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Senior Software Engineer, Windows/Desktop Applications - Johannesburg, South Africa
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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.
Today, nearly 200 people around the globe work on Speechify in a 100% distributed setting – Speechify has no office. These include frontend and backend engineers, AI research scientists, and others from Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, leading PhD programs like Stanford, high growth startups like Stripe, Vercel, Bolt, and many founders of their own companies
- Lead the design, architecture, and development of native Windows desktop applications using Windows App SDK, WinUI (or related UI frameworks), C#, XAML, and — when needed — C++.
- 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 other relevant Windows accessibility frameworks), 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.
- Take ownership of full lifecycle of features: conception → design → implementation → testing → release → maintenance. Ensure quality, reliability, and consistency across releases.
- Identify, diagnose, and resolve complex bugs, performance bottlenecks, memory leaks, rendering issues, or compatibility problems — and propose robust architectural or design solutions.
Required:
- 3+ in Windows desktop application development using Windows App SDK, WinUI (or similar), C#, XAML — and ideally additional experience with native Windows code (C++, Win32/WinRT/COM).
- Deep understanding of Windows application architecture, including interop between managed code (.NET) and native code.
- Proven track record of designing, building, and shipping production-quality desktop applications, with an emphasis on reliability, performance, scalability, and maintainability.
- Strong experience with accessibility APIs on Windows (e.g. Microsoft UI Automation or similar), and a dedication to building accessible and inclusive software.
- Excellent software engineering fundamentals: OOP, design patterns, data structures, algorithms, memory management, multi-threading or asynchronous programming (where relevant).
- Experience leading technical design, mentoring other engineers, conducting code reviews, and making architecture-level decisions.
- Strong communication skills; ability to articulate tradeoffs, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and drive consensus.
- A user-centric mindset: focus on building polished, intuitive, and accessible experiences for end users.
Preferred / Bonus:
- Experience with writing automated tests for UI — unit tests, integration tests, UI automation tests; 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/globalization, right-to-left UI support, internationalization, accessibility for multiple regions.
- Familiarity with telemetry, analytics, crash reporting, logging, and error monitoring in desktop applications.
- Previous experience in 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.
What we offer
- A high-impact role: you will define architecture, shape the future of our Windows product, and directly influence what millions of users see and experience.
- 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 technical leadership (e.g. 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 software that’s reliable, accessible, and user-centered — making a real difference for people.
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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 other legally protected status.
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We seek to move the world forward through innovative thinking.
Woolpert is an award-winning, global leader in architecture, engineering, and geospatial services. We blend design excellence with cutting-edge technology to deliver exceptional client value. Our team is passionate about their work and committed to building the next generation of industry leaders, and as a certified Great Place to Work®, Woolpert embraces progress and innovation to create limitless opportunities for career growth.
Seeking a new career challenge? Woolpert Africa is looking for you! We are hiring Architects and Senior Technologists to join a dynamic Buildings Team at our Johannesburg, South Africa office. This position reports to Project Leads in the UK and US and supports the Regional Team Leader and is responsible for leading a team in the development and delivery of all project deliverables.
As an Architect at Woolpert, you will:
- Develop project deliverables, from concept through completion, and see the project through construction and close out.
- Work in tandem with global staff and Project Leads, as well as an interdisciplinary team of partners to deliver high performing, complex, and challenging projects for some of the world’s largest technology clients.
Requirements
- Master's degree in Architecture, Bachelor’s degree or Diploma in Architectural Technology
- Between 4 - 6 years of architectural experience across stages of design and construction.
- Experience working on medium to large-sized projects such as retail, multi-family residential, or commercial developments.
- Possess strong design, coordination, and problem-solving skills
- Commitment to staying informed on the latest architectural technologies, materials, and sustainability practices.
- Proficiency in the use of Autodesk Revit for project development; we are a Revit office and use this software to its full capabilities.
- Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Teams, etc.) and Bluebeam.
- Well-developed organizational skills, and the ability and experience to prioritize tasks and act independently.
- Strong verbal, written, and graphic communication skills.
- Desire to work and collaborate with global teams.
Preferred Skills and Abilities
- Candidate should be registered with SACAP.
Unique Benefits
Certified as a Great Place to Work®, Woolpert is one of the fastest growing architecture, engineering, and geospatial (AEG) companies in the world. With over 60 offices and countless projects around the globe, Woolpert makes a real difference at home and abroad. In addition to offering competitive pay, we provide employees with a robust set of unique benefits, including:
- Diverse experiences: Work on meaningful projects that improve quality of life around the world.
- Freedom to work program: Work in a hybrid environment allowing flexibility to balance your work and life.
- Principal program: Earn the opportunity to become an owner of the firm.
- Flexible vacation
- Career development: Explore a wide range of learning and growth opportunities within and across industries.
- Fitness reimbursement, technology stipend, employee assistance program, and more: Choose the benefits that work best for you.
Level up your career with Woolpert. Apply today and join our team to help shape the future of tomorrow!
Why Woolpert Buildings?
Woolpert is looking for supportive, goal-oriented, and career-minded individuals who are, or are looking to become, industry leaders in their fields. We blend design excellence with innovative technology to deliver exceptional value to our clients. When you join us, you'll join a team of experts who are passionate about their work and dedicated to excellence. Woolpert embraces progress and innovation, creating opportunities for career growth.
Find out more about what Woolpert has to offer here: http://woolpert.com/about-us/
Woolpert is an equal-opportunity employer. Woolpert is committed to the full inclusion of all individuals. We recruit, train, compensate, and promote regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law. You may view more about EEO on our website: Equal-Employment-Opportunity-The-Law.pdf and EEO is the Law Poster Supplement.
Applicants who require an accommodation throughout the application and interview process should request this in advance by contacting askhr@woolpert.com.
If you need to reschedule or cancel your interview, please reach out to your recruiter by contacting recruiting@woolpert.com.
To all agencies: Please, no phone calls or emails to any employee of Woolpert or any of our subsidiaries about this requisition. All resumes submitted by search firms/employment agencies to any employee at Woolpert via email, the internet, or in any form and/or method will be deemed the sole property of Woolpert, unless such search firms/employment agencies were engaged by Woolpert's Talent Acquisition Team for this requisition and a valid agreement is in place. In the event a candidate who was submitted outside of Woolpert's applicant process is hired, no fee or payment of any kind will be paid.
Ready to apply?
Apply to Woolpert