Lead Software Developer

About BLEN

BLENers are passionate about using technology to solve real-world problems. For over 20 years, we've been helping government agencies and businesses transform their digital experience. We bring fresh perspectives to every project, from modernizing legacy systems to building cloud-native applications to experimenting with technology that's just around the corner. We value building long and enduring partnerships to solve complex challenges by putting humans at the center of all the experiences. Our team thrives on turning tricky problems into solutions that are practical, accessible and performant.

About this position

As a Lead Software Developer at BLEN, you will play a crucial role in leading and mentoring our development team, including Senior Software Developers. You will be responsible for overseeing the technical direction of projects, making high-level architectural decisions, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality, scalable solutions. This position requires exceptional technical expertise across the full stack, strong leadership skills, and the ability to drive innovation in areas such as cloud services, AI, and emerging technologies.

What we would like from you

• Technical Leadership and Strategy
• Lead the overall technical strategy and architecture for complex, large-scale projects
• Make critical decisions on technology stack, frameworks, and methodologies
• Oversee and approve system designs and architectural choices made by team members
• Drive the adoption of new technologies and best practices across the development team




• Team Management and Mentorship
• Directly supervise and mentor a team of developers, including Senior Software Developers
• Conduct performance evaluations and provide career development guidance
• Lead technical interviews and make hiring decisions for the development team
• Foster a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and technical excellence




• Project Oversight and Delivery
• Oversee multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring they meet quality standards and timelines
• Collaborate with project managers and stakeholders to define project scopes and timelines
• Identify and mitigate technical risks across projects
• Ensure smooth integration between different components and teams




• Innovation and R&D
• Spearhead research into emerging technologies and their potential applications
• Lead the development of proof-of-concepts and prototypes for innovative solutions
• Drive the integration of AI and machine learning capabilities into our products and services
• Evaluate and implement cutting-edge AI services and APIs from providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Cohere, and Google VertexAI
• Guide the use of high-level AI frameworks such as Hugging Face Transformers, FastAI, or Keras for rapid prototyping and development




• Client and Stakeholder Management
• Act as the primary technical point of contact for high-profile clients and partners
• Present complex technical concepts and strategies to non-technical stakeholders
• Collaborate with business leaders to align technical strategies with business goals

Basic qualifications

• Essential Requirements
• 12+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role
• Extensive full-stack development expertise, with mastery in multiple languages such as Python, Fast API, Flask, TypesScript (React, Node.js), Java, or Rust
• Proven experience in designing and implementing large-scale, distributed systems
• Deep understanding of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and their advanced services
• Strong background in AI and machine learning, including experience with large language models (LLMs) and modern AI frameworks
• Hands-on experience with AI/ML technologies such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX, or Hugging Face Transformers
• Proficiency in developing working with pre-trained models and fine-tuning for specific tasks
• Experience integrating AI services and APIs from major providers (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic, Google VertexAI) into production systems
• Expertise in system architecture, design patterns, and software development best practices
• Experience with DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure as code (e.g., Terraform, Pulumi)
• Strong understanding of data modeling, both for relational and NoSQL databases
• Track record of successfully leading and mentoring development teams




• Preferred Skills and Experience
• Experience in government or highly regulated industry projects
• Contributions to open-source projects or thought leadership in the tech community
• Experience in implementing microservices architectures and event-driven systems
• Knowledge of advanced AI paradigms such as RAG, few-shot learning, self-supervised learning, etc

Requirement

• Must be a US Citizen or legal resident and able to work domestically
• Must be located in the United States
• Must be able to attain low-level security clearance

Perks

• Work from anywhere.
• Competitive pay.
• A contribution to your health benefit.
• The chance to work on high-visibility projects and make a significant impact.

Get to know us

• We are a small, creative and highly technical team.
• Our heroes are the scrappy folks that dare to dream and do great things. We love people that care more about doing the right thing than taking a shortcut.
• We believe in finishing projects and floor our clients by how much we cared about their project.
• We believe in integrity and because we're small, we are very selective of our partners and clients.
• We do not use phrases like 'human resource' because you are NOT a resource. You are a team member and we will treat you like one.

What you should expect from us

• We will treat you fairly.
• We give you space to grow both personally and professionally.
• We will hear your ideas even when we disagree -- especially when we disagree.
• We will be equitable with our success and be honest with our challenges.
• We will always tell you the truth. Even when the truth is difficult.

We participate in E-Verify. Upon hire, we will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. Due to the nature of our work with the federal government, all roles at BLEN are required to work from the contiguous United States.