Engineer

DataDrone Inc.; Cheyenne, Northern (WY, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

DataDrone Inc. is building purposefully small, accountable software teams. We’re seeking developers who ship production software with strong test coverage and clean code. You’ll operate from product specs, collaborate with QA, and see features deployed through CI/CD.

You’ll own the HOW: write reliable tests, maintain code quality, and push features daily while flagging risks early and keeping sprint commitments. This role emphasizes hands-on coding and fast feedback.

Qualifications

• Shipped production software with test coverage.
• Writes tests with every feature.
• Can read and contribute to unfamiliar codebases.
• Flags problems early and communicates risks.
• Works from a written product spec without handholding.

Responsibilities

• Build features from product specs with full test coverage.
• Fix bugs within triage SLA — gating bugs same-day.
• Maintain code quality — readable, convention-following, reviewable.
• Write regression tests for every bug fix.
• Maintain the Engineering Onboarding Playbook.
• Flag technical risks and effort mismatches during sprint planning.

Skills

Test-driven

Production code

Code comprehension

Tools

Git

CI/CD

Trello

Monitoring

Slack

Google Drive

AI copilot

Job description

DataDrone builds 0-1 SaaS products and the team that ships them. No bosses, no managers — the playbook manages, the copilot tracks. Every role owns a small, defined space with extreme accountability. We close the gap between idea and shipped product with code that works, tests that prove it, and deployments that don't break.

What You'll Do

You'll write code that ships to production and gets used by real customers. Every feature has tests. Every commit is clean. Every sprint commitment is met. You'll work from specs written by the Product Manager, get your code validated by QA, and see it deployed by DevOps. Your job is the HOW — building it right, building it clean, building it once.

Daily Rhythm (How You Operate)

• Daily: build from spec, write tests alongside, and push by end of day. Commits sitting on your machine aren't shipped.
• Daily: triage and fix bugs within SLA — gating bugs same-day.
• Weekly: meet sprint commitments and keep your QA first-pass rate high.
• Per fix: write a regression test for every bug you close.
• Always: flag technical risk and effort mismatches early — Day 1, not Day 4.

Key Responsibilities

• Build features from product specs with full test coverage
• Fix bugs within triage SLA — gating bugs same-day
• Maintain code quality — readable, convention-following, reviewable
• Write regression tests for every bug fix
• Maintain the Engineering Onboarding Playbook
• Flag technical risks and effort mismatches during sprint planning

What We’re Looking For

• You've shipped code to production used by real users. Not tutorial projects — production.
• You write tests. Not \"when there's time\" — with every feature, every time.
• You can read someone else's codebase and contribute without a week-long ramp.
• You flag problems early. \"This is harder than estimated\" on Day 1 is useful. On Day 4 is a crisis.
• You can work from a product spec without needing someone to stand over your shoulder.

Bonus Points For

• Experience with a modern web stack (Node.js/React, cloud infrastructure, PostgreSQL or similar)
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines
• Experience writing E2E tests alongside unit tests
• Experience working with junior teams where your code becomes the pattern others follow

The Mindset We Hire For

• Tests are not optional. Code without tests is a liability, not a feature.
• Clean over clever. Readable code beats elegant code. Every time.
• Flag early. A problem surfaced Monday is manageable. A problem surfaced Friday is a crisis.
• Own your bugs. When QA files a bug, your first response is \"let me look\" — not \"that's by design.\"
• The playbook is the standard. If you built something that changes how the codebase works, the Engineering Onboarding Playbook gets updated. No exceptions.
• Ship daily. Commits sitting on your machine aren't shipped. Push by end of day.

Success in This Role

• 30 Days — Dev environment running. First feature shipped with tests. Onboarding playbook friction points documented.
• 60 Days — Shipping consistently. QA first-pass rate above 90%. Sprint commitments met. Codebase navigation confident.
• 90 Days — Full-velocity contributor. Estimates are reliable. Code quality is the standard. Engineering Onboarding Playbook is gold.

Tools You’ll Use

Git repository, CI/CD, Trello, monitoring and error tracking, Slack, Google Drive, AI copilot.

Why Join Us

You won't sit in meetings. You won't write documentation nobody reads. You won't fix someone else's tech debt while your features wait.

You'll write code that ships. Real users. Real impact. Real tests proving it.

5 hours of focused coding per day. No meeting overload. No context-switching marathon. Build, test, ship, repeat.

Self-Check Before You Apply

• When was the last time you shipped a feature with full test coverage to production? (If it was more than a month ago, this isn't the right fit right now.)
• When QA finds a bug in your code, is your first instinct to investigate — or defend?
• Can you pick up a codebase you've never seen and make a meaningful commit within 2 days?
• Do you commit daily — or do you batch commits at the end of the week?
• When you build something complex, do you document the WHY — or assume you'll remember?
• Can you work from a written spec without needing a meeting to explain it?

If three or more are yes, that’s you — apply.