Lead Software Engineer

Critical Propulsion

78d

About The Position

We are seeking a Lead Software Engineer to operate within a swarm of 3-4 senior operators and AI agents, shipping production code in pulse cycles of 5-7 days for clients who measure results. The role emphasizes delivering working software every 5 days, not slide decks or prototypes. Our model amplifies human delivery by pairing senior operators with AI agents to cut cycle times and multiply effective capacity. Week 1 focuses on productive delivery, not onboarding, with defined outcomes and trust in operators to achieve them.

Requirements

• Comfortable across the full stack, with depth in one area but ability to work across boundaries.
• Ability to pair effectively with AI agents and discern when to trust or override them.
• Embrace agentic development, delegating significant tasks to AI and critically reviewing output.
• Proactive and autonomous work style, identifying and closing outcomes without explicit task assignment.
• Ability to set technical direction within a team.
• Direct and timely communication, especially regarding blockers.
• Autonomous operation, minimizing non-essential meetings and documentation.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with React, modern frontend frameworks, or full-stack TypeScript.
• Experience building component systems or design-system-driven UIs.
• Familiarity with Azure cloud services, Python, or Node.js in production environments.
• Hands-on experience with agentic AI tooling like Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot Workspace, or similar.
• Experience building workflows where AI agents handle real tasks beyond code completion.
• Experience building or consuming AI APIs (Anthropic, OpenAI, or equivalent) and integrating AI into production systems.
• Comfort with spec-driven design and development.
• Background in consulting or client-facing delivery, including scoping work, managing client expectations, and shipping under constraints.
• Prior experience on small, autonomous teams (e.g., 3-4 person crews).

Responsibilities

• Write clean, working software across the stack.
• Pair effectively with AI agents, knowing when to trust and when to override them.
• Embrace agentic development by delegating real work to AI agents, critically reviewing their output, and iterating fast.
• Proactively identify and close work based on defined outcomes, without waiting for task assignments.
• Set technical direction within the swarm.
• Communicate blockers directly and promptly.
• Operate autonomously, avoiding unnecessary meetings and documentation.

Benefits

• A team where everyone builds, with no layers of management between you and the work.
• AI agents as teammates, enhancing individual shipping capacity.
• Pulse cycles that create natural rhythm without traditional sprint overhead.
• Direct client impact with work hitting production in days.
• Competitive compensation.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed