Lead Software Engineer

About the role

About The Company

8th Light is a renowned technology solutions consultancy founded in 2006 and headquartered in Chicago. The company partners with a diverse range of organizations, from early-stage startups to global corporations, to address complex software challenges and deliver durable, high-quality results. 8th Light specializes in building agentic products, the platforms they operate on, and the comprehensive engineering and design at every layer of development. The company's core values emphasize quality, innovation, and continuous learning, fostering an environment where curiosity drives breakthrough thinking. With a commitment to open, honest collaboration and trust-building, 8th Light prioritizes delivering impactful outcomes for its clients and nurturing a culture of mentorship and growth. The organization operates across multiple regions, including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, with hubs in cities such as Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle, supporting a remote-first work environment.

About The Role

We are seeking a highly experienced Lead Engineer to join 8th Light, collaborating closely with clients and internal teams to deliver innovative software solutions. As a key leader in our technical team, you will oversee complex projects, guide architectural and design decisions, and foster a collaborative environment that promotes best practices and continuous improvement. The role involves working with a variety of technologies and frameworks, often leading teams through the full software development lifecycle, including data ingestion, model deployment, and system monitoring, especially in projects involving machine learning and AI integration. You will be responsible for building trust with clients, managing project roadmaps, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality, maintainable software within deadlines. Additionally, your expertise will contribute to mentoring colleagues, leading workshops, and representing 8th Light within the broader tech community. This role offers an exciting opportunity to influence project success, develop your skills, and contribute to a culture of excellence and innovation.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have over 7 years of proven success in software development and consulting, with a broad technical skill set and leadership experience. Key qualifications include:

Extensive experience leading high-stakes software projects from discovery through production.

Proficiency in multiple programming languages and frameworks such as Java, C#/.NET, Python, TypeScript, JavaScript, React, Go, Ruby, Scala, R, and SQL.

Experience leveraging AI-assistive development tools for scaffolding, refactoring, debugging, and documentation.

Hands-on experience in building or integrating AI/ML-powered features like recommendation engines, NLP models, computer vision, or predictive analytics.

Strong understanding of automated testing methodologies to inform design and prevent bugs.

Ability to debug and refactor existing codebases to improve quality incrementally.

Familiarity with collaborative development tools such as Git, CI/CD pipelines, and working in MacOS/Linux environments.

Expertise in addressing architecture concerns related to scalability, security, reliability, and performance.

Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to empathize and collaborate effectively with stakeholders and team members.

Experience mentoring colleagues, sharing knowledge, and providing constructive feedback.

Proven ability to make thoughtful technical recommendations and set strategic directions amid ambiguity.

Responsibilities

In this role, you will serve as a lead technologist, guiding projects and teams to success through technical expertise and leadership. Your responsibilities include:

Making immediate, impactful contributions to client projects and establishing trust quickly.

Balancing technological choices with project constraints to deliver high-quality solutions on time.

Leading architecture and software design discussions, ensuring robust and scalable solutions.

Overseeing systems involving the full machine learning lifecycle, from data ingestion to deployment and monitoring.

Collaborating with team members and clients to generate innovative solutions to technical and non-technical challenges.

Facilitating formal feedback sessions such as retrospectives to promote continuous improvement.

Documenting project outcomes clearly and driving actionable next steps.

Contributing to team health and culture by embodying and promoting 8th Light’s core values.

Managing project backlogs, prioritizing tasks, and estimating effort to ensure smooth progress.

Leading high-level project planning and maintaining strong relationships with client technical leaders.

Providing regular status updates, identifying risks, and proposing solutions to keep projects on track.

Removing blockers and resolving issues that impede team progress.

Mentoring colleagues, leading workshops, representing 8th Light in the tech community, and supporting hiring initiatives.

Benefits

8th Light values its team members and offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support their growth, well-being, and success. Benefits include:

Access to an extensive Learning & Development program with unlimited books, courses, and expert-led training through the O'Reilly platform.

An annual stipend and dedicated time for professional development and skill enhancement.

Support for coworking spaces, fostering collaboration among remote team members worldwide.

Flexible paid time off to promote work-life balance.

12 weeks of paid parental leave for eligible