Speechify
Senior Software Engineer, Windows/Desktop Applications - New Haven, USA
Speechify, New Haven, Connecticut, us, 06540
Senior Software Engineer, Windows/Desktop Applications
Location: New Haven, USA
Mission:
The mission of Speechify is to make sure that reading is never a barrier to learning. Over 50 million people use Speechify’s text‑to‑speech products to turn PDFs, books, Google Docs, news articles, websites, and more into audio so they can read faster, read more, and remember more. Speechify’s flagship products include its iOS, Android, Mac, Chrome Extension, and Web apps. The company has been recognized with awards such as Chrome Extension of the Year and a 2025 Design Award for Inclusivity. Speechify is fully distributed and employs a diverse team of engineers, researchers, and designers worldwide.
Responsibilities
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 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 such as Microsoft UI Automation or other Windows accessibility frameworks, ensuring UI controls, focus management, keyboard navigation, screen‑reader support, and overall 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—from conception, design, and implementation to testing, release, and 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.
Qualifications Required:
3+ years in Windows desktop application development using Windows App SDK, WinUI (or similar), C#, and XAML—and ideally additional experience with native Windows code (C++, Win32/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., 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.
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; familiarity with relevant testing frameworks.
Experience optimizing desktop apps for memory usage, startup time, rendering performance, high‑DPI support, and 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.
Benefits
High‑impact role defining architecture and shaping the future of Speechify’s Windows product.
Collaborative, flat‑structure engineering culture with opportunities to lead, mentor, and grow into broader technical leadership.
Flexibility, autonomy, and responsibility: own features end‑to‑end and contribute to long‑term product vision.
Purpose‑driven mission building reliable, accessible, user‑centered software that makes a real difference.
Base Salary:
140,000–200,000 USD per year + Stock + Bonus based on experience.
Think you’re a good fit for this job?
Tell us more about yourself and why you’re interested in the role when you apply. Include links to your portfolio and LinkedIn profile.
Not looking but know someone who would make a great fit? Refer them!
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 any other legally protected status.
Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Speechify by 2x.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Mission:
The mission of Speechify is to make sure that reading is never a barrier to learning. Over 50 million people use Speechify’s text‑to‑speech products to turn PDFs, books, Google Docs, news articles, websites, and more into audio so they can read faster, read more, and remember more. Speechify’s flagship products include its iOS, Android, Mac, Chrome Extension, and Web apps. The company has been recognized with awards such as Chrome Extension of the Year and a 2025 Design Award for Inclusivity. Speechify is fully distributed and employs a diverse team of engineers, researchers, and designers worldwide.
Responsibilities
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 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 such as Microsoft UI Automation or other Windows accessibility frameworks, ensuring UI controls, focus management, keyboard navigation, screen‑reader support, and overall 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—from conception, design, and implementation to testing, release, and 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.
Qualifications Required:
3+ years in Windows desktop application development using Windows App SDK, WinUI (or similar), C#, and XAML—and ideally additional experience with native Windows code (C++, Win32/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., 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.
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; familiarity with relevant testing frameworks.
Experience optimizing desktop apps for memory usage, startup time, rendering performance, high‑DPI support, and 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.
Benefits
High‑impact role defining architecture and shaping the future of Speechify’s Windows product.
Collaborative, flat‑structure engineering culture with opportunities to lead, mentor, and grow into broader technical leadership.
Flexibility, autonomy, and responsibility: own features end‑to‑end and contribute to long‑term product vision.
Purpose‑driven mission building reliable, accessible, user‑centered software that makes a real difference.
Base Salary:
140,000–200,000 USD per year + Stock + Bonus based on experience.
Think you’re a good fit for this job?
Tell us more about yourself and why you’re interested in the role when you apply. Include links to your portfolio and LinkedIn profile.
Not looking but know someone who would make a great fit? Refer them!
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 any other legally protected status.
Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Speechify by 2x.
#J-18808-Ljbffr