Senior/Staff Full Stack Engineer

Playground • New York, NY

1d • $170,000 - $270,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Playground is working to make excellent child care accessible to all through software that manages the many aspects of running a child care business. The company has raised millions of dollars, holds several statewide contracts, and works with thousands of schools across the country. Playground is growing quickly and is expanding its engineering team.

As part of the engineering team, you will build new products from zero to one across the full stack, including APIs and backend services as well as frontend experiences. You will work on products used by child care businesses, agencies, and government organizations, and own projects end to end: designing and scaling backend systems, building performant and maintainable frontend features, and related work. The role calls for ownership, urgency, and effective use of modern AI coding tools.

The engineering team uses React and TypeScript on the frontend and Node.js and Express on the backend. The position is fully in-office at Playground’s Union Square, NYC location.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of experience in full stack or software development, with meaningful exposure to both frontend and backend technologies.
• Proficiency in React and TypeScript or JavaScript on the frontend.
• Strong proficiency in Node.js and Express or similar backend frameworks.
• Experience designing and maintaining RESTful APIs in production environments.
• Strong experience operating cloud systems, including infrastructure, performance tuning, and reliability best practices.
• Ability to ship quickly and prioritize work with the highest impact.
• Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and excellent communication abilities.
• Demonstrated ownership of high-impact, complex projects from concept to completion.
• Openness to a fully in-person role in Union Square, NYC.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with GCP; it is preferred but not essential.
• Excitement about using modern AI coding tools to increase leverage and output.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with a cross-functional team to design and build end-to-end features focused on customer needs and product impact.
• Write clean, maintainable, and efficient code across the stack using React and TypeScript on the frontend and Node.js and Express on the backend.
• Lead the design and delivery of mission-critical backend APIs and services, focusing on performance, security, and long-term maintainability.
• Build and improve frontend features in the web app to support a strong user experience for child care businesses.
• Participate in code reviews to maintain code quality and share knowledge across the team.
• Interact directly with customers to gather feedback and understand their needs.
• Identify technical debt and drive improvements across frontend and backend architecture.
• Own projects end to end, including designing and scaling backend systems and building frontend features.

Benefits

• Competitive salary of $170,000–$270,000 per year, subject to standard withholding and applicable taxes.
• Three weeks of PTO.
• Health, vision, and dental benefits.
• $1,200 per year education stipend.
• Free lunch daily.
• New MacBook.
• Collaborative and supportive work culture with autonomy and room for growth.

What This Job Offers

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