Job Title:

Lead Engineer

Department:

Engineering

Reports To:

Chief Technology Officer / Founders

Job Summary:

The Lead Engineer at kitchn will play a pivotal role in shaping the technical direction and development of our software products, focusing predominantly on backend development while also contributing to front-end initiatives. The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience with Ruby on Rails, Docker, and AWS, along with a foundational understanding of front-end technologies such as React and TypeScript. As a fully remote organization, we are seeking an individual who is self-motivated, an effective collaborator, and capable of leading a distributed team to deliver high-quality software solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Technical Leadership & Strategy:
   • Oversee the technical development and architectural decisions of the software products.
   • Make high-level design choices and enforce technical standards, including software coding standards, tools, and platforms.
   • Mentor and guide development team members, fostering an environment of continuous learning and improvement.
2. Backend Development:
   • Lead the development and optimization of scalable and secure backend services using Ruby on Rails.
   • Write maintainable, efficient, and high-quality code, adhering to best practices.
   • Optimize applications for maximum speed, scalability, and reliability.
3. Frontend Collaboration:
   • Collaborate with front-end developers to integrate user-facing elements using server-side logic.
   • Contribute to front-end development initiatives as needed, with a focus on React and TypeScript.
   • Provide insights and recommendations on front-end technologies and approaches.
4. Deployment & Optimization:
   • Manage deployments using Docker and AWS, ensuring optimized resource utilization and application performance.
   • Monitor and troubleshoot issues, applying fixes and enhancements as needed.
5. Cross-functional Collaboration:
   • Work closely with product managers, designers, and other stakeholders to align technical solutions with business needs and user requirements.
   • Promote effective communication and collaboration within a fully remote, distributed team.
6. Continuous Improvement:
   • Stay abreast of the latest trends and technologies in software development.
   • Drive initiatives to improve development processes, tools, and methodologies.

Qualifications:

1. Education & Experience:
   • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
   • Extensive experience as a Backend Developer, with proven experience in leading technical teams.
   • Proficient in Ruby on Rails, Docker, AWS, React, and TypeScript.
2. Skills & Abilities:
   • Strong knowledge of software architecture, design patterns, and both front-end and back-end development.
   • Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
   • Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to lead and collaborate with remote teams.
   • Self-motivated and disciplined, with a strong work ethic.
3. Preferred:
   • Experience with Agile/Scrum methodologies.
   • Experience in Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD).
   • AWS Certifications.

Working Conditions: