Staff Software Engineer (Node.js & TypeScript)

We are seeking a Staff Software Engineer to provide technical leadership in the design, development, and scaling of our core SaaS platforms and backend systems. This role combines hands-on engineering expertise in the Node.js ecosystem with architectural ownership and client-facing consulting responsibilities.

You will drive the technical strategy for our backend services, ensuring high performance, type safety, and scalability while mentoring a growing team of engineers.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Architecture Development

• Architect Scalable Systems: Lead the design and implementation of distributed backend systems using TypeScript and Node.js (NestJS/Express/Fastify) that can handle high throughput and complex data processing.

• System Integration: Design robust APIs (REST and GraphQL) and event-driven architectures (Kafka/RabbitMQ) to integrate our SaaS products with AI models, external data sources, and third-party services.

• Database Design: Oversee data architecture, schema design, and query optimization across SQL (PostgreSQL) and NoSQL (MongoDB/Redis) databases; manage complex migrations and ORM implementations (TypeORM/Prisma).

• Performance Security: Ensure production readiness by implementing advanced caching strategies, memory management, security best practices (OWASP), and latency optimization for Node.js runtimes.

• Cloud-Native DevOps: Define deployment strategies on AWS/Azure/GCP. Establish containerized standards using Docker and Kubernetes, and drive Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform) adoption.

• Platform Development: Lead the backend development of the Heka.ai ecosystem, ensuring modularity and reusability across different products.

Tactical Cross-Team Leadership

• DRI for Architecture: Act as the Directly Responsible Individual (DRI) for major architectural blueprints; own technical design documents (TDDs) and migration plans.

• Incident Management: Maintain ownership of triage and incident prioritization; advocate for technical debt reduction and system reliability (SRE practices).

• Repository Ownership: Serve as the primary maintainer for critical repositories, enforcing strict coding standards, type safety, and test coverage.

• Mentorship: Mentor Senior and mid-level engineers formally; grow the team via code reviews, pair programming, and career coaching.

• Project Leadership: Break down large strategic efforts into epics and Minimum Viable Changes (MVCs); coordinate cross-team delivery.

• Hiring Culture: Participate in hiring: design technical interviews for the Node.js track, assess candidates, and foster a culture of engineering excellence and inclusivity. Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor s/Masters degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.

Experience Technical Skills

• 6 to 8+ years of experience in software engineering, with deep expertise in TypeScript and Node.js server-side development.

• Framework Mastery: Proven experience with modern Node.js frameworks like NestJS, Express, or Fastify.

• Architecture Patterns: Strong knowledge of Domain-Driven Design (DDD), Microservices patterns, and Event-Driven Architecture.

• Database Expertise: Proficiency with PostgreSQL and MongoDB, including indexing strategies, transactions, and data modeling.

• DevOps Cloud: Hands-on expertise with Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions/GitLab CI), and cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP).

• Testing: Strong advocacy for testing frameworks (Jest, Mocha, Supertest) and TDD practices.

• AI/Tooling Awareness: Familiarity with integrating LLMs or AI agents into backend workflows is a strong plus (even if not building the models yourself).

• Modern Workflow: Experience utilizing AI coding assistants (Cursor, GitHub Copilot) as a core part of the daily workflow to accelerate development.

Staff Engineer Traits (What Success Looks Like)

• Systems Thinker: Thinks in terms of distributed systems and data flow, not just individual features.

• Multiplier: Acts as a force multiplier, making the entire team faster and better through tooling and abstractions.

• Ambiguity Navigator: Drives clarity in ambiguous technical situations and business requirements.

• Quality Guardian: Chooses long-term maintainability and strict typing over short-term hacks.

• Communicator: Communicates complex technical ideas with precision to both engineers and non-technical stakeholders.