Lead Software Developer - Primate Technologies

Primate Technologies, LLC provides software and related services for mission-critical environments.

We are seeking a Lead Software Developer to serve as the technical lead and primary software developer for a mission-critical software platform, combining hands-on software development with architecture, technical leadership, and technical ownership. This role is responsible for a product line that includes Java, C++, and AI-based components, and combines technical leadership with active software development, architecture, technical decision-making, and engineering planning and execution. The ideal candidate is an experienced software developer who enjoys solving complex technical problems while collaborating with product, business, and technical stakeholders through the full software development lifecycle.

Job Duties:

• Serve as the technical leader and technical owner of the product platform, maintaining deep knowledge of the system architecture while guiding its long-term technical evolution in support of customer implementations, product enhancements, and future product growth.
• Design, develop, and maintain software components in Java and C++ across multiple product releases.
• Drive the integration and evolution of AI/ML capabilities across the product line, including leveraging appropriate AI technologies, frameworks and APIs where appropriate.
• Collaborate with product and business stakeholders to define technical solutions, provide engineering input on work prioritization, and plan and sequence engineering work.
• Establish and maintain software architecture, engineering standards, coding standards, and development best practices while driving technical decision-making across the software development lifecycle.
• Lead and participate directly in software estimates, technical feasibility assessments, implementation, code reviews, debugging, risk analysis, and performance optimization.
• Ensure software quality through automated testing, continuous integration, and code quality practices.
• Provide engineering support for product deployments when development expertise is required, serve as the escalation point for complex software defects and technical issues requiring development expertise, and drive continuous product improvement.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend improvements to the product architecture and development process.
• Provide technical feasibility assessments, engineering estimates, and recommendations to support the evaluation of custom development versus standard product solutions for potential or existing customers.
• Create and maintain architecture, design, API, and other engineering documentation, and provide technical review of customer-facing knowledge articles and support resources where development expertise is required.
• When on-site development expertise is required, travel to user sites to assist in troubleshooting in customers’ test and production environments.
• Maintain current knowledge of relevant technologies, software engineering practices, cybersecurity requirements, and emerging industry trends
• Provide technical input on server, hosting, and environment requirements for software deployments, and support escalated infrastructure issues that require specialized software-development knowledge, subject to appropriate authorization, access controls, and change-management procedures.
• Own the software architecture and technical evolution of the platform throughout its lifecycle, addressing scalability, modernization, technical debt, system performance, security, and long-term maintainability, and provide technical feasibility assessments, engineering estimates, risks, and recommendations that inform product roadmap and business prioritization decisions owned by business and product leadership.
• Champion modern software engineering practices, including source control, automated testing, continuous integration and deployment, secure coding, technical release readiness, API design, and software observability to improve product quality, reliability, and maintainability.
• Participate in customer engagements when software architecture, integrations, technical feasibility, solution design, or complex engineering troubleshooting requires development expertise, including providing engineering estimates, technical requirements, and dependencies for implementation planning.
• Promptly identify, document, and escalate suspected security vulnerabilities, incidents, unauthorized access, or other cybersecurity concerns in accordance with company incident-response and escalation procedures.
• Protect company and customer confidential information, source code, credentials, system information, and other sensitive data in accordance with company policies, contractual obligations, and applicable security requirements.
• Partner closely with executive leadership, product stakeholders, and support teams to align technical priorities with customer needs and business objectives.

Skills/Qualifications: Java, C/C++, JavaScript/TypeScript Programming Skills, Teamwork, Written and Verbal Communication, Software Requirements, Software Development Process, Configuration Management, Object-Oriented Design (OOD), Software Debugging, and experience integrating AI-enabled capabilities using modern LLMs, APIs, vector search, prompt engineering, or related technologies. Preferred: Experience developing software for mission-critical or complex operational environments, real-time visualization systems, SQL databases, software integration, and modern software deployment practices.

What Success Looks Like

The successful candidate will:

• Serve as the trusted technical leader for the product platform, providing sound architectural direction and ensuring the long-term scalability, reliability, and maintainability of the software.
• Maintain a strong hands-on development contribution by designing, developing, reviewing, debugging, and improving production software while providing technical leadership across the platform.
• Deliver reliable, high-quality software releases by balancing defined product requirements, software development best practices, and long-term product sustainability.
• Serve as a trusted technical resource to internal stakeholders and, when development expertise is required, to customers by providing technical expertise, communicating complex concepts effectively, and resolving complex software issues and technical implementation challenges.
• Demonstrate appropriate responsiveness and ownership during critical production software issues, software-related escalations, releases, and other time-sensitive technical events, including outside normal business hours when reasonably necessary.
• Drive continuous innovation by evaluating emerging technologies, improving development processes, and identifying opportunities to enhance product capabilities and long-term value.
• Demonstrate ownership, initiative, and sound judgment by independently solving complex technical challenges, prioritizing competing demands, and contributing to the continued growth and success of the product and the company.

The successful candidate thrives in an entrepreneurial, fast-paced, and challenging environment where initiative, collaboration, and accountability are valued. This is a highly autonomous role requiring a self-directed individual who enjoys solving complex technical challenges, collaborating with internal and customer stakeholders on complex technical matters, and taking ownership of technical outcomes with a high degree of independence within established engineering, security, access-control, and change-management requirements.

Work Schedule and Availability

This is a full-time technical leadership role supporting mission-critical software and customer environments. While the position generally operates during normal business hours, the responsibilities of the role may periodically require work outside standard business hours, including evenings and weekends, to support critical software-related production issues and escalations, software releases, deployments, or other time-sensitive technical needs. The successful candidate must be able to provide reasonable flexibility when these situations arise.

Occasional travel throughout North America may be required to provide technical support for customer implementations, complex troubleshooting, or other technical engagements requiring development expertise. Travel is expected to average approximately 15%.

Security and Candidate Verification

This role requires access to sensitive company and customer systems. Employment and system access are contingent upon applicable identity, employment, background, drug and alcohol, reference, and customer-required security screenings. Applicants must be U.S. citizens due to applicable customer and regulatory requirements.

We welcome the thoughtful use of AI tools, but candidates must authentically represent their identity, experience, and skills. We use fraud-detection and verification measures during the hiring process and may verify demonstrated capabilities and job-related qualifications.

Salary Range: $150,000-$180,000, commensurate with experience, technical expertise, and overall qualifications.

Primate Technologies is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to legally protected characteristics.