Senior Software Engineer, Windows/Desktop Applications - Newcastle, United Kingdom

Role overview A senior software engineer will lead the design and delivery of native Windows desktop applications for a text-to-speech reading platform used by more than 50 million people. The role combines architectural leadership, hands-on engineering, and a commitment to accessibility within a fully distributed global team. The position offers significant influence over the Windows product roadmap.

Responsibilities - Drive architecture and implementation of Windows desktop apps using Windows App SDK, WinUI, C#, XAML, and C++ where appropriate - Define engineering standards for performance, memory usage, responsive UI, and cross-version Windows support - Lead accessibility efforts, integrating Windows accessibility APIs and validating screen reader, keyboard, and focus behavior - Partner with product design, UX research, and QA to shape feature planning, UI architecture, and long-term platform direction - Own features end-to-end across design, implementation, testing, release, and maintenance - Diagnose and resolve difficult bugs, performance bottlenecks, memory leaks, and rendering issues

Requirements - 3+ years building Windows desktop apps with WinUI or comparable frameworks, plus C# and XAML; C++/Win32/WinRT a plus - Deep understanding of Windows application architecture, including managed (.NET) and native code interop - Track record of shipping production-grade desktop software at scale - Hands-on experience with Windows accessibility APIs and inclusive design - Strong fundamentals in OOP, design patterns, data structures, memory management, and concurrent or asynchronous programming - Demonstrated technical leadership through mentoring, code review, and architecture decisions - Clear communication and a user-centered product mindset

Nice to have - Automated UI testing experience across unit, integration, and UI automation layers - Performance optimization for memory, startup time, rendering, and high-DPI displays - Localization, internationalization, and right-to-left interface support - Familiarity with telemetry, crash reporting, and error monitoring in desktop apps - Experience shaping CI/CD pipelines and desktop release workflows

Benefits and work setup - High-impact role defining the architecture of a widely used product - Collaborative, flat engineering culture with autonomy over technical choices - Clear growth path toward tech lead or architect responsibilities - 100% remote, globally distributed organization