Founding Staff Software Engineer (Tech Lead) at Protege · Palo Alto

About the Role

We’re seeking an experienced Tech Lead to drive our full-stack development efforts and champion innovative, scalable solutions. This is a hands-on leadership role for an individual with a strong background in Node.js (TypeScript) and React.js, who can bridge backend development with exceptional front-end UX implementation. In addition to coding expertise, you’ll lead design discussions, mentor a high-performing team, and shape our technical strategy as we scale our enterprise solutions.

Key Responsibilities

💡 Technical Leadership & Strategy: Guide our technical vision with systems design, architecture reviews, and strategic planning while mentoring and leading a team of talented developers.

• 💻 Full Stack Development: Architect, develop, and maintain server-side features using Node.js (TypeScript) and deliver scalable, user-friendly interfaces in React.js.

• 🔧 Operational Excellence: Oversee on-call rotations, troubleshoot issues promptly, and implement robust debugging strategies to ensure continuous service.

• 🎨 Product & Design Collaboration: Translate product requirements into scalable technical designs, collaborating closely with product managers, designers, and stakeholders.

• 🚀 Innovation & Emerging Technologies: Explore industry trends such as LLM fine tuning, OpenAI prompt engineering, and serverless deployments on platforms like Railway or Vercel to drive our competitive edge.

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Experience in creating and optimizing OpenAI prompts for AI-powered applications.

• Proven track record of fine-tuning large language models (LLMs) for industry-specific applications.

• Prior experience with VC-backed startups or contributing to zero-to-one projects in large tech companies.

• Familiarity with serverless deployment and scaling platforms like Railway or Vercel.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).

• 8+ years of professional software development experience, including leadership or tech lead roles.

• Deep expertise in full stack development with strong proficiency in Node.js (TypeScript) and React.js.

• A solid understanding of UX/UI principles with a keen eye for design and user experience.

• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with a passion for mentoring and leading technical teams.

• Entrepreneurial mindset with an interest in startups and innovation (bonus points for aspiring founders).