AdaptX is seeking a Lead Software Engineer specializing in backend development. In this role, you will drive the technical direction of our backend architecture while remaining deeply hands-on in design and implementation. You will play a critical role in the success of our products through significant engineering contributions, technical leadership, and the development of other engineers.
The ideal candidate combines strong technical expertise with a passion for mentoring others, shaping engineering best practices, and influencing product and architecture decisions. You will serve as a trusted partner to engineering, product, and business stakeholders while helping cultivate a high-performing, collaborative engineering culture. This individual thrives in a fast-paced startup environment, advocates for customers, thinks critically and creatively, and confidently shares perspectives in both formal and informal settings.
Key ResponsibilitiesTechnical Leadership & Architecture- Lead the design and implementation of complex backend systems, APIs, and distributed architectures.
- Develop and enhance AdaptX's codebase through hands-on technical contributions.
- Establish and promote engineering best practices for system design, code quality, testing, security, scalability, and maintainability.
- Drive technical decision-making and architectural direction across products and platforms.
- Anticipate technical challenges and proactively develop scalable solutions.
- Resolve complex technical issues through research, creativity, and sound engineering judgment.
- Review code and architectural designs to ensure high standards of quality and performance.
- Identify, prioritize, and remediate technical debt.
Product & Cross-Functional Partnership- Partner closely with Product Management, Design, and other stakeholders to define requirements and deliver solutions that materially impact product success.
- Coordinate with stakeholders to ensure software designs align with business requirements, customer needs, and technical constraints.
- Serve as a technical advisor during roadmap planning, estimation, and prioritization discussions.
- Champion customer-centric development practices and advocate for end-user needs throughout the development lifecycle.
Team Leadership & Coaching- Mentor, coach, and develop engineers through code reviews, technical guidance, constructive feedback, and career development support.
- Provide day-to-day technical leadership for engineering initiatives and project teams.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous learning, and engineering excellence.
- Support hiring efforts, onboarding, and technical interviewing as needed.
- Help establish team processes and operating practices that improve engineering effectiveness and delivery.
Software Development Responsibilities- Deliver clean, maintainable, well-documented code with comprehensive test coverage.
- Identify, troubleshoot, and fix defects and production issues.
- Collaborate effectively with team members across functions and disciplines.
- Document systems, designs, decisions, and implementation details appropriately.
Requirements
- 7+ years of experience designing, implementing, and evolving distributed systems, preferably focused on data storage, analytics, and retrieval.
- Demonstrated experience leading technical initiatives and influencing architectural decisions.
- Prior experience mentoring, coaching, or leading engineers, with formal people management experience preferred.
- Strong experience with Python; experience with Java, Kotlin, and/or Go is a plus.
- Experience with graph database systems and NoSQL platforms is a significant advantage.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence technical and non-technical audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to translate business requirements into scalable technical solutions.
- Naturally curious and comfortable using data to inform decision-making.
- Strong ability to solve complex technical problems through creativity, analysis, and sound judgment.
- Proven experience collaborating effectively across all levels of an organization.
- Ability to operate successfully in a dynamic, fast-paced, and sometimes ambiguous environment.
- Strong customer orientation, with the ability to anticipate customer needs and identify new opportunities.
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience leading engineering teams in startup or high-growth environments.
- Experience managing performance, career development, and team growth.
- Demonstrated success building engineering processes, standards, and practices that scale.
- Experience driving organizational adoption of new technologies, frameworks, or architectural approaches.
AdaptX offers a comprehensive, industry-competitive benefits package, which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance as well as flexible paid time off.
The salary range for the role is $145,000 and $165,000 depending on experience.
