Lead Full-stack Engineer (Laravel/React)

The Finders; Phoenix (AZ); Hybrid; USD 160,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

The Finders in the Greater Phoenix area is seeking a hands-on engineering leader to design, build, and scale a core platform for an AI-powered business management product. You’ll work across frontend, backend, and mobile, shaping both product and technology in a fast-paced startup setting.

This role offers high ownership with real users and impact, a modern stack, and opportunities to influence product and engineering direction.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of software engineering with full-stack ownership.
• Strong production experience with PHP/Laravel, MySQL, and Vue.js.
• Background in API design, database performance, secure architecture, and testing.
• AWS and serverless experience; React Native and Expo knowledge.
• Responsible use of AI-assisted development tools; Agile/Scrum and version control.

Responsibilities

• Own the technical roadmap and deliver against product and revenue goals.
• Write production code across backend and frontend.
• Review React Native work from mobile contractors and unblock as needed.
• Mentor developers and contractors; help hire and onboard the permanent team.
• Run two-week sprints and provide status updates to leadership.
• Lead code reviews, set engineering standards, and write tests and documentation.
• Balance new features with technical debt and explain trade-offs.
• Design secure, scalable architectures and integrate third-party services.
• Deploy and troubleshoot on AWS, including Laravel Vapor and serverless.
• Collaborate with designers for polished, usable experiences.
• Leverage AI tools to accelerate delivery while ensuring security and correctness.
• Turn customer feedback into practical solutions with leadership.

Job description

In this hands-on leadership role you’ll help design, build, and scale a core platform for an AI-powered business management product. You’ll work across both frontend and backend of applications and mobile experiences, playing a direct role in shaping both the product and the tech stack. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a startup environment: fast-paced, high ownership, and focused on turning ideas into production-quality software.

Why This Role High ownership and direct product impact Real users, real scale, and meaningful problems Modern stack with AI-assisted development workflows Opportunity to help shape both product and engineering direction Competitive Salary depending on experience, equity, monthly stipend for benefits Location: Must be in the Greater-Phoenix area Work will be Hybrid ( no office yet... possible plans for collaborative space to be located in Scottsdale or Tempe next year ) Compensation:160K-220K plus equity (depending on experience)

What You’ll Do

• Own the technical roadmap and deliver against product and revenue goals


• Write production code across backend and frontend


• Review React Native work from mobile contractors and step in when needed


• Mentor our developer and direct contract developers


• Help hire and onboard the permanent team as we grow


• Run two-week sprints and give the CEO clear status updates


• Lead code reviews, set engineering standards, and write tests and documentation


• Balance new features against technical debt and explain the trade-offs


• Design secure, scalable architectures and integrate third-party services


• Deploy and troubleshoot on AWS, including Laravel Vapor and serverless


• Partner with designers to deliver polished, usable experiences


• Use AI tools (Cursor, Claude, GitHub Copilot) to ship faster while reviewing output for security, correctness, and maintainability


• Turn customer insights and feature requests into practical solutions with the CEO


• Build a positive, accountable engineering culture

Technical Requirements

• 6+ years of software engineering with substantial full-stack ownership (equivalent experience considered)


• Strong production experience with PHP/Laravel, MySQL, and Vue.js


• Background in API design, database performance, secure architecture, and testing


• AWS and serverless experience (AWS DevOps and Laravel Vapor a plus)


• Working knowledge of React Native and Expo, enough to review code and unblock contractors


• Responsible use of AI-assisted development tools


• Agile/Scrum and source control experience

Leadership Requirements

• Experience leading and mentoring engineers, including early-career developers


• Experience guiding a product through growth in a start-up or fast-paced environment


• Ability to build a technical roadmap and explain it to non-technical leaders


• Experience with contracted or distributed teams


• Comfort balancing speed, quality, and technical debt


• Prior experience at a company of similar stage


• Strong communication and collaboration skills


• Must be a US Citizen or Green Card holder to be considered as no sponsorship is available for this role.