Lead Software Engineer

Lead Software Engineer

San Leandro, California, United States

SirenOpt helps manufacturers make better, safer, and more reliable micro- and nano-materials. These materials are the building blocks of critical sectors of the global economy such as batteries, computer chips, aircraft components, and power systems. But, surging material demand and growing complexity are pushing production to unprecedented scales and speeds, leaving manufacturers effectively flying blind. Small, undetected variations during production lead to wastage, lower performance, higher costs, and safety risks.

SirenOpt is changing this. Our manufacturing intelligence platform scans materials, revealing critical internal information without damaging them. Using a novel combination of cold atmospheric plasma, physics-informed machine learning, and predictive analytics, SirenOpt creates unique, real-time fingerprints that capture material signals no other method can access. These insights give manufacturers unprecedented visibility into how materials behave as they are made.

We turn hidden data into actionable intelligence to help manufacturers reduce variability and thus increase yield and performance. The technology can be deployed as a standalone tool or integrated directly into factory production lines. SirenOpt is currently deploying early versions of its platform with some of the largest industrial manufacturers in the world across North America, Europe, and Asia. Our first commercial product will be released in 2026.

Role Overview

A Lead Software Engineer at SirenOpt is a technical and cultural leader with deep expertise across multiple systems. You will make strategic decisions about major components, serve as a subject matter expert, and drive the quality, performance, and scalability of our products. You are trusted to operate autonomously, define professional standards, and are regularly sought for your judgment and advice.

You will own and run critical subsystems, introduce significant improvements, and extend our tools and infrastructure. You will mentor and coach teammates, providing regular, constructive feedback and helping define performance standards. You will manage and grow a team, guiding them technically and culturally, and foster an environment where everyone can become a leader.

As a Lead, you take ownership of problems and their resolutions, contribute meaningfully to solutions, and communicate with maturity and clarity, especially under pressure. You plan and drive project cycles, challenge your team to excel, and ensure that processes, documentation, and best practices are maintained. Above all, you embody the belief that strong leadership means sharing credit, taking responsibility, and helping others achieve more than they thought possible.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, and scaling of critical subsystems related to cold plasma sensing devices and data visualization platforms
• Make strategic architectural decisions and introduce significant quality, performance, or scalability improvements
• Mentor and coach team members, fostering their technical and professional growth
• Provide actionable, high-quality code reviews and ensure consistency across the codebase
• Plan and drive project cycles, set priorities, and deliver on team and company goals
• Extend and improve internal tools and processes; identify and oversee tooling enhancements
• Communicate progress, challenges, and key decisions to leadership and stakeholders
• Hire, onboard, and develop engineering talent; define and uphold performance standards
• Promote a collaborative, inclusive, and mission-driven culture, where people work with and for each other

Qualifications

• Advanced proficiency in Python and/or TypeScript Node web stacks
• Deep experience with Linux environments; experience with Balena Fleet Management, Tailscale, Netdata, and Sentry is a plus
• Strong experience with data stores such as Redis and Postgres
• Demonstrated success leading teams and delivering complex projects independently
• Experience building or integrating with data visualization systems
• Proven track record of test driven development in a production environment
• Familiarity with the hardware/software interface, especially in the context of sensing devices
• Excellent communication skills; ability to provide clear, actionable feedback and project updates
• Experience with modern DevOps practices and CI/CD pipelines

Nice to Have

• Hands-on experience working with cold plasma sensing devices or similar instrumentation
• Expertise in fleet management tools (such as Balena) and secure networking (Tailscale)
• Experience with observability platforms (Netdata, Posthog, Sentry)
• Prior experience hiring and growing engineering teams
• Contributions to open-source projects or internal tools
• Experience developing style guides, technical documentation, or internal screencasts
• Background in scientific computing, signal processing, or IoT device integration

It's ok if you don't check all the boxes in the qualifications. We hire for the capacity and the drive to learn and grow. If there is something that you haven't done, but you are capable, please apply!

At SirenOpt, leadership means lifting others up, sharing credit, and taking responsibility. If you are passionate about building outstanding teams and products, and helping others achieve more than they thought possible, we'd love to meet you.

Base Pay Range

$199,879.38 - $245,587.99 USD

Benefits

• Equity and salary compensation depends on experience
• Health, dental, vision plans provided
• 401k matching provided
• Time off: 20 days of PTO per year, plus approximately 15 paid US holidays per year