Lead Software Engineer (Remote)

hackajob is collaborating with 8th Light to connect them with exceptional professionals for this role.Who We AreAt 8th Light, we bring life to the best ideas.Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Chicago, we are a technology solutions provider that partners with organizations to solve meaningful challenges and drive sustainable growth. From early-stage startups to global enterprises, we work across industries to optimize our clients’ digital products through product strategy innovation, experiential design, AI solutions, and deep engineering expertise.Our commitment to quality means we deliver solutions we’re truly proud of, while our curiosity sparks innovation and breakthrough thinking. 8th Lights thrive in an environment that champions continuous education, fueling our growth through mentorship and hands-on work. We foster an open, collaborative culture grounded in honesty that builds trust, and believe true success is measured by the outcomes we create for our clients.If this kind of work and our kind of people energizes you, you’ve found the right place.Who You AreYou’ve shown long-term repeated success on a variety of projects, typically over the course of 7+ years. You can be the go-to leader for any software development engagement. You have a broad and deep range of expertise that allows you to make an immediate impact on projects. In your previous experience, you have:Successfully led high-stakes consulting engagements from discovery to production Built high-quality, maintainable software collaboratively, incrementally, and through an approach tailored towards the unique needs of the clients you’ve served Written production-quality code using a variety of languages and frameworks, including but not limited to: Python, Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, React, Ruby, Scala, R, SQL, and GoLeveraged AI-assistive development tools for tasks like scaffolding, refactoring, debugging, test generation, and documentationExperience building or integrating AI/ML-powered features into products or systems (e.g., recommendation engines, NLP models, computer vision, predictive analytics) Used context-appropriate automated testing to inform software design choices and catch bugsDebugged and refactored pre-existing code to incrementally improve itCollaborated with teams using Git, MacOS/Linux, and CI/CDRemedied architecture-level concerns such as scalability, security, reliability, and performanceBrought together people from different functions and perspectives in forums that encourage idea sharing, collaboration, and problem solvingMade thoughtful recommendations and set direction in the face of ambiguityMentored and shared knowledge with colleaguesActively sought out and effectively given feedbackCommunicated empathically with stakeholders and colleaguesCollaboratively led stakeholders to balance technical considerations with product and user needsWhat You’ll Do At 8th LightAs a lead technologist on projects, you’ll work with a variety of clients, typically one to two in a year, through a variety of technologies and frameworks over the course of your career with us. You’ll lead more complicated projects, leading teams to do so. You’ll work with colleagues who share your passion for technology solutions. You’ll invest time developing your skills and sharing what you know. You’ll be responsible for:Making immediate contributions to projects, rapidly building trust with clientsWorking pragmatically to balance technology choices while delivering high-quality work within deadlinesLeading architecture and software design discussionsCollaborating on systems that involve the full ML lifecycle from data ingestion and preprocessing, to model deployment, integration, and performance monitoringGenerating new potential solutions to challenges (technical and non-technical) in partnership with team members and clientsLeading or initiating formal feedback conversations with teams and clients via retrospectivesClearly articulating and documenting outcomes and driving forward action itemsContributing to the health of your team and 8th Light’s culture by modeling our ValuesEnsuring your team has a healthy, prioritized, estimated backlogManaging high-level project roadmaps as the team lead for large engagementsMaintaining relationships with client technical leadersRegular syncs with the client to provide status updates, and for identifying and evaluating risks and presenting potential solutionsIdentifying, mitigating, and resolving blockers to team progressContributing to 8th Light by serving as a mentor, leading or designing workshops internally or for clients, representing 8th Light in the tech community, or supporting our hiring processesStrongly Preferred SkillsWe work across many areas, and encourage anyone with the experience listed above to apply. We would particularly like to encourage applicants with experience in the following areas:MLOps: including tools like LangChain for application development and managing the ML lifecycleData Engineering: including platforms like Databricks for data processing and analyticsDevSecOps & DevOpsInfrastructure as CodeData Engineering: including platforms like Databricks for data processing and analyticsBuilding a truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace is an ongoing journey, and we’re excited to keep learning and growing together. We have a proud tradition of hiring talented colleagues with real-world career experiences.How You’ll Be SupportedAt 8th Light, we believe our people are our greatest asset. Their growth, well-being, and success shape our future.Our wellness package is designed with the Whole YOU in mind and includes:A robust L&D program featuring unlimited access to thousands of books, courses, and expert-led training on the O'Reilly learning platform.Annual financial stipend and time allotment for learning & developmentCoworking support for our global teamFlexible PTO 12 weeks of new parent leave available for eligible employeesSee our full list of Benefits.A Note On CompensationAt 8th Light, we are committed to a compensation philosophy that is transparent, fair, and helps us attract and retain top talent in alignment with our company’s strategic growth goals and clients’ needs.We Benchmark Our Salaries Using Geographic Structures To Establish Competitive Pay Ranges Within The Regions Where 8th Lights Live. Our Pay Ranges For Our Lead Engineer Position Within Our Four US Structures Are As FollowsStructure 1 (Tampa Metro, Ohio, Tennessee, Wisconsin) RANGE: $126,279-$157,849 USDStructure 2 (Chicago Metro, Miami Metro, Philadelphia Metro, Raleigh Metro ) RANGE: $132,700-$165,875 USDStructure 3 (Austin Metro, Boston Metro , DC Metro) RANGE: $141,261-$176,576 USDStructure 4 (Los Angeles, Seattle, New York City) RANGE: $147,254-$184,068 USDReach out to recruiting@8thlight.com for more relevant information pertaining to your local market.8th Light Hubs and GeographiesAs a remote-first company, 8th Light's culture is rooted in strong connections that extend across our teams, regions, and beyond client work. We are a distributed team across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, with hubs in Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle.If you are hired into a hub, you will be a part of a team with regular rituals around co-working and community building. For team members outside of those cities, we offer access to coworking spaces to foster continued collaboration and connection across our global team.In most cases, our consulting engagements do not require travel.We hope to see you apply!A Note on Your PrivacyAt 8th Light, one of our core values is Honesty that builds trust — and that shapes how we approach hiring. We want you to have a clear picture of who we are, what we're looking for, and how we handle your information throughout the process.Before submitting your application, please take a moment to review our Global Candidate Privacy Notice. By applying, you acknowledge that you've read it.