Senior Software Engineer, Windows​/Desktop - Louisville, KY, Louisville, KY

Senior Software Engineer, Windows/Desktop Applications - Louisville, KY, USA

Louisville, KY, USA

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 whatever they’re reading – PDFs, books, Google Docs, news articles, websites – into audio, so they can read faster, read more, and remember more. Speechify’s text-to-speech reading products include its iOS app, Android app, Mac app, Chrome extension, and Web app.

Google recently named Speechify the Chrome Extension of the Year and Apple named Speechify its 2025 Design Award winner for Inclusivity.

• 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, covering 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, ensure 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 long-term roadmap for the Windows platform.
• Identify, diagnose, and resolve complex bugs, performance bottlenecks, memory leaks, rendering issues, or compatibility problems – and propose robust architectural or design solutions.

• 3+ years of Windows desktop application development using Windows App SDK, WinUI, C#, XAML – and ideally additional experience with native Windows code (C++, Win
  32/WinRT/COM).
• Deep understanding of Windows application architecture, including interop between managed code and native code.
• Proven track record of designing, building, and shipping production-quality desktop applications, emphasizing reliability, performance, scalability, and maintainability.
• Strong experience with accessibility APIs on Windows and dedication to building accessible and inclusive software.
• Excellent software engineering fundamentals: OOP, design patterns, data structures, algorithms, memory management, multicore/asynchronous programming (where relevant).
• Experience leading technical design, mentoring engineers, conducting code reviews, and making architecture-level decisions.
• Strong communication skills; ability to articulate tradeoffs, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and drive consensus.
• User-centric mindset: focus on building polished, intuitive, and accessible experiences for end users.

• Experience with writing automated UI tests (unit, integration, UI automation); 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, globalisation, 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.

• A high-impact role: you will define architecture, shape the future of our Windows product, and directly influence millions of users.
• A collaborative, flat-structure engineering culture – you are not just a coder, but a builder and a decision-maker.
• Opportunities to lead – mentor others, steer technical direction, and grow into broader leadership roles (Tech Lead, Architect).
• Flexibility, autonomy, and responsibility: you define how to solve problems, own features end-to-end, and contribute to long-term product vision.
• A purpose-driven mission: building reliable, accessible, and user-centered software that makes a real difference for people.

The United States-based salary range for this role is: ,000 USD / Year plus bonus and stock, depending on experience.

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.