Lead Engineer - Physical Access (Mobile Key)

About the Role

We're looking for a Lead Engineer to own Canary's Physical Access product — Mobile Key and the integrations that let hotel guests unlock doors from their phones across a wide range of lock vendors. You'll lead a pod of engineers, set the bar as a hands-on IC, and own the architecture of a system that has to be reliable, secure, and low-latency at the moment of guest arrival. You'll partner closely with Product to expand lock-vendor coverage and deepen the Mobile Key experience, and collaborate with the Arrivals and Kiosk teams where the guest journey connects. The systems you own directly gate physical entry, so discipline around security , reliability , and operational excellence is essential.

Responsibilities

• Directly manage a pod of engineers responsible for Canary's Physical Access product, including Mobile Key and lock-vendor integrations
• Set an example as an IC in terms of both the quality and velocity of code that you ship
• Own the architecture and its evolution across mobile-key issuance, lock-vendor integrations, and the encoder/BLE paths that unlock doors
• Drive measurable improvements in unlock reliability , latency , and vendor coverage by deeply understanding how hotels and guests use the product
• Partner closely with Product Managers to inform roadmap and prioritization for the Physical Access surface area
• Independently mentor and advise engineers in the pod, build engineering execution plans, break down work, and assign it across the team
• Directly manage the people on your pod — conduct 1:1s, performance reviews, and team ceremonies to maintain the health of the pod and its members
• Run pod processes autonomously and escalate appropriately when required
• Participate in hiring and interviewing for the Physical Access team and broader engineering org

Qualifications

• 8+ years of a strong engineering background
• 2+ years of proven experience managing successful engineering teams
• Solid knowledge of developing backend applications
• Hands-on experience integrating with third-party hardware or vendor APIs — IoT, access control, payments, telephony, or similar
• Strong demonstrated ability to ship high-quality products that operate reliably at scale
• Self-motivated, collaborative, and diligent work ethic
• Excellent communication skills. You love being part of a diverse team, building consensus, and establishing credibility
• Comfort with ambiguity and eager to embrace ownership and accountability
• Bonus: experience with mobile ( iOS/Android ), BLE/NFC , or hardware/lock-vendor integrations

Benefits

• Canary Days: As a company we want to ensure that the team has time to recharge. Each month we provide company wide days off to ensure there is at least one extended weekend or day off.
• Self Improvement Club: We meet each month and share our personal goals for the month. Each individual is provided a budget towards any purchases that help us achieve these goals.
• Professional Development Chats: We provide budget to help drive cross functional professional development conversations across the organization.
• Travel Reimbursement: Team members are able to visit our offices across New York, San Francisco or Dallas when they choose, and are provided a travel stipend for doing so. Spend time working with the team in their office, and use the rest of your time exploring a new city!
• Personal Travel Reimbursement: If you stay at a hotel that Canary works with, we provide a credit towards your stay.