Senior Software Engineer, Windows/Desktop Applications - Syracuse, NY, USA

Role overview

Join a fully distributed, accessibility-focused engineering organization as a senior engineer leading native Windows desktop applications. The team builds text-to-speech products used by tens of millions of readers worldwide, and this role is central to defining the architecture and long-term direction of the Windows client. It is a high-impact, hands-on leadership position combining deep technical work with cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

- Own the design, architecture, and development of native Windows desktop applications built with Windows App SDK, WinUI, C#, XAML, and C++ where required. - Establish and enforce engineering standards across the Windows codebase, covering architecture, performance, memory usage, responsive UI, and cross-version compatibility (Windows 10/11+). - Champion accessibility by integrating and validating Windows accessibility APIs, including UI control behavior, 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 Windows platform roadmap. - Drive features through the 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 durable architectural fixes.

Requirements

- Three or more years building Windows desktop applications with Windows App SDK, WinUI or similar frameworks, plus C# and XAML; native C++ or Win32/WinRT/COM experience is a strong plus. - Deep understanding of Windows application architecture, including interop between managed (.NET) and native code. - Track record of shipping production-quality desktop software with attention to reliability, performance, scalability, and maintainability. - Hands-on experience with Windows accessibility APIs and a demonstrated dedication to inclusive software design. - Solid engineering fundamentals: object-oriented design, design patterns, data structures, algorithms, memory management, and asynchronous or multi-threaded programming. - Experience leading technical design, mentoring engineers, conducting code reviews, and making architecture-level decisions, with strong communication across teams.

Nice to have

- Experience writing automated UI tests, including unit, integration, and UI automation suites. - Performance optimization for desktop apps (startup time, memory footprint, rendering, high-DPI support, responsiveness under load). - Localization, globalization, right-to-left UI, and region-specific accessibility work. - Telemetry, analytics, crash reporting, and error monitoring for desktop applications. - Shaping CI/CD pipelines, release processes, and deployment strategies for desktop software. - Long-term module stewardship, including refactoring and managing technical debt.

Benefits and work setup

- Fully remote, distributed engineering organization with no physical office. - Flat engineering culture with significant autonomy and end-to-end ownership of features. - Opportunity to grow into broader technical leadership roles such as Tech Lead or Architect. - Mission-driven work building reliable, accessible, user-centered reading software. - United States-based compensation: $140,000–$200,000 per year plus bonus and equity, depending on experience.