Who we are

Stride is a woman-founded organization that was established in 2014 by Debbie Madden. We are a values-driven company on a mission to unlock human potential by engineering better systems. 

Stride’s expertise is in solving complex problems with custom software solutions that maximize value for businesses, teams, and end users. We have a track record of delivering high-quality software built to last and scale. We are currently working on GenAI solutions for our clients and recently launched Stride Conductor, a revolutionary tool that leverages large language models to accelerate software development processes.

Stride has been trusted to build software for companies such as Codeacademy, Gartner, and Clear. Stride is honored to be recognized as BuiltIn's 2024 Best Startups to Work For, Chicago & NYC; and as Crain's 2023 Best Places to Work.

Accelerate your career at Stride

As a Lead developer, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from a wide range of client domains and products across a variety of values-aligned engagements. Write high-quality code with some of the best engineers across the country.

We are tech and industry-agnostic, so if you’re interested in learning new languages and tools and working in various tech environments you’re in good company. Did we mention that we love agile values and extreme programming (XP) practices?!

A Day In The Life of a Lead Developer

You are empowered to define what work/life balance means to you. Every day for every Strider is different. Here’s how one day might unfold:

Morning

One-on-one with my manager. We talk about my career goals. I’m noodling on a complex React story and getting my manager’s take on how to lead my team to navigate the complexities of this engagement. We walk away with action items for next week’s one-on-one.

Daily Standup. As a remote-first team member, I enjoy the flexibility of choosing my workspace, whether at home, in a coworking space or a coffee shop. Equipped with company-issued technology and a generous equipment budget for new hires, I seamlessly collaborate with my team of 4 Striders and 4 client developers. Our Product Manager kicks off the standup. It lasts about 10 minutes and then we’re off to code.

Afternoon

Lightning Talk. Today, I get the chance to teach Striders about how we are using GenAI on our client engagement to produce better results. I walk Striders through a demo of the software we are building, pointing out best practices they can apply to their own teams. We hold Lightning Talks every other month.

Retrospective. Retrospectives on my team are amazing. Today we’re retrospecting our last release. We have an honest discussion where I feel safe to be vulnerable and walk away with action items and confidence in the path ahead.

Pair Programming. I get in a few more hours of coding. This afternoon, my pair is Amy, a junior dev who works for the client. I love mentoring and am excited to have this time to mentor Amy. I feel safe and encouraged to knowledge-share with my pair. The Stride approach encourages openness and supporting each other, no matter what your skill level is. I showed Amy the principles of front-end state management and she was able to show me a newer way of writing CSS!

Evening

Sign off for the day. It’s been a good day. I throw on my headphones and go for a walk with my dog, Hot Sauce. I’m already looking forward to jumping back into work tomorrow!

What you’ll be doing

• Facilitate teams to collectively solve problems in high-performing, cross-functional groups that have a foundation rooted in inclusivity, psychological safety, and a growth mindset.

• Build meaningful relationships with clients at all levels. As a Trusted Advisor you will help guide solutions and technical strategy that are in the client’s best interests while representing Stride’s values. 

• Collaborate with Stride’s talented product managers and designers to deliver complex features while improving the code quality and architecture of the application. 

• Consistently build software that lasts, with low defect rates, downtime, and maintenance.

• Proactively set and manage stakeholder expectations as the project and engagement evolve. 

• Proactively contribute to shaping meaningful goals. 

• Drive choices on technologies and frameworks in greenfield projects. 

• Influence improvements to existing applications.

• Build technical processes that best solve for project constraints, such as time, scope and budget; as well as unique project constraints with performance, compliance, and security 

• Advocate for XP and agile practices, including the benefits of each practice and how they reinforce each other, such as version control, continuous integration, and continuous deployment. 

• Adaptable to different working arrangements, e.g. soloing, pairing, and willing to seek help and share expertise with others, when needed

• Own your path to production when possible. Strategically and incrementally use agile practices best for the project’s unique constraints and business needs. 

• Teach and mentor team members in new skills (e.g. frameworks, languages) and engineering practices such as testing, version control, and design.

• Use your knowledge of the product lifecycle and guide the team to consistently deliver working software solutions as early as possible. 

• Onboard and train clients in the new systems and processes created for further development and operation.

You’ll be a fit for this role if you have

• Fluent in or 7-10 years experience in one of the following languages: .NET, Java, Python, Ruby, Javascript (React, Node.js)

• Adapt to different contexts and ways of working while identifying and applying appropriate processes drawing on extreme programming (XP), DevOps, lean, and scrum

• Proven ability to level up both internal and client cross-functional teams through coaching and mentorship

• Expertise with a variety of agile practices, e.g. pairing, TDD, and team events facilitation: e.g. planning, demos, retrospectives

• Experience working with large legacy systems or experience building up greenfield projects

• Experience building CI pipelines and implementing CD best practices

• Experience with cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure), and\or infrastructure as code (CloudFormation, Terraform)

• Proactively identifies trade-offs of different technical approaches, e.g. object-oriented programming vs. functional programming, monolith vs. microservice architecture

• Experience building partnerships with teammates and stakeholders. Takes an empathetic approach to setting and managing expectations and facilitates relationships

• Proven ability to lead teams and level up peers through mentorship

• An excitement for GenAI

What you’ll get at Stride

• Competitive salary, paid time off, and benefits 

• Professional development opportunities aligned with your individual career goals

• Flexibility to work from home or the location of your choice, with access to co-working spaces

• New hire equipment stipend to personalize your workspace

• Company-sponsored opportunities to travel and gather with other Striders

• Transparent leadership

Important Information:

Location:

• While we are a remote-first company and you can work from home or any location of your choice, we are seeking to hire someone in the NYC or Chicago areas. We anticipate this role to have meaningful in-person activities and co-working opportunities. 

• This role may require occasional travel to meet clients and gather with Striders for company-sponsored events

Compensation:

• The annual base salary for this role ranges between $175,000 and $210,000

• The wage range for this role considers the factors considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; and other business and organizational needs

If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please email us.

Stride Consulting is committed to equal treatment and opportunity in all aspects of recruitment, selection, and employment without regard to gender, race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, or any other category protected under the law. Stride Consulting is an equal opportunity employer; committed to a community of inclusion, and an environment free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.