Staff Software Engineer, Rapid Innovation

Accountabilities:

• • Rapidly design and build functional software for new product concepts, technical experiments, and strategic initiatives, taking ideas from early discovery through validation.
  • Translate loosely defined requirements into practical technical approaches, making architecture and implementation decisions with appropriate tradeoffs between speed, security, reliability, and scalability.
  • Work across backend, frontend, desktop, platform, integration, and infrastructure technologies according to the needs of each initiative.
  • Develop backend services and APIs using Java and other appropriate technologies, while building modern web experiences with JavaScript, TypeScript, React, and related frameworks.
  • Evaluate unfamiliar technologies, frameworks, APIs, and codebases and become productive quickly enough to keep innovation efforts moving.
  • Explore and integrate AI models, APIs, agents, and emerging AI capabilities where they can create meaningful value, collaborating with specialized AI and machine learning teams when needed.
  • Identify technical risks, test assumptions, validate feasibility, and determine whether prototypes are ready to advance toward productization.
  • Create appropriate technical documentation, architecture guidance, reusable components, and handoff materials so validated initiatives can transition effectively to long-term engineering teams.
  • Establish shared AI development patterns and tooling, including reusable approaches for prompts, tools, evaluation, monitoring, logging, and orchestration.
  • Mentor engineers, contribute to design reviews, and raise technical standards through hands-on collaboration and technical guidance.
  • Partner directly with senior technology and product leaders and subject-matter experts to understand problems, shape solutions, and drive initiatives forward.
  • Use AI-assisted development tools extensively for research, coding, debugging, testing, prototyping, and technical exploration.

  Requirements:

  • 9+ years of professional software engineering experience, demonstrating broad expertise across multiple areas of software development.
  • Strong software engineering fundamentals with the ability to design and build complete applications, services, APIs, integrations, and supporting systems.
  • Demonstrated experience leading technical architecture and execution for complex software initiatives.
  • Proven ability to independently take ambiguous or minimally defined ideas from concept through functional implementation and technical validation.
  • Strong backend development experience, preferably with Java and modern service-oriented architectures.
  • Experience developing modern frontend applications using JavaScript or TypeScript, React, or comparable frameworks.
  • Experience designing and integrating APIs, backend services, databases, and third-party technologies.
  • Excellent debugging, problem-solving, and systems-thinking abilities, including the ability to work effectively within unfamiliar codebases.
  • Demonstrated ability to rapidly learn new programming languages, frameworks, technologies, and technical domains.
  • Sound judgment when balancing rapid experimentation with longer-term considerations such as scalability, security, reliability, and maintainability.
  • Strong technical curiosity and a demonstrated history of experimenting with or building new technologies.
  • Proven ability to influence technical direction and mentor engineers without requiring formal people-management authority.
  • Hands-on experience using AI-assisted engineering tools to accelerate software development, research, debugging, and prototyping.
  • Clear communication skills, with the ability to explain technical findings, architecture decisions, risks, and handoff requirements to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
  • Experience with hackathons, open-source projects, technical side projects, startups, innovation labs, or other highly experimental environments is a plus.
  • Experience with Python and/or Rust, AI/LLM integrations, agent workflows, cybersecurity, developer tooling, desktop software, infrastructure, or platform products is preferred.

  Benefits:

  • Fully remote work opportunity across the United States.
  • Hybrid work option for eligible candidates located in the Chicago, Illinois or El Dorado Hills, California metropolitan areas.
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance, including domestic partnerships.
  • Employer-paid life insurance, with supplemental life coverage available for employees, spouses, and children.
  • Voluntary short-term and long-term disability insurance.
  • Traditional and Roth 401(k) options.
  • Generous paid time off program, including paid bereavement and jury duty leave.
  • Above-market annual bonus opportunities.
  • Equal opportunity workplace committed to diversity, inclusion, and a respectful work environment.