Lead Software Engineer

ABOUT US

Clinician Nexus enables health care organizations to build thriving clinician teams with industry-leading technology products, workforce and compensation analytics, and automated workflow solutions. Backed by extensive technical expertise and industry-leading data, we deliver innovative approaches to help clients plan, educate, and engage their clinical workforce at every stage of the lifecycle. We are committed to providing our clients with outstanding guidance and support as they work to shape the future of health care.

JOB SUMMARY

The Lead Software Engineer is a senior, hands-on individual contributor - the most experienced engineer on the team. This is not a people management role. The Lead sets the technical standard from within the codebase: writing and shipping production code daily, owning the hardest problems, making architecture calls, and elevating peers through code reviews, pair programming, and technical guidance. Beyond direct delivery, the Lead collaborates with stakeholders to shape requirements, drives adoption of AI-assisted development tools, and ensures the team delivers scalable, secure, high-quality software across the full stack.

PRIMARY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Hands-On Engineering (Primary Focus)

• Write, review, and ship production-quality code daily across the full stack - backend services, APIs, and frontend features
• Own the most complex, high-impact features and systems end-to-end: from design and implementation through deployment and production support
• Debug and resolve complex production issues, performance bottlenecks, and architectural problems directly in the codebase
• Set the bar for code quality, test coverage, and engineering rigor through your own contributions, not just through direction
• Stay current with evolving technologies, frameworks, and AI tooling by applying them hands-on in daily work
• Develop and enhance responsive UI components using modern JavaScript frameworks (Svelte, React, or similar) and integrate with backend APIs
• Design and optimize database schemas, queries, and data access patterns for performance and maintainability
• Build observability into services: logging, monitoring, and alerting for production systems

Technical Direction & Architecture

• Drive architectural decisions across the Clinician Nexus suite: system design, API design, microservices, scalability, reliability, and security
• Identify, evaluate, and advocate for new technologies and engineering best practices based on direct hands-on assessment
• Lead and participate in code reviews and design reviews, ensuring consistent standards across the team
• Act as a technical bridge between product, design, and engineering - translating business needs into sound technical solutions
• Actively leverage AI-assisted development tools (code generation, test generation, documentation automation) and promote their responsible use across the team
• Apply critical judgment to validate AI-generated outputs for correctness, quality, and security
• Identify opportunities to integrate AI capabilities directly into product workflows and platform features

Technical Mentorship & Peer Collaboration

• Elevate the team through hands-on mentorship: pair programming, code reviews, design discussions, and knowledge sharing
• Serve as a technical resource for teammates tackling difficult problems - accessible, generous with knowledge, and focused on growing team capability
• Contribute to a culture of ownership, craftsmanship, and continuous improvement
• Collaborate with product, UX, and other stakeholders - participating in standups, sprint planning, and design meetings as a technical voice
• Create and maintain technical documentation: architecture decisions, runbooks, and user story specs

Quality & Testing

• Write and maintain automated tests (unit, integration, end-to-end) as a standard part of delivery
• Champion test coverage and quality-first engineering practices across all work
• Use AI tools to accelerate test generation, refactoring, and debugging workflows

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

Technical Skills

• Deep expertise in .NET / C#, ASP.NET MVC, Entity Framework, and .NET Core
• Strong backend proficiency in RESTful API and gRPC service design, microservices, and event-driven architecture
• Solid frontend capabilities in HTML, JavaScript/jQuery, CSS, and modern frameworks (Svelte, React, or similar)
• Experience with MSSQL / SQL Server 2018+, PostgreSQL, and/or Aurora-compatible databases (data modeling, indexing, performance tuning)
• Hands-on experience with AWS Cloud Services (Azure experience a plus)
• Proficiency with CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions or similar) and DevSecOps practices
• Strong command of software design patterns: MVC, SOLID, Domain-Driven Design
• Experience with authentication/authorization frameworks (Auth0, OAuth, SSO)
• Familiarity with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Hands-on experience with AI-assisted development tools and integrating AI capabilities into engineering workflows

Additional Technologies (Role-Dependent)

• Svelte / Kendo / Telerik UI components
• ChartIO and amCharts
• Cypress or similar end-to-end testing frameworks
• IIS Web Server configuration
• Terraform or infrastructure-as-code tools
• Event streaming or messaging systems

Collaboration & Soft Skills

• Clear, confident communicator - able to articulate complex technical concepts to engineers and non-technical stakeholders alike
• Collaborative by nature: builds trust with teammates, product managers, designers, and business partners
• Generous mentor: shares knowledge freely, provides direct and constructive feedback, and invests in peers' growth
• Strong ownership mindset - sees work through from idea to production without needing to be managed
• Pragmatic and delivery-focused: balances technical excellence with the realities of scope, timelines, and business needs
• Able to influence technical direction through credibility and collaboration, not authority
• Curious and adaptable - embraces change, learns quickly, and applies new tools (including AI) with good judgment
• Calm under pressure: makes sound decisions in ambiguous or fast-moving situations
• Accountability-driven: honest about tradeoffs, risks, and setbacks; transparent with the team

MINIMUM REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 10+ years of software engineering experience with deep, active expertise in full-stack development and complex system design - including recent, daily hands-on coding in production environments
• Minimum 4 years of experience operating at a lead or senior level: setting technical direction, mentoring peers, and owning architecture decisions as an individual contributor
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Information Technology, or a related field - or equivalent professional experience; Master's degree is a plus
• Proven track record delivering in Agile environments with a strong command of the full SDLC
• Demonstrated experience in architecting and delivering large-scale, cloud-based applications
• Hands-on experience with AI-assisted development tools and a track record of applying them effectively in daily engineering work
• Self-starter with a demonstrated ability to drive complex technical initiatives in a fast-paced, evolving organization
• Exceptional attention to detail and client service orientation
• Flexible and adaptable under tight deadlines or shifting priorities
• Collaborative team player with experience in virtual and matrixed environments

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in health care technology, workforce analytics, or SaaS platform development
• Familiarity with GitHub Advanced Security / DevSecOps practices
• Experience with event-driven or distributed systems at scale
• Experience with Terraform or infrastructure-as-code tools

SALARY, BENEFITS AND PERKS

• Competitive total compensation package
• Medical and dental coverage at no premium cost for employees
• 401(k) and profit-sharing retirement plans
• Flexible spending accounts
• Paid time off (PTO)
• Company-paid holidays
• Gender-neutral parental leave
• Bereavement and pet leave
• Continuing education and professional accreditation sponsorship
• Life and AD&D insurance
• Short- and long-term disability
• Employee assistance program
• Mental health support program
• Additional perks

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Actual salaries may vary depending on factors including but not limited to academic achievements, skills and experience. The range listed is just one component of the compensation package offered to candidates.

• $160,000 - $180,000 annually

Our Values In Action: How We CARE
We live our values daily through four commitments:

• Connect: Collaborate selflessly to support others, advance ideas, and solve problems using critical thinking.
• Act: Bring integrity and respect to every interaction-no exceptions.
• Reach: Commit to continuous learning and knowledge sharing that strengthens teams and clients.
• Embrace: Foster inclusion and belonging so everyone can thrive and contribute.

SullivanCotter Holdings, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law or marital status.