Lead Software Engineer

Job Title : Lead Software Engineer

Location : Austin, Texas, United States

Job Type : Full Time

Job Summary

Our client is seeking a seasoned technology leader to guide the design, development, and deployment of advanced cloud-based and AI-driven solutions. The ideal candidate brings a strong engineering foundation, deep hands-on experience with modern cloud platforms, and a proven track record leading teams through complex technical transformations.

Core Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a computing or engineering discipline—or equivalent industry experience
• At least seven years of professional software development experience
• Several years serving as a technical lead, architect, or similar leadership role
• Practical experience delivering applications on major cloud providers such as Google Cloud, AWS, or Azure
• Hands-on background implementing and operationalizing AI/ML solutions
• Exposure to modernizing legacy systems and guiding migration initiatives
• Experience working with cutting-edge Large Language Model technologies (e.g., GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, PaLM)
• Real-world delivery of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architectures
• Familiarity with Model Context Protocol (MCP) or orchestration frameworks for AI agents
• Working knowledge of vector search technology (Pinecone, Weaviate, Chroma, Vertex AI Vector Search, etc.)
• Strong ability to design, refine, and optimize prompts for large language models
• Experience with platforms such as Vertex AI on GCP or Amazon Bedrock
• Proficiency in Python for AI/ML, .NET for enterprise systems, and SQL for data modeling and queries
• Background with event-streaming tools like Kafka or Pub/Sub
• Demonstrated success mentoring engineers and guiding collaborative technical decisions
• Ability to communicate complex engineering topics clearly to business and non-technical audiences
• Experience partnering with cross-functional roles including product, analytics, and business teams
• Strong analytical mindset and an orientation toward measurable business impact

Preferred Expertise

• Advanced degree in AI/ML, Computer Science, or a related field
• A decade or more of engineering experience
• Direct experience delivering RAG systems using frameworks such as LangChain, LlamaIndex, or Haystack
• Background in regulated sectors, especially financial services or fintech
• Knowledge of retirement-related products and industry standards
• ML Ops and model stewardship experience across the full lifecycle
• Work across multiple major cloud platforms
• Deep familiarity with GKE, service meshes, and modern container orchestration
• Experience with Cloud Build or sophisticated CI/CD automation
• Strong understanding of identity, access, and secret-management practices
• Knowledge of JavaScript/TypeScript and full-stack development patterns
• Exposure to legacy languages or platforms such as Delphi or established .NET stacks
• Experience with CQRS, Event Sourcing, sagas, and distributed-transaction design
• Strength in designing and tuning both relational and NoSQL databases
• Familiarity with API gateways, microservice patterns, and service-mesh architectures
• Experience with experimentation platforms and A/B testing approaches
• History working in Agile or scaled Agile environments
• Ability to drive alignment and consensus among diverse stakeholder groups
• Background in publishing, conference speaking, open-source contributions, or other forms of technical advocacy
• Understanding of compliance, auditability, explainability, and regulatory demands in financial ecosystems
• Awareness of tax rules and fiduciary considerations related to retirement planning
• Relevant cloud/ML certifications from Google Cloud, AWS, or Azure