Technical Cofounder

Co-Founder (Engineering) — Zlenox | Equity-Only | Greater Toronto AreaAbout Zlenox

Zlenox is the company behind ZHERP — a Healthcare Enterprise Resource Planner built specifically for senior living and long-term care facilities across North America. ZHERP unifies Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Human Resources Management (HRM), and Resident Relationship Management (CRM) into a single platform, replacing the fragmented paper-based and legacy software workflows common in the sector.

We achieved federal CIHI licensure in June 2025, validating the platform against Canada's national health data standards. Our core product is 90% complete and has undergone initial user testing with facilities that require compliance with RHRA, HIPAA, GDPR, and InterRAI reporting standards.

The senior living technology market is growing at 7% annually. We are at a meaningful inflection point — the product works, the compliance bar has been cleared, and we are now focused on completing the final mile and scaling.

The Role

We are looking for a Co-Founder (Engineering) to join as a hands-on technical partner on an equity-only basis. This is not a consulting engagement or a traditional hire — it is a co-founder relationship for someone who wants meaningful ownership in a licensed, nearly-complete product ready for its first customers.

You will be embedded in the codebase from day one, working directly with the founding team to:

• Complete the remaining ~10% of ZHERP's core feature set
• Refactor, harden, and improve existing Django application code
• Maintain and extend a modern, lightweight frontend built with Alpine.js, Tailwind CSS, and HTMX
• Ensure continued compliance with CIHI, RHRA, HIPAA, and GDPR data handling requirements
• Participate in technical architecture decisions as the platform grows toward broader market rollout
• Contribute to hiring and mentoring as the engineering team expands

This role is on-site in the Greater Toronto Area. Given the nature of the equity arrangement, we are looking for someone who is highly self-directed, comfortable working on a real healthcare product with compliance constraints, and genuinely excited about the senior care technology space.

Tech Stack

• Backend: Django (Python), PostgreSQL
• Frontend: Alpine.js, Tailwind CSS, HTMX — no heavy JS framework
• Deployment: Cloud-based (AWS/similar), with strong emphasis on security and HIPAA-compliant data handling
• Integrations: Third-party native integrations (billing, analytics, InterRAI, and others)

What We're Looking For

Required

• Solid, production-grade Django experience — you can read an unfamiliar codebase, understand its patterns, and contribute quickly
• Comfort with the HTMX + Alpine.js + Tailwind CSS frontend approach (or willingness to pick it up fast — the patterns are simple and well-documented)
• Experience building and maintaining relational database schemas in PostgreSQL
• Strong understanding of REST APIs and third-party integrations
• Disciplined about security, input validation, and data privacy — especially important in a regulated healthcare context
• Comfortable with ambiguity and able to prioritize autonomously

Nice to Have

• Prior exposure to healthcare software, EMR/EHR systems, or regulated data environments (HIPAA, PIPEDA, GDPR)
• Familiarity with CIHI data standards or InterRAI assessments
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and code review processes
• Previous startup or early-stage venture experience

Mindset

You should be excited by the idea of inheriting a nearly-complete product, improving it, and seeing it ship to facilities that care for seniors. You are not looking for a polished corporate environment — you want ownership, impact, and the satisfaction of finishing something real.

Compensation

This role is equity-only. No salary is offered at this stage. We are transparent about that from the outset. In return, you receive meaningful co-founder equity in a licensed, nearly-complete product with validated user feedback and a defensible market position.

If you are currently employed and considering this as a side arrangement to start, we are open to discussing a transition structure.

Why Now

• CIHI licensure is done — the hardest compliance hurdle is cleared
• The product is 90% complete — you are finishing the last mile, not starting from scratch
• The senior living market is large, underserved by modern software, and growing
• ZHERP's architecture (Django + HTMX + Alpine.js + Tailwind) is deliberately lean — no bloated JS framework, no overcomplicated infrastructure
• You would be joining as a co-founder, not an employee
• Zlenox is headquartered in the Greater Toronto Area. This is a full-time, on-site role.