Lead Software Engineer

The Lead Software Engineer is the senior engineer responsible for software delivery on BUURT and related platforms, operating within the Applications team under the Director of Applications. This is a hands-on engineering role - the expectation is that you write code every day while also developing solutions, maintaining code quality, and helping to lead a team of developers through delivery.

This role is expected to balance product delivery with engineering maturity, helping VCP establish scalable development practices while continuing to deliver business-critical technology initiatives. As VCP pursues SOC 2 compliance, the engineering processes for this role must be audit-ready from the start - not retrofitted later.

Initially focused on BUURT, this role will expand its scope as VCP grows - supporting additional product lines and companies within the portfolio.

RESPONSIBILITIES

BUURT Platform - Rollout Completion & Refinement

• Take ownership of the BUURT platform by assessing current state, identify gaps, and help the teams drive the remaining rollout to completion.
• Own engineering execution for BUURT and related platforms, ensuring commitments are realistic, delivery timelines are understood, and development resources remain focused on the highest-priority work.
• Stabilize and refine features already in production; address technical debt, defects, and performance issues accumulated during initial development.
• Partner with the Product Manager to define and prioritize the remaining BUURT roadmap, balancing new feature delivery with production quality.
• Establish a sustainable release cadence for BUURT - predictable, tested, and documented.
• Ensure BUURT is architected to scale as VCP expands to additional companies and communities.

Technical Leadership & Architecture

• Help own the technical vision for BUURT and related applications - maintain the standards and make design decisions that will shape how the team builds going forward.
• Develop and maintain a deep understanding of the platform architecture while ensuring knowledge is documented and shared across the engineering team.
• Evaluate and recommend tools, frameworks, and technologies to support product scalability and team productivity.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for complex technical problems and architectural decisions.

SDLC Foundation & Engineering Process

• Assess the current state of VCP's development environment and maintain a practical, audit-ready SDLC appropriate for a team in active product delivery and pursuing SOC 2 compliance.
• Follow change management controls - code review requirements, approval workflows, and deployment gates that create a documented, auditable trail of every change to production.
• Follow the logical access controls for the development environment - who can commit, who can deploy, and who can access production systems - aligned with SOC 2 least-privilege requirements.
• Follow and Implement version control best practices, CI/CD pipelines, and deployment standards that support both delivery velocity and compliance evidence collection.
• Build a quality assurance culture - establish testing expectations (unit, integration, regression) and make quality a shared team responsibility.
• Maintain documentation of architecture decisions, technical standards, and operational runbooks to satisfy SOC 2 evidence requirements and reduce reliance on tribal knowledge.
• Drive incremental process maturity - prioritize practices that deliver stability, velocity, and audit-readiness at VCP's current stage.

Hands-On Development

• Write, review, and ship production code daily - this is not a purely managerial role.
• Lead development of core features and complex components, particularly those requiring senior-level expertise.
• Contribute to full-stack development using React, JavaScript, TypeScript, and Python.
• Participate in sprint planning, estimation, and backlog refinement as the primary technical voice.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead a team of software developers, including on- and offshore resources.
• Set clear expectations, provide regular feedback, and support career development for direct reports.
• Partner with the Product Manager to align development capacity with product priorities.
• Remove blockers, coordinate cross-team dependencies, and keep delivery on track.
• Foster a culture of engineering excellence, ownership, and continuous improvement.

Product Partnership & Stakeholder Communication

• Collaborate closely with the Product Manager to translate roadmap initiatives into technical plans and sprint-ready work.
• Provide technical input during product discovery - scope estimates, feasibility assessments, and risk identification.
• Communicate technical trade-offs and constraints clearly to non-technical stakeholders and leadership.
• Ensure engineering decisions are grounded in product goals and user needs.

Quality, Reliability & Security

• Own code quality, test coverage, and production reliability for all platforms under scope.
• Embed security practices throughout the development lifecycle - input validation, secrets management, dependency scanning, and vulnerability remediation - aligned with SOC 2 security controls.
• Define and maintain CI/CD pipelines, deployment standards, and release processes that generate audit evidence.
• Monitor application performance and proactively address system health and technical debt.
• Support the organization's SOC 2 audit readiness by ensuring application-layer controls are documented, tested, and operating effectively.

REQUIREMENTS

• Seven (7) or more years of professional software engineering experience, with at least two (2) years in a lead or senior capacity.
• Strong proficiency in React, JavaScript, TypeScript, and Python - you write this code, you do not just oversee it.
• Experience inheriting and improving in-progress codebases - comfortable taking ownership of code you did not write and making it better without breaking what works.
• Experience expanding and maturing software engineering processes within a growing organization - someone who has only worked inside mature engineering environments may struggle in this role.
• Demonstrated experience establishing SDLC practices from an early or immature baseline - this role will establish these processes at VCP, not inherit them.
• Working knowledge of security-conscious development practices: access controls, secrets management, change management, and audit logging.
• Experience leading or mentoring a development team, including offshore or distributed resources.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to product managers, stakeholders, and non-technical leadership.
• Track record of shipping product in fast-paced environments - including mid-rollout takeovers, stabilization efforts, and expanding engineering processes.

Preferred

• Experience operating within a SOC 2 compliance program or building engineering controls in support of a security audit.
• Familiarity with SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria as they apply to software development - change management, logical access, and availability controls.
• Experience with property management, real estate, or PropTech platforms.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted development tools (GitHub Copilot, Codex, Claude Code, or similar).
• Experience integrating third-party APIs and building scalable or event-driven systems.
• Background in cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Experience in a high-growth environment where delivery speed and quality must coexist.

SUCCESS MEASURES

Performance in this role may be evaluated using the following measures:

• Successful BUURT rollout and platform stability - remaining milestones delivered on time, production defects reduced.
• Reduction of single-point-of-failure dependencies - knowledge documented, shared, and distributed across the team.
• Product delivery velocity - features and releases shipped predictably against the roadmap.
• Code quality - test coverage, peer review consistency, and reduction in rework.
• Team performance - developer productivity, retention, and growth of direct reports.
• Technical debt reduction - measurable progress on codebase health and architectural improvements.
• SOC 2 readiness - application-layer controls documented, implemented, and operating effectively ahead of audit.
• Stakeholder confidence - Product Manager and Director of Applications satisfaction with technical execution and communication.
• Onboarding effectiveness - new developers able to contribute independently within a defined ramp period.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical requirements can vary, but generally, they may include:

• Lifting: Ability to lift and carry up to 20 lbs. regularly and up to 40–50 lbs. occasionally (e.g., computer equipment).
• Mobility: Ability to move throughout office areas and occasionally access equipment in cabinets, under desks, or in network/IT rooms.
• Working Conditions: Primarily office or workstation environment with extended computer use; occasional work in server rooms or equipment areas.
• Personal Protective Gear: Minimal; may require basic protective gear (e.g., closed-toe shoes, anti-static strap) when handling hardware.
• Extended Sitting or Standing: Ability to sit or stand for long periods while working at a computer or setting up equipment.
• Manual Dexterity: Frequent use of hands for keyboarding, connecting cables, handling small components, and general device setup.
• Driving: May occasionally require local travel to company sites or vendors. (Please note: We will request and review an MVR at the time of hire and on a periodic basis thereafter to ensure that employees maintain a satisfactory driving status.)

We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible work environment. If you require reasonable accommodation in performing the job duties as described in the job description, discuss with your manager.

WHAT WE OFFER:

• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision
• Wellness program
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Company-matching 401k contributions
• Paid time off for vacation, holidays, medical, and volunteering
• Paid parental leave
• Training and educational assistance
• Support programs, including Employee Assistance Program and Calm Health
• Optional benefits including short- and long-term disability, life insurance, and pet insurance
• Most importantly, a caring team who is dedicated to your success!