The Role
As a Sr Software Engineer, you will design, build, and maintain cloud-native software systems, contribute to AI initiatives, mentor engineers, and drive technical direction while ensuring high reliability and performance.
Summary Generated by Built In
Department:
TechnologyOur Company Promise
We are committed to provide our Employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. Above all, Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer.
Job Description:
As a Sr Software Engineer Global supporting Southwest’s Agentic AI initiatives, you’ll design, build, and operate highly reliable, cloud‑native software systems used at scale across the enterprise. This role combines deep hands‑on engineering with technical leadership—contributing to system design, feature development, and production support while identifying and preventing issues before they impact Customers or internal teams. You’ll work across the full software lifecycle, applying strong coding, testing, and observability practices while mentoring Software Engineers and promoting “shift‑left” quality and reliability. This role offers the opportunity to shape robust platforms and services that support Southwest’s evolving AI capabilities. As we continue to grow our Global Innovation Center (GIC) in Hyderabad, we’re hiring multiple Sr Software Engineers across a variety of Pods and initiatives—each offering the opportunity to lead meaningful work, navigate complexity, and help advance the technology that powers Southwest’s operation. Read on to learn more about the Pods you could support.
- Agentic AI - Customer & Commercial Pod
In the Agentic AI – Customer & Commercial Pod, you’ll help build and operate scalable, production‑grade services that embed large language models and agentic capabilities into Customer‑facing digital experiences. This role focuses on translating high‑level agent designs into reliable, testable software—developing workflows that manage orchestration, tools, memory, and system integrations. You’ll apply strong software engineering practices across cloud‑native services, APIs, and supporting infrastructure, while partnering with Product and AI teams to deliver features that simplify how Customers get help, explore options, and complete transactions. Your work ensures AI‑driven experiences remain performant, observable, and resilient as they grow more sophisticated over time.
- Agentic AI - ETO Support Pod
In the Agentic AI – ETO Support Pod, you’ll own and evolve the microservices and APIs that allow AI agents to interact with enterprise systems such as ITSM, ERP, and identity platforms. This role offers a “founding‑engineer” opportunity—contributing to greenfield architecture while building services designed for long‑term scalability and operational stability. You’ll work deeply within AWS‑native environments, developing cloud‑based services and integrations that support agentic workflows across internal Technology Teams. With a strong focus on production readiness, observability, and reliability, you’ll help ensure enterprise AI solutions are secure, maintainable, and able to scale as adoption grows across the organization.
Responsibilities
- Drive the technical direction and feature roadmap of large-scale cloud systems
- Serve as a technical lead contributing to and directing the efforts of development teams, including internal and external team members
- Determines operational feasibility by evaluating analysis, problem definition, requirements, solution development, and proposed solutions
- Drives detailed definition of feature requirements through discussions with product managers and customers
- Supports continuous improvement by investigating alternatives and new technologies
- Prepares and installs solutions by determining and designing system specifications, standards, and programming
- Evaluates code to ensure that it is valid, is properly structured, meets industry standards, and is compatible with browsers, devices, or operating systems
- Mentor Software Engineers to allow for skill/knowledge development through advice, coaching, and training opportunities
- Update job knowledge by studying state-of-the-art development tools, programming techniques and computing equipment; participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations
- May perform other job duties as directed by Employee's Leaders
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Advanced knowledge of software development methodologies, practices, concepts, and technologies obtained through formal training and / or work experience
- Proactively shares knowledge and skills of software development and testing to solve a range of problems
- Advanced knowledge of at least one required programming language
- Excellent partnering, communication, negotiation skills, and execution in working with various Technology or partner Teams
- Ability to articulate (verbally / visually) ideas, approach, concepts, options, risk, impact, and provides guidance to technical, non-technical, and Leadership audiences
- Ability to lead multiple assignments, whether administrative or project related, while maintaining a successful level of completion in all responsible work
- Ability to mentor others
- Ability to lead ideating, presentations, mentoring and group-thinking sessions
- Ability to influence without authority
Education
- Required: Required: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems or related field and/or equivalent formal training
Experience
- Required: Advanced-level experience, seasoned and specialized knowledge in software development and methodologies
- 5-7 years of relevant work-related experience
- Advanced experience designing, coding, testing, documenting, and implementing large-scale cloud application systems; drives technical direction.
- Serving as technical lead directing development teams; determines operational feasibility and drives detailed feature requirements with product and customers.
- Identifies and prevents production problems; leads immediate resolution efforts and focuses on “shift-left” activities.
- Evaluates code quality and standards; articulates options/risks/impact to technical and non-technical audiences and influences without authority.
- Mentors software engineers through coaching/training; investigates new technologies and drives continuous improvement.
- Preferred: Experience in:
- Proven track record driving feature roadmaps for large-scale cloud systems.
- Experience leading ideation/presentations and group-thinking sessions; strong influence without authority.
- Experience preventing production issues via testing automation and shift-left practices.
- Experience mentoring and developing engineers through coaching/training programs.
Other Qualifications
- Must meet confidentiality expectations as to confidential, proprietary and sensitive Company information
- Ability to work extended hours as needed
Southwest Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems or related field
- 5-7 years of relevant work-related experience in software development and methodologies
- Advanced experience in designing, coding, testing, documenting, and implementing large-scale cloud application systems
- Experience serving as technical lead directing development teams
- Ability to mentor software engineers through coaching and training
- Experience driving feature roadmaps for large-scale cloud systems (preferred)
Southwest Airlines Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Southwest Airlines and has not been reviewed or approved by Southwest Airlines.
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Pay Growth & Progression — Pay progression is described as materially improving after major 2024 union agreements, especially for pilots and flight attendants. Compensation satisfaction is framed as stronger over time as step scales and seniority accumulate.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support stands out through a dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match and the presence of profit-sharing contributions that can add to retirement savings. Stock purchase access is also positioned as an additional ownership-oriented component of total rewards.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Wellbeing and lifestyle value is elevated by extensive space-available travel privileges and broad travel-related discounts that can materially offset personal travel costs. Recognition mechanisms like points-based rewards are also positioned as an added lifestyle-oriented perk.
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The Company
What We Do
At Southwest Airlines we connect People to what’s important in their lives—that also means connecting our Employees to what’s important in their lives! Our Employees value the opportunity to work hard, be creative, and have fun on the job. Southwest Airlines recognizes, respects, and values differences. By fostering a culture that embraces and utilizes our diversity, we create competitive advantages in teamwork and innovation that contribute to our overall success.
