Lead Software Engineer

Job Description

In this hands-on leadership role you’ll help design, build, and scale a core platform for an AI-powered business management product.

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You’ll work across both frontend and backend of applications and mobile experiences, playing a direct role in shaping both the product and the tech stack.

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This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a startup environment: fast-paced, high ownership, and focused on turning ideas into production-quality software.

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Why This Role

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• High ownership and direct product impact
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• Real users, real scale, and meaningful problems
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• Modern stack with AI-assisted development workflows
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• Opportunity to help shape both product and engineering direction
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• Competitive Salary depending on experience, equity, monthly stipend for benefits
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Location:

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• Must be in the Greater-Phoenix area
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• Work will be Hybrid ( no office yet... possible plans for collaborative space to be located in Scottsdale or Tempe )
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Compensation:

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160K-220K plus equity (depending on experience)

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What You'll Do

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• Own the technical roadmap and deliver against product and revenue goals
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• Write production code across backend and frontend
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• Review React Native work from mobile contractors and step in when needed
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• Mentor developer and direct contract developers
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• Help hire and onboard the permanent team as they grow
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• Run two-week sprints and give the CEO clear status updates
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• Lead code reviews, set engineering standards, and write tests and documentation
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• Balance new features against technical debt and explain the trade-offs
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• Design secure, scalable architectures and integrate third-party services
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• Deploy and troubleshoot on AWS, including Laravel Vapor and serverless
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• Partner with designers to deliver polished, usable experiences
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• Use AI tools (Cursor, Claude, GitHub Copilot) to ship faster while reviewing output for security, correctness, and maintainability
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• Turn customer insights and feature requests into practical solutions with the CEO
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• Build a positive, accountable engineering culture
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Tech Stack

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• Backend: PHP, Laravel, MySQL
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• Frontend: Vue.js, Vuex, Vuetify, Nuxt.js, React.js
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• Mobile: React Native, Expo, Xcode, Android Studio
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• Cloud: AWS, Laravel Vapor, serverless
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• Workflow: Git, GitHub, Bitbucket, Jira, Slack
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• AI: Cursor, Claude, GitHub Copilot
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Technical Requirements

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• 6+ years of software engineering with substantial full-stack ownership (equivalent experience considered)
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• Strong production experience with PHP/Laravel, MySQL, and Vue.js
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• Background in API design, database performance, secure architecture, and testing
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• AWS and serverless experience (AWS DevOps and Laravel Vapor a plus)
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• Working knowledge of React Native and Expo, enough to review code and unblock contractors
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• Responsible use of AI-assisted development tools
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• Agile/Scrum and source control experience
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Leadership Requirements

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• Experience leading and mentoring engineers, including early-career developers
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• Experience guiding a product through growth in a start-up or fast-paced environment
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• Ability to build a technical roadmap and explain it to non-technical leaders
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• Experience with contracted or distributed teams
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• Comfort balancing speed, quality, and technical debt
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• Prior experience at a company of similar stage, ideally familiar with SaaS
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• Strong communication and collaboration skills
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• Must be a US Citizen to be considered as no sponsorship is available for this role.
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