Lead the design and development of native Windows desktop applications at Speechify, a high-growth text-to-speech platform serving over 50 million users. Drive architecture, accessibility, and cross-functional collaboration.

About the Company

Speechify’s mission is to ensure that reading is never a barrier to learning. Over 50 million people rely on Speechify’s text-to-speech products to convert PDFs, books, Google Docs, news articles, and websites into audio, enabling faster reading and better comprehension. Recognized by Google as the Chrome Extension of the Year and by Apple as a 2025 Design Award winner for Inclusivity, Speechify has grown to a team of nearly 200 employees working 100% distributed across the globe. The team includes engineers from Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and high-growth startups like Stripe and Vercel, along with AI research scientists and PhDs from top programs.

Role Overview

As a Senior Software Engineer for Windows/Desktop Applications at Speechify, you will lead the design and architecture of native Windows desktop applications. You will be responsible for shaping the entire feature lifecycle—from conception through design, implementation, testing, and release. This is a high-impact role where you will define best practices for Windows development and directly influence the experience of millions of users. You will work closely with product designers, UX researchers, QA, and other stakeholders to deliver polished, intuitive, and accessible experiences. The ideal candidate has deep expertise in Windows UI frameworks, a proven track record of shipping production-quality desktop applications, and a strong commitment to accessibility.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, architecture, and development of native Windows desktop applications using Windows App SDK, WinUI (or related UI frameworks), C#, XAML, and C++ when needed.
• Define and enforce best practices for Windows desktop development across the codebase: 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 (e.g., Microsoft UI Automation or similar), 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 the long-term roadmap for the Windows platform.
• Take ownership of the full lifecycle of features: conception, design, implementation, testing, release, and maintenance. Ensure quality, reliability, and consistency across releases.
• Identify, diagnose, and resolve complex bugs, performance bottlenecks, memory leaks, rendering issues, or compatibility problems—proposing robust architectural or design solutions.
• Mentor other engineers, conduct code reviews, and make architecture-level decisions.

Tech Stack

• Languages & Frameworks: C#, XAML, C++ (Win32/WinRT/COM), .NET, Windows App SDK, WinUI, Microsoft UI Automation (accessibility APIs)
• Testing: Unit tests, integration tests, UI automation tests (familiarity with frameworks like Appium, WinAppDriver, or similar)
• Performance & Monitoring: Memory profiling, startup time optimization, high-DPI support, telemetry, analytics, crash reporting, logging
• CI/CD & Deployment: Experience with build pipelines, release management (MSIX, AppX, or similar)
• Localization: Globalization, right-to-left UI support, multi-region accessibility
• Version Control & Collaboration: Git, code review tools, Agile methodologies

3+ years in Windows desktop app development using Windows App SDK, WinUI, C#, XAML, with C++ interop; deep understanding of managed/native code interop; accessibility APIs (MS UI Automation); strong engineering fundamentals; leadership experience in code reviews and architecture decisions; user-centric mindset. Preferred: UI automation tests, performance optimization, CI/CD, localization.

High-impact role shaping Windows product; collaborative flat-engineering culture; opportunities to mentor and grow into Tech Lead/Architect; autonomy and flexibility; purpose-driven mission focused on accessibility.