Software Engineer

Lead Product Engineer - Pod Captain 

A Little Bit About the Role

There is a version of this role that attracts the wrong person: a senior engineer who wants a title upgrade and a slightly bigger scope. That person will struggle here. The Lead PE is not a promotion for being a great individual engineer. It is a fundamentally different job.

Your success at this level is measured entirely by what your Island delivers — not by the quality of your own code. You will still write code, often the hardest and most risk-laden on the project: auth systems, payment integrations, data migrations, the things nobody else should touch. But that is a fraction of the role. The majority is managing delivery, owning the client relationship on the technical side, unblocking engineers before problems compound, and making scope calls under pressure with incomplete information.

You are also the technical and commercial bridge between your Island and the client. You own every piece of technical communication that goes to them — what is being built, what risks exist, what the honest timeline is. When a client pushes for something technically unsound, you push back directly and professionally, always with an alternative. When something breaks in production, you own the post-mortem process and the client receives it within 24 hours. You protect your team from unfiltered client pressure; you translate it into clear, actionable direction instead.

On top of delivery and client management, you are the AI operating standard for your Island. Every engineer on your pod uses Cursor and Claude within the rules you define. You set those rules before the first line of code is written, govern how they evolve, and you are accountable when AI-generated code ships without being understood.

If you are energised by all of that — by the accountability, by owning outcomes rather than tasks, by the combination of technical depth and people management — this role will suit you well. If you want to spend most of your time in code, this is not the right level.

AI Governance Expectation

You set the AI standard for your entire Island. If an engineer on your pod is shipping AI-generated code they do not understand, or underusing AI tools entirely, both are your problem to fix — not theirs alone.

At Lead level, AI governance means:

• Authoring the .cursorrules file before the first PR is opened. This defines how every engineer on the team writes code, uses Cursor, and structures prompts. You update it as the team learns, and you submit it to the Fountane Mainland at the close of every engagement.
• Evaluating new AI tools before they reach client code. You are the gate. A tool that looks useful in a demo can create untraceable technical debt in production. You decide what enters the workflow.
• Governing prompt discipline across the team: scoped prompts, codebase context hygiene, no AI-generated code that the author cannot explain line by line.
• Using Claude for architecture reasoning, sprint planning, risk documentation, and client-facing technical communication — not just Cursor for code generation. AI works at every layer of the Lead role, not just the coding layer.
• Staying ahead of the Golden Stack. You should know what Cursor and Claude can and cannot do at the codebase level better than anyone on your Island. When the Mainland updates the standard toolchain, you integrate the change into your Island’s workflow first.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Architecture & Standards Ownership

Design the full-stack architecture for every engagement before the first sprint starts: service boundaries, API contracts, database schema, state management strategy across web and mobile surfaces, and the security baseline. Author the .cursorrules file that governs how the entire Island writes code and uses AI. Own the highest-risk code personally — auth systems, payment integrations, live data migrations — these are not delegated regardless of workload. Enforce Mainland security standards across the entire codebase: input validation, correct auth scoping, safe data handling. If a security issue reaches production that was visible in a PR, that is a failure you own.

CE Prototype Gatekeeping

Review every Concept Engineer prototype before any engineer touches it. This is not a courtesy review — you have veto authority. If the scope is technically unrealistic for the sprint, the architecture is unbuildable as specified, or the prototype makes promises the codebase cannot keep, the sprint does not start until those are resolved. The time to surface a structural problem is before it is built, not after it is demoed. Produce a written checklist verdict for every prototype review — approved, approved with conditions, or blocked with reasons.

Client Technical Communication & Scope Ownership

Own all technical communication with the client directly. This means: what is being built each sprint, what risks exist and what is being done about them, honest timelines when estimates change, and clear explanations of technical decisions in plain language. Push back on risky or scope-expanding requests professionally and always with an alternative — “we cannot do X because Y; here is what achieves the same outcome.” Manage scope creep actively: every request that expands the engagement goes through you, gets assessed for impact, and is either absorbed, priced, or declined with a rationale. Renewal conversations are yours to lead in coordination with the CE.

Island Integration Audit

When a prospective client wants fractional augmentation — one or two roles rather than a full Island — you conduct the Island Integration Audit. This means evaluating their existing engineering team against Fountane Mainland SOPs: coding standards, AI tool usage, deployment practices, and documentation quality. If they pass, fractional deployment proceeds. If they do not, you produce a written audit report that either recommends full Island deployment or a Mainland upskilling programme. You are protecting your team’s velocity — a fractional deployment into a dysfunctional team destroys it.

Delivery & Velocity Management

Review the work cycle board every morning. Flag anything stuck, stale, or at risk before it becomes a client problem — not after. Communicate risks to the CE proactively with options, not just problems. Track every engineer’s billing hours: a shortfall spotted on Wednesday is a Thursday conversation, not a Friday surprise. If an engineer is consistently under-billing, that is either a workload problem, a capability problem, or a motivation problem — each has a different resolution and you are responsible for diagnosing which one it is.

Production Incident Ownership

When something breaks in production, you own the resolution process end to end: take technical lead, make the call on rollback vs. hotfix, communicate status to the client directly if the incident affects them, and own the post-mortem. The client receives the post-mortem within 24 hours of resolution — this is a hard commitment, not a target. The post-mortem covers: what happened, why it happened, what was done to fix it, and what structural change prevents recurrence. You produce it; it is not delegated to the engineer who caused the issue.

Automation & Infrastructure Boundary Arbitration

The Automation Engineer owns the test gates within the CI/CD pipeline. The Infrastructure Engineer owns the pipeline configuration itself. When these overlap and conflict — which they will — you arbitrate. The resolution must be documented in the Island’s .cursorrules and SOP onboarding document so the boundary does not need to be relitigated every sprint. This is not optional housekeeping; an unresolved boundary between these two roles is one of the most common sources of deployment failures on Islands.

Full Stack Ownership — Web & Mobile

You review and own work across the entire application layer: React / Next.js web frontends, React Native or Flutter mobile apps, Node.js / Python backends, and database schema. You cannot delegate a review of mobile code because you do not know mobile, or backend code because your background is frontend. If there is a gap in your full-stack depth, that is something to resolve before taking this role, not on the job.

People Management & Mentoring

Hold bi-weekly 1:1s with every engineer on the Island — focused on growth, blockers, and career direction, not status updates. Status belongs on the board; 1:1s are for the person. Address performance gaps early, directly, and specifically: a pattern spotted in week two is a conversation in week two, not month three. Protect the team from unfiltered client anxiety — absorb it, process it, and give the team clear direction instead of noise. If an engineer is struggling, that is your problem to solve before it becomes the client’s problem to notice.

Network Contribution

At the close of every engagement, submit to the Fountane Mainland: the .cursorrules file, all prompt templates used, a short retrospective on what worked and what did not, and any reusable patterns or scripts developed during the engagement. This is a Lead-level obligation, not a nice-to-have. The network’s collective capability grows through what Leads bring back from the field. An engagement that ends without a Mainland submission has left the network no smarter than it was before.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of software engineering experience, with at least two years in a role where you were accountable for delivery outcomes — not just your own code. You should be able to describe an engagement where something went wrong on your watch, what you did about it, and what you would do differently. If your experience is entirely individual-contributor, this role will be a difficult fit.
• Genuinely full stack across web and mobile: React / Next.js, React Native or Flutter, Node.js or Python, and database architecture including schema design and migrations. You review and own work across all of these surfaces — not just the ones you are most comfortable in.
• Hands-on, daily Cursor and Claude usage with the ability to set and enforce standards for how a team uses them — not just personal proficiency. You should be able to describe the .cursorrules file you would write for a standard SMB engagement and explain the decisions behind it.
• Proven ability to communicate technical risk and decisions directly to non-technical clients — not through a PM, directly, in plain language. You should be able to describe a client pushback you navigated and how you handled it.
• Experience managing scope on a real engagement: a client who wanted more than was in the contract, and how you resolved it without damaging the relationship or the team’s velocity.
• Has conducted security-aware architecture design: auth systems, input validation, safe data handling. You should be able to describe a security decision you made and why.
• Has led or coordinated a small engineering team — run 1:1s, addressed performance gaps, made scope calls under pressure. Management experience at a staffing agency or outsourcing firm counts if the accountability was real.
• Comfortable having direct, specific performance conversations early — not after the situation has compounded. You should be able to describe a time you addressed a performance issue at the first sign rather than waiting.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent experience.

About Fountane

Fountane is a technology ventures lab - one part product studio, one part startup engine. We build high-quality software and AI products for clients ranging from fast-moving startups to large enterprises, and we co-build and invest in new companies when we see the right opportunity.

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Minneapolis, we have grown to 60+ people across four continents and were recognised as one of America’s fastest-growing companies, ranking No. 699 on the Inc. 5000 with 595% three-year growth.

We are serious about craft, direct about expectations, and operate at the frontier of AI-assisted engineering. Lead PEs here carry real authority and real accountability — over delivery, over people, and over client outcomes. If that combination is what you are looking for, this is the place.

About the Role

We are hiring an experienced MERN Stack Developer who can independently build and scale full-stack applications from scratch. The ideal candidate must have strong skills in TypeScript, React.js, Node.js, Redux, and REST APIs, along with a solid understanding of microservices architecture, mobile API integrations, and responsive design.

Experience with LLMs, RAG architecture, Kafka, Redis, webhooks, and database systems like PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB is essential. You’ll be working on scalable systems, enterprise-grade platforms, and AI-integrated products.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain full-stack web applications using React.js (with TypeScript) and Node.js (Express/NestJS)
• Build and document robust RESTful APIs and mobile-ready endpoints
• Implement and consume webhooks for third-party integrations and internal event-based workflows
• Ensure responsive design principles across devices and screen sizes
• Integrate with mobile applications via secure and scalable APIs
• Work with databases including PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB
• Integrate Large Language Models (LLMs) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines
• Build and deploy microservices architecture using Kafka, Redis, Docker, etc.
• Manage application state using Redux or Redux Toolkit
• Write test cases using Mocha, Chai, Jest, or similar frameworks
• Participate in system design, architecture discussions, and scalability planning
• Follow Agile practices, perform code reviews, and contribute to CI/CD pipelines
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including UI/UX, DevOps, QA, and Product Management

Required Skills & Experience

• Minimum 4 years of hands-on experience with the MERN stack
• Strong proficiency in TypeScript, React.js, Node.js, and Redux
• Proven experience in building and consuming REST APIs and webhooks
• Deep knowledge of responsive UI/UX development
• Hands-on experience with mobile-first API design and integrations
• Strong knowledge of PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB
• Experience with Kafka, Redis, Docker, and microservices
• Exposure to LLM, GPT, RAG, or similar AI models
• Solid understanding of software architecture and ability to build systems from the ground up
• Working knowledge of API security, JWT, OAuth, and rate-limiting
• Familiar with test-driven development and QA practices
• Familiarity with Git, version control, and collaborative workflows good to Have
• Experience with GraphQL and gRPC
• Experience in building SaaS or AI-integrated platforms
• Familiarity with ElasticSearch or RabbitMQ
• Experience with AWS, GCP, or Azure
• Understanding of serverless and event-driven architectures
• 
  

Benefits

• Competitive compensation with performance-based hikes
• Flexible remote or hybrid work options
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies including AI and scalable SaaS platforms
• Strong leadership and learning-driven environment
• Learning budget for courses, certifications, and conferences

Quoality- A Modern Operating Infrastructure for Hospitality Businesses to help them improve the guest experience and generate additional revenue.

Launched in 2021, Quoality is a Hospitality Tech company backed by a US-based Newchip Accelerator. Our mission is to equip businesses with the tools they need to grow. 

By providing tools, insights, and education with minimal effort on the business's part, the barrier to making actionable business decisions is lowered dramatically. Everything we do is driven by this mission. Everything we do needs to positively answer the question, "Does this help businesses grow?"

Product Demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKklkRYKkC4" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKklkRYKkC4

Quoality Blogosphere: https://medium.com/quoality" target="_blank">https://medium.com/quoality

Oh, this is our favorite part. We’ve seen companies that write 'templatized' BS for this section; stuff that’s never followed in reality.

Not us. Here are some of our core values to give you a sense of who we are as a team:

• First and foremost, we’re super transparent. We all know what everyone’s working on, how’s the company doing, and the whole shebang.
• We’re all super chill. 
• Work time ain’t playtime. We take our work very seriously. We’re a small bunch on a mission to change the guest experience in the hospitality industry, once and for all.
• Deadlines are a thing for us. We are super punctual.
• We know what we are working on and aren’t clueless.
• We’re more friends than colleagues.
• Monthly 1:1s with the founders where you can directly share & receive feedback.

Not convinced yet? Okay, here’s the fun stuff:

• Flexible leave policy. Yeah, it’s truly flexible. We trust you.
• We have a flexible remote work policy in India.  Work from the beautiful beaches of Goa or the stunning mountains of Manali, and we’re all good.
• Annual workstations at exotic destinations. Subject to change and hitting milestones.
• Allowances to choose your coworking space (if you want), courses & any tool that you think is beneficial to succeed in this role.

• Write code that will impact the businesses of thousands of hotels, hostels, and vacation homes across the globe.
• Collaborate with Frontend to spec, write, test, and deploy API endpoints.
• Implementation of a robust set of services and APIs that work on our data pipelines.
• Build all support infrastructure to scale our data delivery pipelines - endpoints, security, logging, messaging.
• Product development activity includes data querying from our various stores, real-time analytics, and ML algorithms.
• Developing & Integrating of the front-end and back-end aspects of the web application
• Optimization of the application for maximum speed and scalability.
• Brainstorm features with the product team and guide decisions based on your knowledge of the codebase.
• Take full ownership of the module starting from architectural and design decisions to shipping.
• Like the work you do, enjoy collaborating with your coworkers, communicate as much as you can, and have fun. 

• 2+ years of relevant work experience
• You are well versed in building scalable, understandable, and testable code with an eye toward maintainability.
• You have a good understanding of multi-process architecture and the threading limitations of NodeJs and ReactJs.
• Understanding of fundamental design principles behind a scalable application.
• You have good knowledge of relational databases as well as key-value databases and are capable of designing scalable database models based on the product requirements.
• Familiarity with REST API development standards, protocols (HTTP, WebSockets and more), and GraphQL.
• Understanding differences between multiple delivery platforms (such as mobile vs, desktop), and optimizing outputs.
• You possess strong computer science fundamentals: data structures, algorithms, distributed systems, and information retrieval.
• You’re comfortable picking up new stacks and choosing the right tool to get the job done.
• You are open to learning new stuff and avoiding internal politics. (super important).
• You are humble, kind, and open to feedback. (super duper important).

• Entrepreneurial spirit, Product Thinker, and ‘Can-Do' attitude.
• Passionate about leveraging technology for supporting product delivery in the Hospitality space.
• The operating style is suited to working in a startup environment, where teamwork and resourcefulness are highly valued.
• Excellent leadership skills, including the ability to manage multiple assignments at a time.

Yes, we do have a process, and it’s simple.

• Step 1: You apply for the job.
• Step 2: Quick intro call with the founders.
• Step 3: Solve an assignment.
• Step 4: A round where we evaluate your assignment along with you.
• Step 5: One round of interviews to gauge if you are a good culture fit.
• Step 6: Job Offer (contingent on the above steps).
• Step 7: Welcome to the Quoality! 🙂

Who we are:

We are leading CMMI Level 3 global organization. We enjoyed a stable leadership since its inception in the Silicon Valley, California in 1996. We have expanded from a single location to current presence in 5 global cities with round-the-clock connectivity.

Since inception, the driving core values inculcated by our founder, management team and investors have been the ongoing guiding force.

We emerged as a leading custom software development organization, spread across the globe. We made business easier and more profitable for varied small to medium size projects. As a technology partner, we deliver solutions in line with your business goals. With 2000+ happy customer base, vast experience of 20+ years, backed by offices in the US, Australia and India, providing next-door assistance and a round-the-clock connectivity. Our software solutions cover all major industries such as healthcare, digital enterprises, business automation and IT services, highlighting our expertise in Microsoft open source platform, mobile platforms and new technologies.

 To know more about we visit http://www.smartdatainc.com">http://www.smartdatainc.com

About You:

Should build interactive consumer data from multiple systems and restfully abstract to the UI through a Node.js backend.

• Should define code architecture decisions to support a high-performance and scalable product with a minimal footprint
• Should address and improve any technical issues
• Should be good in communication skills and teamwork ability to work between different levels of developers.
• Should be able to work/handle projects single handed by own
• Should perform unit/per testing for creating a bug free solution.

You should possess:

• Experience of Node JS, Express JS, Mongo DB, Angular 2+.
• Knowledge of GIT, Jenkins tools or similar.
• Knowledge working with AWS (S3, EMR, EC2, RDS).
• Experience of Agile development and methodology.

Good to have:

•  Project management and deployment skills.
• Knowledge of Dockers and Kubernetes.

• Onsite experience.
• US business Visa.