Senior Software Engineer, Windows/Desktop Applications

About Speechify

Speechify's mission is to ensure reading is never a barrier to learning. Our text-to-speech products are used by over 50 million people globally to transform reading materials into audio, enhancing reading speed, comprehension, and retention. Recognized by Google as Chrome Extension of the Year and by Apple with a Design Award for Inclusivity, Speechify operates as a 100% distributed company with nearly 200 employees worldwide.

What You'll Do

• Lead the design, architecture, and development of native Windows desktop applications using Windows App SDK, WinUI (or related UI frameworks), C#, XAML, and C++.
• Define and enforce best practices for Windows desktop development across the codebase, focusing on code architecture, performance, memory usage, responsive UI, cross-version compatibility (Windows 10/11+), and maintainability.
• Drive accessibility efforts by integrating and validating support for accessibility APIs (e.g., Microsoft UI Automation or other relevant Windows accessibility frameworks), ensuring 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 the 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, proposing robust architectural or design solutions.

An Ideal Candidate Should Have

Required:

• 3+ years in Windows desktop application development using Windows App SDK, WinUI (or similar), C#, XAML, with additional experience in native Windows code (C++, Win32/WinRT/COM) being ideal.
• Deep understanding of Windows application architecture, including interop between managed code (.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.
• Experience leading technical design, mentoring other engineers, conducting code reviews, and making architecture-level decisions.
• Strong communication skills; ability to articulate tradeoffs, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and drive consensus.
• A user-centric mindset: focus on building polished, intuitive, and accessible experiences for end users.

Preferred / Bonus:

• 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 in 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.

What We Offer

• A high-impact role: define architecture, shape the future of our Windows product, and directly influence user experience for millions.
• A collaborative, flat-structure engineering culture where you are a builder and decision-maker.
• Opportunities to lead: mentor others, steer technical direction, and grow into broader technical leadership roles (e.g., Tech Lead, Architect).
• Flexibility, autonomy, and responsibility: define problem-solving approaches, own features end-to-end, and contribute to long-term product vision.
• A purpose-driven mission: build reliable, accessible, and user-centered software that makes a real difference for people.

How to Apply

Tell us more about yourself and why you're interested in the role. Please include links to your portfolio and LinkedIn profile.

Referrals

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Diversity & Inclusion

Speechify is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We do not discriminate based on race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected characteristics.