Role Overview
FOUND is hiring a Lead Software Engineer. This is a full-time role in Santa Monica, California. Part of FOUND's Frontend hiring, posted today. applications are still in the early window, before most candidates have applied. Full responsibilities, required qualifications, and the apply link are listed in the description below.
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Job description
About the Company
We're partnering with a well-funded, early-stage technology company building mission-critical software that powers real-world operations. Their platform combines cloud infrastructure, distributed systems, real-time data, and intuitive user experiences to modernize an industry that has historically relied on manual processes.
This is a rare opportunity to join a small, high-caliber engineering team where you'll have significant influence over architecture, product direction, and company growth. You'll work directly with end users to solve complex operational challenges while building software that delivers measurable impact.
About the Role
We're seeking an experienced Tech Lead to own the technical direction and execution of a core software platform. This is a hands-on leadership position requiring both technical depth and strong people leadership. You'll guide a team of engineers while remaining actively involved in system architecture, software development, and technical decision-making.
The ideal candidate thrives in fast-paced startup environments, enjoys solving complex systems problems, and is passionate about building reliable software that operates in real-world conditions.
Responsibilities
Engineering Leadership
- Lead engineering projects from planning through execution and delivery.
- Mentor and develop engineers through code reviews, technical guidance, and architectural discussions.
- Establish engineering best practices and maintain a high bar for code quality.
- Drive planning, prioritization, and execution across multiple initiatives.
Architecture & Technical Ownership
- Own the architecture and evolution of core platform services.
- Design scalable, resilient distributed systems.
- Make key technical decisions across backend, frontend, infrastructure, and data layers.
- Improve reliability, performance, observability, and maintainability across the platform.
Software Development
- Contribute hands-on to complex engineering initiatives.
- Design, build, test, and maintain production software across the stack.
- Develop APIs, backend services, internal tooling, and customer-facing applications.
- Ensure systems perform reliably under demanding operational workloads.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner closely with product, design, customers, and external technology partners.
- Translate operational challenges into scalable technical solutions.
- Balance technical excellence with business priorities and customer needs.
- Help shape product strategy through direct customer feedback.
Operational Excellence
- Improve monitoring, testing, deployment, and incident response processes.
- Champion engineering best practices across CI/CD, cloud infrastructure, and system reliability.
- Continuously identify opportunities to improve development velocity and platform scalability.
Qualifications
- 7+ years of professional software engineering experience.
- Previous experience leading engineering teams or serving as a technical lead.
- Strong background designing distributed systems and scalable backend architectures.
- Experience building production systems in real-time or operational environments.
- Strong proficiency with Go, Java, or another modern backend language.
- Experience with SQL and NoSQL databases, data modeling, and performance optimization.
- Experience designing and consuming REST and/or gRPC APIs.
- Working knowledge of modern frontend frameworks such as React or Angular.
- Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
- Comfortable operating in a high-growth startup environment with significant ownership.
Preferred Skills
- Experience with event-driven architectures, messaging systems, or streaming technologies.
- Background working with IoT, logistics, mobility, robotics, industrial software, or other operational technology platforms.
- Experience integrating hardware and software systems.
- Previous startup experience.
- Familiarity with cloud infrastructure, observability platforms, and Infrastructure as Code.
Pay range and compensation package
What Success Looks Like
- You enjoy leading engineers while remaining deeply technical.
- You take ownership from concept through production.
- You thrive in ambiguous environments and bring structure to complex technical challenges.
- You enjoy collaborating directly with customers to build meaningful products.
- You're excited by the opportunity to help build a category-defining technology company from the ground up.
Equal Opportunity Statement
We are committed to diversity and inclusivity in our hiring practices.
About FOUND
FOUND
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I apply for the Lead Software Engineer position at FOUND?
Use the Apply button above to submit your application directly to FOUND. Most applications take less than 5 minutes if your resume and contact details are ready, and you'll be routed to the employer's official application system to finish.
Where is the Lead Software Engineer position at FOUND located?
This position is based in Santa Monica, California. FOUND has not indicated remote or hybrid options for this role, so candidates should plan for on-site work.
What does a Lead Software Engineer at FOUND earn?
FOUND has not disclosed a salary range in this posting. Many employers share specifics later in the interview process; you can also ask during a recruiter screen if compensation transparency is important to you.
When was the Lead Software Engineer role at FOUND posted?
This role was posted on July 8, 2026 (today). It's still listed as actively hiring; we re-confirm openings against the source system multiple times per day and remove closed roles.
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