Technical Lead (Platform)

Pixieset•Vancouver, BC

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

As Pixieset continues to grow, we’re looking for a hands-on Senior Software Developer, Tech Lead to design and evolve the core services that power our platform for 1.5M+ photographers and creative professionals worldwide. As a Tech Lead for the Platform Team, you’ll lead development of shared services and infrastructure relied on by multiple product teams, including centralized systems for photos, email, and internal operations. This is a highly hands-on role, balancing coding, sprint execution, and architecture ownership. You’ll work across backend systems, data systems, and cloud infrastructure, driving scalability, and reliability. This role is ideal for a technical leader who enjoys owning production systems end-to-end — from design to operations — while guiding a team and enabling others to move faster.

Requirements

5+ years of experience building and operating production-grade backend systems at scale
2+ years of experience leading or mentoring engineers, with demonstrated ability to coach, give feedback, and manage team dynamics
Hands-on experience with PHP (Laravel, Symfony, Yii, or similar frameworks) and working knowledge of JavaScript in modern web applications
Demonstrated capability working with relational databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.) and understanding performance considerations at scale
Proficient in system design and architecture, leading design solutions from concept to release and creating technical plans others can execute against
Proven experience building and operating systems in cloud environments (AWS, GCP, or Azure), including designing for scalability and reliability
Strong communication and leadership skills, with a proactive mindset and the ability to balance hands-on development with team mentorship and ownership

Responsibilities

Lead a team of Software Developers through the full project lifecycle, from initial discovery and planning to execution and delivery
Facilitate planning sessions, stand-ups, incident response, and other Agile ceremonies
Design, build, and operate backend services and APIs that power shared platform capabilities across Pixieset products
Provide mentorship, coaching, and technical oversight to support team growth and development
Participate in hiring and onboarding new developers to strengthen the team
Analyze, design, and implement scalable technical solutions that align with business goals, while contributing meaningful production code and maintaining a high technical bar through consistent, high-quality MR reviews
Collaborate with stakeholders to prioritize new product features while balancing technical debt and maintenance needs
Estimate timelines, allocate resources effectively, and take ownership of technical project execution
Ensure high-quality technical deliverables and act as a visionary leader for the team
Oversee DevOps and infrastructure initiatives, ensuring application security, performance, and uptime

Benefits

Hybrid work environment (2 in-office days per week)
4 weeks of annual vacation & paid time off for office holiday closure
RRSP matching
$2,000 annual health & lifestyle spending account
$1,000 annual education budget
$1,000 annual charitable donation matching
Comprehensive benefits: extended health, critical illness, long-term disability & life insurance
Company-issued MacBook & home office budget
Anniversary rewards & complimentary Pixieset premium account
Team-building activities & company-wide events
A workplace recognized for excellence — We’re proudly certified as a Great Place to Work™, ranked #2 among Canada’s Top Employers, and named one of Canada’s Top Small & Medium Employers