Lead Software Engineer

Summary

Join Summer, a Certified B Corp® tackling student debt, as a hands-on Lead Software Engineer. Lead a pod of 3-4 engineers, driving technical execution from design to deployment. Mentor team members, guide architectural decisions, and collaborate with product and design partners. This role balances 60% hands-on coding with 40% team leadership. You will clarify complex requirements, design sustainable solutions, and drive product planning. Collaborate with the Head of Engineering, product management, and design to align with Summer's values and goals.

Requirements

• 5–7+ years of experience building production-quality web applications and systems
• Proven ability to own features end-to-end in a full-stack environment (from database to frontend)
• 2-3+ years of previous experience as a team lead or engineering manager in a small or mid-sized team
• Strong technical foundation: you’ve architected complex systems, tackled scaling challenges, and made critical trade-off decisions in previous projects
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to clearly engage both technical and non-technical audiences — including clients, partners, and service providers
• Excellent collaboration and empathy – you work well cross-functionally (especially with product/design) and care about fostering a supportive team culture
• A passion for coaching and developing engineering talent – you love helping others grow
• Demonstrated ability to balance innovation and curiosity with stability and proven foundations
• Experience collaborating across product, design, and analytics to deliver impactful solutions
• Exposure to both startup and enterprise environments, with clear opinions on what works best from each
• Interest in emerging tech (AI tools, modern frameworks) and a habit of staying ahead of the curve

Responsibilities

• Mentor and manage a team of engineers through thoughtful technical leadership and day-to-day support
• Review and assess completed work in collaboration with fellow engineering leads to uphold a high bar for quality
• Clarify complex requirements and help design sustainable, long-term solutions that are maintainable and scalable
• Lead by example: stay hands-on in the codebase, supporting your team as they build and ship great products
• Drive product planning, ensuring we commit to initiatives that are realistic, high-impact, and delivered at a high standard
• Oversee the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal tools and systems to streamline engineering workflows across the organization
• Collaborate closely with the Head of Engineering, your product management lead, and product design partner to ensure your pod’s work aligns with our values, vision, and long-term goals with a focus on prioritization, double bottom-line impact, and thoughtfully designed experiences

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in mission-driven or fintech companies, or personal connection to our mission of tackling student debt
• Experience with AI-assisted development tools (e.g. Cursor, ChatGPT etc) and a track record of thoughtfully integrating them into team workflows
• Experience in fintech, payments, or other regulated industry is a plus

Benefits

• Base salary: $150k-170K
• Meaningful equity package
• Healthcare, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) with employer match
• Student loan repayment contributions
• Flexible time off and remote-friendly culture