Lead Software Developer - Remote

Hilo Labs; Canada; Remote; CAD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work hours

Flexible PTO

Remote work from Canada

Direct collaboration with founders

Team retreats

Competitive salary

Job summary

Hilo Labs, a fast-growing software consultancy, seeks a Lead Software Developer in Canada to own technical delivery, set architecture direction, and mentor a small team of developers. You’ll act as a trusted client contact, ensuring reliable, well-designed software while staying close to code and organizing the work.

You’ll collaborate with founders, guide technical decisions, manage AWS deployments and CI/CD, and maintain high delivery standards across multiple projects in a fully remote setup.

Qualifications

• 3–8 years of professional software development experience.
• Leading a small development team.
• Strong software architecture skills.
• Cloud services (AWS and/or Azure), deployment practices, and CI/CD.
• REST APIs, authentication flows, and Git workflows.
• Proven experience communicating directly with clients.
• Availability in the evenings when required.
• Must be located in Canada and legally eligible to work full time.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture and technical design, from system design and database modeling to cloud infrastructure.
• Lead, mentor, and support developers: guide technical decisions, run code reviews, and raise the quality bar.
• Plan and organize work in Jira: break down scope, prioritize, assign, and keep delivery on track.
• Act as a primary technical contact for clients: run calls and demos, clarify requirements, set expectations, and communicate progress and risks.
• Build and ship critical features hands-on where the project needs it.
• Deploy and manage applications on AWS and oversee CI/CD pipelines.
• Contribute to estimates and scoping with the leadership team.
• Establish engineering best practices, documentation, and release processes.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues quickly.

Skills

Software architecture

Team leadership

Client communication

Cloud services

REST APIs

Git workflows

Evening availability

Canada resident

Tools

AWS

Azure

Job description

We’re Hilo Labs, a fast-growing software consultancy that builds custom apps, marketplaces, payment systems, and AI-enabled tools for clients across the US and Canada. Our projects span fintech, real estate, and beyond. You’ll join a small, high-performing team that moves quickly, solves problems creatively, and delivers real impact for our clients.

Why this Role?

• Step into a technical leadership position at software consultancy, with real influence over how we build and deliver
• Work directly with the founders to shape architecture, delivery standards, and team direction
• Lead and mentor a small team of talented developers
• Have the potential to work across multiple industries and tech stacks, so no two projects are the same
• Be one of the technical faces of our delivery to clients
• Fully remote role (team across Canada)

Role Overview

As Lead Software Developer at Hilo Labs, you’ll own technical delivery. You’ll work with the team to set architecture direction, lead and support our developers, and act as a trusted point of contact for clients. This is a hands-on role: you’ll stay close to the code while organizing the work, unblocking the team, and making sure what we ship is reliable and well-designed.

Core Responsibilities

• Lead architecture and technical design, from system design and database modeling to cloud infrastructure
• Lead, mentor, and support developers: guide technical decisions, run code reviews, and raise the quality bar
• Plan and organize work in Jira: break down scope, prioritize, assign, and keep delivery on track
• Act as a primary technical contact for clients: run calls and demos, clarify requirements, set expectations, and communicate progress and risks
• Build and ship critical features hands-on where the project needs it
• Deploy and manage applications on AWS and oversee CI/CD pipelines
• Contribute to estimates and scoping with the leadership team
• Establish engineering best practices, documentation, and release processes
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues quickly
• Are very motivated and take real ownership of outcomes
• Are willing to put in extra effort when a project or deadline demands it
• Are really sharp: you pick up unfamiliar domains quickly and spot problems early
• Are personable and respected as a leader
• Communicate clearly and confidently with clients and non-technical stakeholders
• Stay organized across multiple projects, priorities, and people
• Enjoy fast-paced projects with shifting requirements and balance speed with quality

You Should Have:

• 3–8 years of professional software development experience
• Prior experience leading a small development team
• Strong software architecture skills
• Solid understanding of cloud services (AWS and/or Azure), deployment practices, and CI/CD
• Solid understanding of REST APIs, authentication flows, and Git workflows
• Proven experience communicating directly with clients
• Availability in the evenings when required
• Must be located in Canada and legally eligible to work full time

Nice to Haves:

• Agency, consultancy, or startup experience
• TypeScript, PostgreSQL, or Redis
• Third-party API and SDK integrations
• Experience with estimates, proposals, or scoping
• Exposure to AI/ML-enabled tooling or automation projects

What We Offer:

• Full-time salaried employment with competitive compensation aligned with experience
• Remote work from anywhere in Canada
• Flexible work hours and flexible PTO, with a culture that values work-life balance
• Direct collaboration with the founders and clear room to grow as the company scales
• Regular team retreats for team building and to meet the team in person