Technical Lead
First seen by Alion on Oct 28, 2026.
We are building an AI-powered restaurant operations platform that helps multi-location restaurant groups connect their systems, manage operations, and make smarter decisions through data and automation.
We are looking for a hands-on Technical Lead & Software Architect to own the platform's technical architecture, lead a small development team, and contribute directly to building the product.
Key ResponsibilitiesDesign and own the overall software architecture, including backend services, database structure, APIs, and multi-tenant SaaS infrastructure.
Build and maintain integrations with third-party systems, including POS, accounting, HR, and customer loyalty platforms.
Contribute directly to developing core product features, backend services, and system integrations.
Define the core data model and integration architecture to unify operational data from multiple sources.
Lead and coordinate Full Stack Developers, review code, resolve technical blockers, and ensure timely delivery.
Establish coding standards, testing practices, code review processes, and CI/CD workflows.
Make technology stack and build-versus-buy decisions in collaboration with the GM/Product Lead.
Establish best practices for using AI coding assistants to accelerate development while maintaining code quality and security.
Design the technical foundations for AI-powered analytics, automation, and intelligent workflows.
Ensure the platform is secure, reliable, maintainable, and scalable as the product and customer base grow.
The ideal candidate combines strong software architecture skills with practical coding experience, technical leadership, and the ability to build and ship products in a fast-moving startup environment.
Requirements
6+ years of professional software engineering experience, including hands-on ownership of system architecture and technical decision-making.
Strong proficiency in JavaScript/TypeScript, preferably React or Next.js for frontend development and Node.js (NestJS or Express) for backend development.
Solid experience with SQL and relational databases, particularly PostgreSQL, including database schema design.
Proven experience designing and building REST APIs and third-party system integrations.
Experience designing scalable, secure, multi-tenant SaaS applications.
Demonstrated ability to lead developers, conduct code reviews, establish engineering standards, and guide technical implementation.
Extensive practical experience building software with AI coding tools such as Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, or equivalent. Candidates must have used these tools extensively to develop and ship real software, not merely for code suggestions or occasional assistance.
Strong understanding of AI-assisted development workflows, including task decomposition, context management, code generation, debugging, test generation, refactoring, and code review.
Ability to critically evaluate AI-generated code, identify architectural and security risks, and ensure the resulting software is reliable, maintainable, and production-ready.
Ability to maximize development speed and productivity through AI while retaining ownership of architecture, engineering decisions, and code quality.
Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently in a fast-moving startup environment.
Good English communication skills.
Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS or Google Cloud, Docker, CI/CD, and automated testing.
Experience building AI-powered applications, LLM-based features, or agentic workflows.
Experience integrating POS, accounting, ERP, HR, or other business management systems.
Background in SaaS products serving restaurants, retail businesses, or multi-location operations.