Application Engineer

Application Engineer For Internal Retool PlatformPathlabs is an end-to-end digital media partner built for agencies. We handle all aspects of our clients' digital media campaigns, so they can focus on growing their business.Pathlabs is an extension of an agency's team, combining the best of both worlds between in-house teams and media vendors. In a product-obsessed world, we double down on service-based solutions. We focus on planning, executing, optimizing, and reporting of performance-based paid advertising campaigns - providing our clients a single point of entry into the world of digital media.About This EngagementWe're looking for a contract Application Engineer to take over ongoing development of our internal Retool platform.This is a handoff, not a greenfield build. The platform exists; it's in daily production use, and the work is currently being done by our VP of Technology. You'd be inheriting a real system with existing conventions, existing data models, and existing users who will notice if something breaks. That means we need someone who's genuinely good at reading and extending someone else's work — understanding why something was built the way it was before deciding to change it.Engagement DetailsType: Independent contractor, project-basedRate: NegotiableExpected availability: 30-40hrs/weekInitial engagement: September 2026 - February 2027Ongoing: Project-based as capacity demands. No guaranteed minimum hours.Location: Fully remoteEquipment: You provide your own.Before you touch client data: We'll need a signed NDA and IP assignment.What You'll DoThis is not a software engineering role at a product company. It's a role for someone who thrives at the intersection of business operations and technology — someone who can take a defined problem, understand the system context around it, and build a clean, maintainable solution.You'll work directly with our VP of Technology and Data Operations Manager. Your job is to bridge the gap between our data pipeline and the tools our team actually uses: making sure permissions are structured correctly, integrations are sound, and new components bolt on without creating technical debt.ResponsibilitiesOwn the application layer across our internal and client-facing tooling, including architecture, permissions, and integrationsBuild and extend Retool applications — queries, components, state, and the backend logic behind themDesign and maintain multi-layer permission and identity systems across connected platforms, ensuring role-based access is enforced consistently end to end and identity is maintained between systems.Continuously assess existing application architecture for efficiency, scalability, and gaps, and drive improvements as the stack evolvesPartner with the data team so application behavior stays aligned with the underlying data model and pipelineOwn the integration of analytics, reporting, and other capabilities into core platformsPlan and execute extensions to existing tools, including client-facing surfacesDocument what you build so it can be maintained, handed off, and extendedGive clear status updates and flag blockers earlyRequired4+ years building or maintaining internal business applications or integrated tooling environmentsSubstantial hands-on Retool experience. You've built and shipped non-trivial Retool applicationsYou're comfortable with queries and transformers, component state, custom components, and Retool's permissions and source-control models.Hands-on experience with permissions architecture across multi-system environmentsComfort with relational databases: reading and writing queries, understanding data relationships, and knowing when a schema decision will cause problems laterExperience integrating third-party platforms via APIs or embed patternsJavaScript/TypeScript proficiencyAbility to work independently from a defined spec, and the judgment to flag when the spec needs to changeDemonstrated ability to inherit and extend an existing codebase without needing to rebuild itStrong written communicationRequired — AI-Assisted DevelopmentYou use agentic coding tools in real production work — Claude Code, Cursor, or similar — and can speak concretely about where they help and where they get in the wayYou've used AI-assisted app building in a low-code environment, or you can clearly demonstrate you'd pick it up fastYou know which problems belong to an LLM and which belong in deterministic codeTo be clear about what this is not: we aren't training or fine-tuning models. We're using AI as part of how we build, and building AI features into internal products.Nice to HaveExperience with embedded analytics or BI platform integrationsDigital advertising domain knowledge — media planning, campaign operations, or agency reportingAirtable, Snowflake, or similarGoogle Cloud PlatformNext.jsPrior work in an agency, media services company, or another environment with real client deadlinesOur StackRetoolSnowflakePythonTypeScript/Next.jsGoogle Cloud Run