Founding Software Engineer

Lumino Inc.; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Lumino Inc. is launching a new company in Madison, WI, seeking the first software engineer to help build the technology behind it.

You'll own end-to-end software from architecture to implementation, collaborating with the Lumino IT team and leadership. This is a rare chance to shape product and platform decisions from a blank slate, with startup energy and established backing.

Qualifications

• Experience building modern web applications across the full stack.
• Ability to reason about architecture and trade-offs.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms and security considerations.

Responsibilities

• Own full-stack development from concept to delivery.
• Collaborate with Lumino IT and leadership for architectural decisions.
• Build scalable web apps and integrations for a new company.

Skills

Frontend development

APIs and integrations

Relational databases

Cloud infrastructure

Authentication and security

Responsive web apps

Job description

Build the technology for a new company, with the backing of one that has been around for 25 years!

Lumino is launching a new company, and we are looking for the first software engineer to help build the technology behind it.

That creates a pretty unusual opportunity.

You get many of the things that make a startup interesting: a blank sheet of paper, real influence over the product and technology direction, very little legacy software, direct access to the people making decisions, and the opportunity to build systems from the beginning.

But you also get something most startups do not have: the backing of Lumino, an established company with approximately 25 years of operating history, experienced leadership, real customers, financial resources and deep industry knowledge.

You also will not be working in a technical vacuum. Lumino already has experienced IT professionals who understand our systems, infrastructure and business. You will be the first software engineer dedicated to the new company, but you will have people around you to collaborate with, ask questions of and lean on when it makes sense.

So this is not a startup built around a pitch deck and a fundraising round. There is a real business behind it.

We are looking for someone who finds that combination appealing.

You will not inherit a large development team, a mature codebase or a backlog somebody else already prioritized. You will help us decide what should be built, what should be bought, how the pieces should work together and where technology can create a real competitive advantage.

Sometimes that will mean building something. Sometimes it will mean integrating an existing product. And sometimes the right answer will be telling us not to build it at all.

What You'll Work On

The exact roadmap will evolve, but some of the areas we expect this role to touch include:

• Customer and sales tools. Lead management, CRM functionality, appointment scheduling, customer records, quoting, pricing, proposals and communication tools.
• Internal operating systems. Dashboards, workflow tools, reporting, automation and systems that make it easier for teams to see what is happening and act on it.
• AI and visualization. Practical uses of AI, computer vision and emerging tools where they can materially improve the customer or employee experience. We are interested in useful technology, not AI for the sake of saying we use AI.
• Web applications. Customer-facing and internal web applications, mobile-responsive tools and integrations between the systems we use.
• Data and analytics. Building a clean data foundation so the company can understand sales, marketing, operations and customer behavior without relying on disconnected spreadsheets.
• Integrations. Connecting third-party platforms for payments, communications, accounting, scheduling, marketing and other business functions.
• Architecture and technical direction. Helping determine our technology stack, development practices, security standards, hosting approach and when it makes sense to build versus buy.

This role will start very hands on. If things go the way we expect, it could eventually grow into something much larger.

What We're Looking For

We care more about what you have built and how you think than whether your resume checks every box. A strong candidate will probably have meaningful experience building modern web applications and be comfortable working across much of the stack.

Experience in several of the following areas would be useful:

• Frontend development
• APIs and third-party integrations
• Relational databases
• Cloud infrastructure
• Authentication and security
• Responsive web applications
• Business systems and workflow automation
• Data and reporting
• AI, LLMs or computer vision applications
• Payments, messaging or communications platforms

You do not need to be the world’s expert in all of them. You do need to be able to figure things out.

You’ll Probably Thrive Here If

• You like starting with a business problem instead of a technical specification.
• You are comfortable asking a lot of questions before writing code.
• You can take an idea that is still somewhat rough and turn it into something people can actually use.
• You prefer shipping a good first version and improving it from real feedback rather than spending six months designing the perfect system.
• You are willing to challenge an idea when there is a simpler or better approach.
• You can explain technical decisions to people who are not engineers.
• You enjoy working directly with users and seeing how they actually use what you build.
• You have strong opinions, but you can change your mind when the facts say you should.
• You care about maintainability, security and good engineering practices without turning every small project into an enterprise software architecture exercise.
• You are comfortable in a role where your responsibilities will probably expand as the company grows.
• You enjoy having substantial influence over architecture, development standards and the overall direction of software development.

You Might Not Enjoy This Role If

• You want a highly defined backlog handed to you every Monday morning.
• You prefer working on one narrow technical layer and handing the rest to another team.
• You need every requirement fully documented before getting started.
• You would rather spend most of your time in architecture meetings than talking with the people using the software.
• You want to manage engineers but do not particularly want to write software anymore.
• You are looking for a company where the technical decisions have already been made.

There are good jobs like that. This just is not one of them.

How We’ll Work

You will work closely with company leadership and the people who will actually use the tools you build. You will also have access to Lumino’s existing IT team, so while this is an entrepreneurial role, it is not a solo technical island.

Early on, that probably means a lot of short feedback loops: build something, put it in front of someone, watch them use it, find out what was wrong, fix it, then move on to the next problem.

We are not interested in measuring productivity by lines of code, number of tickets closed or how complicated the architecture looks. What will matter is whether we are building useful, reliable systems that people want to use and that make the company easier to operate.

Best of Both Worlds

We think this role offers an unusual combination: the ownership and pace of a startup with the stability, capital and experience of an established company.

Lumino has been operating for roughly 25 years. We know the industry, we understand the customer, and we have the resources and internal IT experience to support the new business. The new company gives us the opportunity to start fresh technologically rather than forcing new ideas into old systems.

For the right engineer, that is a pretty interesting place to start.

About Lumino

Lumino is an established consumer products company based in Madison, Wisconsin, with approximately 25 years of experience in the home products industry.

We design, source, market and sell products through major national retailers and digital channels. We are now backing the launch of a new business where technology will be built into the company from the beginning.

This role sits at the intersection of those two worlds: a new company with the freedom to build from scratch, supported by an experienced organization with financial resources, industry knowledge and an existing IT team.

• Title: Founding Software Engineer
• Employment: Full time
• Compensation: Dependent on applicants experience, knowledge, and expertise
• Experience: 10+ years of experience in software design, programming, coding, or related experience

Lumino Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to an inclusive workplace.