Lead Software Engineer in Chicago, Illinois - #71896 | VanderHouwen

Description

Job Id: 71896

Lead Software Engineer
Our client is seeking a highly hands-on Lead Software Engineer to take ownership of a critical development function, guiding both technical direction and delivery while actively contributing to the codebase. This individual will play a key role in modernizing engineering practices, including driving AI adoption and leading infrastructure evolution as the team transitions to a cloud-native environment. The ideal candidate is a proactive leader who balances coding with coordination, embraces emerging technologies, and is comfortable owning both application and infrastructure outcomes.

This role is a primarily remote. Applicants must reside in the Chicago, Illinois area to be able to meet with teammates if needed.

Lead Software Engineer Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a small engineering team, providing technical direction, mentorship, and accountability for delivery.
• Own end-to-end delivery of core applications, including architecture, development, deployment, and ongoing optimization.
• Actively contribute to the codebase while balancing hands-on development with team coordination and oversight.
• Drive adoption of AI-enabled tools and workflows to improve development efficiency, code quality, and business processes.
• Lead or support the migration of applications and infrastructure to AWS, ensuring scalability, reliability, and performance.
• Own and manage cloud infrastructure, including environments, deployments, and system configuration.
• Design and maintain CI/CD pipelines and deployment workflows to support efficient and reliable releases.
• Partner closely with leadership to translate business needs into scalable, high-impact technical solutions.
• Establish and enforce best practices for code quality, testing, code reviews, and deployment processes.
• Troubleshoot production and infrastructure issues, implementing sustainable, long-term solutions.

Lead Software Engineer Qualifications

• 8–10+ years of professional software engineering experience, with demonstrated leadership of small development teams.
• Proven ability to own delivery and drive projects from concept through production in a hands-on capacity.
• Strong experience building and maintaining production web applications (Ruby on Rails or similar frameworks preferred).
• Hands-on experience with AWS and cloud infrastructure, including deployments, environment management, and system operations.
• Experience with DevOps practices, including CI/CD pipelines, automated deployments, and infrastructure management.
• Prior experience supporting or leading platform or cloud migrations (e.g., Heroku to AWS or similar).
• Demonstrated experience integrating or leveraging AI tools within development workflows or software solutions.
• Ability to balance hands-on coding with infrastructure ownership, team leadership, and stakeholder communication.
• Experience working with relational databases such as PostgreSQL or MySQL.
• Strong understanding of version control systems and modern development workflows.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, evolving environment with a high degree of ownership and accountability.
• Strong communication skills and professionalism, with consistent availability during standard business hours.
• Degree not required; relevant experience and demonstrated impact are prioritized.

Salary: $165K/year. (DOE)

Benefits
Benefits are available to eligible full-time employees and include coverage for medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short and long term disability, and matching 401k.

Meet VanderHouwen
What kind of recruiter do you see yourself working with? One who prioritizes your best interest, no matter what? VanderHouwen does, and we’re in it for the long game! Our recruiters focus on YOU, building meaningful, long-term relationships while developing a deep understanding of companies’ staffing needs and workplace cultures. This approach helps us find an ideal job match that aligns with your unique career aspirations and goals.

VanderHouwen is an award-winning, Women & Diversity-Owned, WBENC certified professional staffing firm. Founded in 1987, VanderHouwen places experienced professionals across the nation! Our recruitment teams specialize in either Technology and IT, Engineering, Human Resources, or Accounting and Finance career markets. Partner with us to land your next exciting career!

VanderHouwen is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in E-Verify. VanderHouwen does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state, or federal civil rights laws.

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