Lead Software Developer

About SANS

Founded in 1989, SANS Institute (SANS) began as a cooperative research and education organization. Over the next 25 years, it grew to become the most trusted and widely recognized provider of information security training and certification in the world. Today, SANS has served more than 300,000 cybersecurity professionals around the world, with more than 60,000 earning Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) security certifications-the leading certification that provides assurance to employers that their people and prospective hires can do the job.

At the heart of SANS is a community of practitioners, from auditors and network administrators to CISOs, who share their lessons learned and collaborate on solutions to the challenges they face. These experts, working across corporations, government agencies, and universities, come together to support and strengthen the global information security community.

Why SANS?

At SANS, our culture is defined by three pillars: Mission, Brand, and People.

• Our Mission is to hire people who understand the importance fighting against cybersecurity threats.
• Our Brand reflects a commitment to delivering the highest quality training.
• Our People are grounded in a culture of fairness, honesty, customer focus, and a pragmatic approach.

What You'll Achieve at SANS

The Lead Software Developer will play a key leadership role in designing, developing, and maintaining the next generation of SANS e-learning and cybersecurity training platforms. This position combines deep technical expertise with strategic vision and collaboration across teams to deliver robust, scalable, and secure digital learning solutions. The ideal candidate is a seasoned architect with strong experience in e-learning technologies, modern web application frameworks, and cloud architecture and who thrives in an environment where education and cybersecurity intersect.

The architect will own the technical vision for this new product and lead a cross-functional engineering organization through execution. This is a senior technical leadership role who has already led platform-scale technical transformations, managed engineering teams, and operated as a trusted partner to executive stakeholders.

As a Lead Software Developer, you will:

Architecture & Technical Vision

• Define and own the end-to-end technical architecture for SANS's next-generation e-learning platform, including content delivery, learner experiences, virtual labs, and commerce infrastructure.
• Make binding architectural decisions on system decomposition, API design, data modeling, event-driven patterns, and cloud-native infrastructure-with full accountability for outcomes.
• Establish and enforce architectural standards, design review processes, and technical governance across multiple engineering teams.
• Lead build-vs-buy evaluations and vendor technical assessments for platform components (LMS, CMS, payment systems, identity providers).
• Integrate APIs and tools that support SCORM, xAPI, LTI, and other interoperability standards for learning management systems (LMS).

Engineering Leadership & Team Development

• Directly lead and mentor a team of senior and mid-level engineers, with accountability for their technical growth, career development, and performance.
• Conduct architecture reviews, code reviews, and design critiques that raise the engineering bar across the organization.
• Recruit, evaluate, and onboard senior engineering talent; actively shape the team's composition and capabilities.
• Foster a culture of engineering excellence: rigorous testing, observability, documentation, and continuous improvement.
• Serve as a technical escalation point for complex engineering problems across teams.

Stakeholder Management & Cross-Functional Execution

• Partner directly with Product, UX, Cybersecurity SMEs, and executive leadership to translate business strategy into technical roadmaps.
• Communicate architectural decisions, trade-offs, and technical risk to non-technical stakeholders with clarity and conviction.
• Drive alignment across competing priorities between product, infrastructure, security, and operations teams.
• Present technical strategy and progress to VP/C-level audiences; build confidence in the engineering organization's ability to deliver.
• Navigate organizational complexity-influence without authority, build consensus, manage technical debt negotiations.

Platform Delivery & Operational Excellence

• Architect scalable, maintainable, and secure systems that support thousands of concurrent learners and complex content delivery pipelines.
• Enhance user engagement through interactive course features, virtual labs, and real-time feedback mechanisms.
• Implement robust data and security practices, including encryption, authentication, zero-trust patterns, and compliance with privacy standards.
• Champion DevOps maturity: CI/CD automation, infrastructure as code, containerization (Docker/Kubernetes), and deployment best practices.
• Drive analytics capabilities to measure learner progress, engagement, platform performance, and business outcomes.
• Other duties as assigned.

What We're Looking For

Every SANS employee brings something unique. For this role, we're looking for candidates with:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 10+ years of professional experience in software development, with at least 5 years in a senior architect, principal engineer, or equivalent technical leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience building and shipping e-learning platforms, EdTech products, or content commerce platforms from 01 at meaningful scale.
• Track record of leading platform-level technical transformations-migrating monoliths to microservices, re-platforming, or building greenfield systems that replaced legacy infrastructure.
• Expertise in full-stack development using technologies such as JavaScript/TypeScript, React, Node.js, and Python.
• Strong understanding of learning content standards (SCORM, xAPI, LTI) and integration with LMS and CMS environments.
• Hands-on experience with cloud-based architectures (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and scalable containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Proven track record of building secure, high-availability web applications.
• Deep understanding of database systems, API design, and microservices architecture.
• Strong knowledge of secure coding principles, including data protection and authentication mechanisms.
• Proven ability to manage, mentor, and develop engineering teams of 5+ engineers, including performance management, career development, and hiring.
• Experience operating as a technical partner to product and executive leadership-translating business objectives into architectural decisions.
• Demonstrated stakeholder management skills: presenting to VP/C-level audiences, navigating competing priorities, and building cross-functional alignment.
• Must have unrestricted authorization to work in the USA, as no visa sponsoring is available.
  

Preferred qualifications include:

• Experience in cybersecurity training platforms, virtual lab integration, or cyber range technologies.
• Knowledge of data analytics, AI-driven personalization, or adaptive learning systems.
• Familiarity with DevOps pipelines, infrastructure as code, and modern deployment practices.
• Understanding of accessibility (WCAG 2.1)
  and user-centered design
• Familiarity with SOC 2, GDPR, or other compliance frameworks in a SaaS/platform context.
• Passion for cybersecurity, education, and continuous learning.
  

Benefits and Perks of Working at SANS

We're committed to fair and equitable compensation. The expected salary range for this position is$170,000 - $190,000, depending on geographic location, skills, and experience. At SANS, pay equity and transparency are priorities.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that supports your total well-being so you can be and deliver your best. This means caring for you and your loved ones' physical, financial, and mental health, as well as providing the flexibility you need to thrive personally and professionally:

• Financial Benefits: Competitive base salary,bonus opportunities, and a 401(k) plan with company match.

• Health & Wellness: Robust medical, dental, and vision plans; company-provided short term disability; optional long-term disability, supplemental life and AD&D insurance for employees and dependents; voluntary benefits including accident insurance and identity theft protection; fitness and wellness programs; and a company paid employee assistance program (EAP).
• Time Off & Flexibility: Generous paid time off, including volunteer time.
• Learning & Development: Access to professional development and SANS training opportunities.

Flexibility and Balance at SANS

We support our colleagues with the tools and flexibility they need to thrive, both professionally and personally. As a primarily remote work environment, we are committed to maintaining strong connections, collaboration, and a vibrant culture across virtual teams. While most roles operate remotely, some positions may require occasional in-person presence depending on role-specific or business needs.

SANS is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

SANS is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

If, because of a medical condition or disability, you require a reasonable accommodation during the application process, or to perform the essential functions of a position, please contact SANS Human Resources.

US Job Seekers: Click here to view the "Know Your Rights" poster.

SANS complies with all applicable state and local laws regarding the consideration of applicants with arrest or conviction records. For positions governed by federal and/or state banking regulations, SANS will adhere to relevant requirements when evaluating candidates with criminal histories.

Employment eligibility in the United States is required. SANS does not provide visa sponsorship for this position.