Software Development Manager, Distributed Systems & Real-Time Applications
May Mobility
Software Engineering, IT
Ann Arbor, MI, USA
USD 165k-205k / year
Posted on Aug 7, 2025
May Mobility is transforming cities through autonomous technology to create a safer, greener, more accessible world. Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, May develops and deploys autonomous vehicles (AVs) powered by our innovative Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) technology that literally reimagines the way AVs think.
Our vehicles do more than just drive themselves - they provide value to communities, bridge public transit gaps and move people where they need to go safely, easily and with a lot more fun. We’re building the world’s best autonomy system to reimagine transit by minimizing congestion, expanding access and encouraging better land use in order to foster more green, vibrant and livable spaces. Since our founding in 2017, we’ve given more than 300,000 autonomy-enabled rides to real people around the globe. And we’re just getting started. We’re hiring people who share our passion for building the future, today, solving real-world problems and seeing the impact of their work. Join us.
About the Role
We’re looking for a seasoned Software Development Manager with a strong engineering background to lead a high-impact team building real-time, distributed systems. You’ll guide architecture and delivery across both backend and frontend domains, supporting systems that are critical to our mission.
This role is ideal for someone who thrives in fast-paced environments and enjoys balancing hands-on technical leadership with team development. You'll work closely with engineers, product managers, and stakeholders to design and scale systems using modern tools such as Rust, Python, JavaScript, and React.
Responsibilities
- Lead and grow a team of engineers building microservices and real-time applications
- Design and evolve system architecture for reliability, performance, and scale
- Provide technical direction and mentorship across backend and frontend areas
- Collaborate with product and engineering teams to deliver high-quality features
- Ensure best practices in observability, testing, and operational readiness
- Balance business priorities with technical quality and team health
Qualifications
- 8+ years of software development experience, including 2+ years in a technical leadership or management role
- Deep knowledge of microservices, distributed systems, and real-time data pipelines
- Proficiency in one or more of: Rust, Python, JavaScript (especially React)
- Strong understanding of APIs, system design patterns, queues, and streaming data
- Track record of building and operating production systems at scale
- Demonstrated ability to take end-to-end ownership of systems, from design through deployment and long-term maintenance
- Deep understanding of testing best practices, including unit, integration, and end-to-end tests in distributed or real-time environments
- Excellent communication skills and a collaborative, pragmatic mindset
Nice to Have
- Experience with low-latency or human-in-the-loop systems
- Familiarity with container orchestration and DevOps tools (e.g., Kubernetes, Terraform)
- Knowledge of event-driven architectures (e.g., Kafka, NATS, or similar)
- Background in systems supporting operations, AVs, robotics, or high-availability use cases
Why Join Us
- Play a key leadership role on systems that power real-world, time-critical decisions
- Work with a forward-thinking team using cutting-edge tools and technologies
- Help shape engineering culture and contribute to foundational technical decisions
- Be part of a mission-driven team solving complex and meaningful challenges
Salary Range
$165,000—$205,000 USD
Benefits and Perks
- Comprehensive healthcare suite including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability plans. Domestic partners who have been residing together at least one year are also eligible to participate.
- Health Savings and Flexible Spending Healthcare and Dependent Care Accounts available.
- Rich retirement benefits, including an immediately vested employer safe harbor match.
- Generous paid parental leave as well as a phased return to work.
- Flexible vacation policy in addition to paid company holidays.
- Total Wellness Program providing numerous resources for overall wellbeing
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and/or people of color are less likely to apply to a job unless they meet every qualification. At May Mobility, we’re committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workforce, so if you’re excited about this role but your previous experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway! You may be the perfect candidate for this or another role at May.
Want to learn more about our culture & benefits? Check out our website!
May Mobility is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants for employment will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, genetics or any other legally protected basis. Below, you have the opportunity to share your preferred gender pronouns, gender, ethnicity, and veteran status with May Mobility to help us identify areas of improvement in our hiring and recruitment processes. Completion of these questions is entirely voluntary. Any information you choose to provide will be kept confidential, and will not impact the hiring decision in any way. If you believe that you will need any type of accommodation, please let us know.
Note to Recruitment Agencies: May Mobility does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Furthermore, May Mobility does not pay placement fees for candidates submitted by any agency other than its approved partners.