Tech Lead - SSE

Applied Systems is seeking a Staff Software Engineer (Tech Lead) to own technical solutions and provide direction across multiple engineering teams. In this role, you will design, build, and deliver high-quality full-stack features and system enhancements using Python, FastAPI, and ReactJS, while setting standards and guiding engineers across teams.

You will act as a recognized technical expert solving complex architectural problems, leading design and code reviews, and driving adoption of best practices across the engineering organization. This is not a passive individual contributor role. You will provide technical direction, shape architecture, build standards, and deliver production-grade software at pace.

The core responsibilities for the job include the following:

Design and Development:

• Research, design, and deliver full-stack solutions using Python, FastAPI, and ReactJS to improve efficiency and effectiveness across multiple engineering teams.
• Architect scalable, maintainable RESTful APIs and backend services using Python and FastAPI, integrating with cloud-based infrastructure.
• Design and implement responsive front-end applications and components in ReactJS, ensuring performance, accessibility, and cross-browser compatibility.
• Define and enforce full-stack architecture standards, coding conventions, and software security practices across the engineering organization.

Technical Leadership:

• Provide technical direction and prioritize development of AI-powered tools, frameworks, and processes to enable team delivery.
• Lead complex design discussions and code reviews, applying expert knowledge to clarify standards and drive alignment with best practices.
• Act as an escalation point and trusted technical advisor for complex engineering problems across multiple teams.
• Provide compelling justification for architectural enhancements and gain cross-team buy-in for implementation.

Problem Solving:

• Find and resolve complex technical problems, addressing root causes from a broad architectural perspective.
• Identify patterns, anti-patterns, and opportunities to reduce technical debt across the full-stack codebase.
• Anticipate future technical challenges and address them proactively through adoption of new technologies and internal standards.

Documentation and Standards:

• Create and maintain technical documentation, including architecture decision records (ADRs), API contracts, and development guides.
• Define and communicate development standards for Python/FastAPI backend services and ReactJS front-end components.
• Share knowledge with the team to support design, development, and testing practices across the organization.

Quality and Delivery:

• Champion CI/CD best practices and automated testing strategies across unit, integration, and end-to-end testing layers.
• Define technical project milestones, identify dependencies, and communicate status to stakeholders to ensure timely delivery.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

• 8+ years of software engineering experience.
• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering full-stack solutions with a Python backend and ReactJS frontend.
• Experience leading technical design discussions and driving architectural decisions across teams.
• Strong background in SaaS application development, cloud environments, and open-source tooling.
• Experience with test automation strategies and tools aligned with continuous delivery practices.
• Bachelor's degree in computer science, a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Expert knowledge of software engineering principles and practices, including documentation, testing, debugging, data structures, software design, and design patterns.
• Expert proficiency in Python for backend development, including asynchronous programming and performance optimization.
• Expert proficiency in the FastAPI framework, including dependency injection, middleware, background tasks, and OpenAPI documentation.
• Expert proficiency in ReactJS, including state management (e. g., Redux, Context API), component architecture, and modern hooks patterns.
• Expert knowledge of modern, cloud-based technologies and software security practices.
• Expert knowledge of CI/CD pipelines and best practices for test automation.
• Extensive knowledge of Agile frameworks and tools such as Jira and Confluence.
• Advanced knowledge of full-stack architecture patterns, including RESTful API design, microservices, and containerization (e. g., Docker).
• Demonstrated ability to influence technical decisions and communicate complex concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Proven ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and receive guidance only in the most complex situations.
• Enthusiast in using AI effectively and responsibly to increase efficiency and quality delivery of the technical solution.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with containerized environments (e. g., Docker, Kubernetes) and cloud platforms (AWS/GCP).
• Familiarity with SQL/NoSQL databases (e. g., PostgreSQL, BigQuery).
• Experience with ORMs (e. g., SQLAlchemy) and asynchronous task processing (e. g., Celery, RabbitMQ).