is to make sure that reading is never a barrier to learning.

Speechify’s text‑to‑speech products, which turn PDFs, books, Google Docs, news articles, and websites into audio, are used by over 50 million people worldwide. The products include iOS, Android, Mac, Chrome Extension, and Web App. Speechify operates as a fully distributed team of engineers, AI researchers, and former Amazon, Microsoft, and Google leaders, with no office.

• Lead the design, architecture, and development of native Windows desktop applications using Windows App SDK, WinUI, C#, XAML, and when needed C++.
• Define and enforce best‑practices for Windows desktop development across 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, 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, 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 ideally additional 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 focused on reliability, performance, scalability, and maintainability.
• Strong experience with accessibility APIs on Windows (e.g., UI Automation) and a dedication to building accessible, inclusive software.
• Excellent software engineering fundamentals: OOP, design patterns, data structures, algorithms, memory management, multithreading, and asynchronous programming (where relevant).
• Experience leading technical design, mentoring 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.
• User‑centric mindset: focus on building polished, intuitive, and accessible experiences for end users.

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

• High‑impact role: define architecture and shape the future of our Windows product, directly affecting millions of users.
• Collaborative, flat‑structure engineering culture.
• Opportunities to lead, mentor, and grow into broader leadership (Tech Lead, Architect).
• Flexibility, autonomy, and responsibility to solve problems and own features end‑to‑end.
• A purpose‑driven mission: build reliable, accessible, user‑centered software that makes a real difference.

$140,000 – $200,000 USD per year + bonus + stock, depending on experience.

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

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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.