Lead Platform Engineer (Full-Stack)

Young Basile•Troy, MI

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The firm is seeking an autonomous, experienced technical lead to own its application platform and the applications built on it. This is a new role at a growing, mid-sized intellectual property law firm with approximately 50 attorneys and 30 staff across multiple states. The position is contract-to-hire for 3–6 months, with the intention of converting to full-time. The lead will serve as the primary internal technical authority, setting platform architecture, technical standards, governance, and delivery practices. Responsibilities span database schema design in MSSQL, the Azure environment, application development, and technical leadership. The successful candidate may build much of the platform independently, work with third-party developers, or direct a small team as it grows. Daily use of AI-assisted development tools such as Claude Code or similar is expected. The role also involves building AI-powered application features using model APIs such as Anthropic, OpenAI, or Azure OpenAI, and building or integrating MCP servers that safely connect AI tools to firm data and systems as reusable, governed services. Excellent written and spoken English is required. Salary will be discussed with qualified candidates.

Requirements

At least 5 years of professional experience, including experience as a technical lead, architect, or senior engineer responsible for production systems.
Expertise in modern backend ecosystems, including .NET and C#, with the ability to build maintainable logic independently and set development standards.
Mastery of MSSQL, including independent schema design and efficient T-SQL development.
Working proficiency in JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3, sufficient to oversee or integrate front-end work by third-party developers.
Hands-on experience shipping production software using AI-assisted development tools, reviewing and governing AI-generated code, and building features on model APIs.
Proven ability to design platforms, templates, and patterns that support governance and self-service deployment while keeping codebases manageable as they grow.
Experience directing developers or contractors, including remote or offshore teams, through scoping, review, and quality standards.
Experience in a regulated or confidentiality-sensitive field such as legal, healthcare, finance, or government.
Proficiency with Git, Visual Studio, SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), Azure DevOps, and Azure.
Strong ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders, including partners and firm leadership.
Excellent written and spoken English.
Ability to prioritize and meet deadlines without daily supervision or a project manager.
Ability to debug across the stack, balance code quality with timely business delivery, and document systems for maintainability.
Experience building systems from the ground up and leading others in building them, with the ability to work independently or direct a team.
Ability to collaborate with technically minded attorneys.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a startup or small-team environment with a high degree of independence.

Responsibilities

Lead the full software development lifecycle, including requirements gathering, architecture, coding, testing, deployment, and documentation.
Design and build a governed application platform with shared services, templates, sandboxes, review processes, and controlled promotion from prototype or specification to production.
Set technical direction across the Azure environment, including the platform and the applications and workflows built on it.
Manage and improve Azure environments, CI/CD pipelines, and version control.
Own the MSSQL/Azure SQL data layer, including schema design, backups, migrations, and performance tuning.
Ensure applications are secure by design, implementing authentication and authorization with Entra ID and managed identities, applying least privilege, and protecting against common vulnerabilities.
Work with IT on identity, network isolation, access policy, and security testing.
Scope, assign, and review work from contract or third-party developers, establish standards, and mentor attorney technologists.
Advise leadership on technology choices, build-versus-buy decisions, technical debt, and future scalability requirements.
Use AI-assisted development tools for design, coding, debugging, and productivity, and build AI-powered features using model APIs and MCP servers.