Senior Software Engineer, Windows/Desktop Applications - Coimbra, Portugal

Role overview Lead the architecture and development of a native Windows desktop application for a text-to-speech reading product used by millions worldwide. This senior IC role sits within a fully distributed engineering organization and combines hands-on coding with technical leadership, accessibility advocacy, and end-to-end ownership of the Windows client.

Responsibilities - Design, architect, and build native Windows desktop applications using Windows App SDK, WinUI (or comparable UI frameworks), C#, XAML, and C++ where needed. - Establish and enforce engineering best practices across the Windows codebase, covering architecture, performance, memory usage, responsive UI, and Windows 10/11 compatibility. - Drive accessibility integration through Microsoft UI Automation and related Windows APIs, including focus management, keyboard navigation, and screen-reader support. - Partner with product designers, UX researchers, and QA to shape feature planning, UI/UX architecture, and the long-term Windows roadmap. - Own features through their full lifecycle, from conception and design through implementation, testing, release, and ongoing maintenance. - Diagnose and resolve complex bugs, performance bottlenecks, memory leaks, rendering issues, and compatibility problems, proposing structural fixes.

Requirements - 3+ years building Windows desktop applications with Windows App SDK, WinUI (or similar), C#, and XAML, plus exposure to native Windows code (C++, Win32/WinRT/COM). - Deep understanding of Windows application architecture, including managed (.NET) and native code interop. - Track record of shipping production-quality desktop software with strong reliability, performance, and maintainability. - Hands-on experience with Windows accessibility APIs (such as Microsoft UI Automation) and a commitment to inclusive design. - Solid CS fundamentals: OOP, design patterns, data structures, algorithms, memory management, and async/multi-threaded programming. - Experience leading technical design, mentoring engineers, running code reviews, and making architectural decisions.

Nice to have - Automated UI testing experience (unit, integration, UI automation). - Performance tuning for desktop apps: startup time, memory footprint, rendering, high-DPI. - Localization, right-to-left layouts, and internationalization experience. - Telemetry, analytics, crash reporting, and error monitoring tooling. - CI/CD pipeline and desktop release engineering experience.

Benefits and work setup - Fully remote role based in Portugal with high-impact ownership of the Windows product line. - Flat, collaborative engineering culture with autonomy over technical direction. - Clear path toward tech lead or architect-level growth through mentoring and architectural work. - Compensation range: 30,000–65,000 USD per year plus bonus and equity, depending on experience.