Lead Software Engineer, Services and Tasks

athenahealth; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 143,000 - 243,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Commuter support

Tuition assistance

Employee resource groups

Dog-friendly offices

Job summary

athenahealth is seeking a Lead Software Engineer for the Services and Tasks team in Boston. You will lead full-stack development across clinical workflow solutions, combining hands-on engineering with technical leadership and design oversight.

The role involves React, Java, APIs, relational databases, and distributed systems, with exploration of generative AI to improve productivity and code quality. This hybrid role reports to the Senior Engineering Manager.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 6+ years of software engineering or full-stack development.
• Experience leading full-stack development teams with technical mentoring and design oversight.
• Proficiency with React, frontend architecture, and core web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript).
• Strong programming experience in Java.

Responsibilities

• Lead full-stack engineering across React frontend applications, Java services, and supporting APIs.
• Provide mentorship, architectural guidance, and design oversight to engineers.
• Develop and maintain features using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, and modern frontend patterns.
• Design and support APIs and integrations across distributed systems (monolith and microservices).
• Build relational data models and database-backed functionality.

Skills

React

Java

HTML

CSS

APIs

Relational databases

Distributed systems

Generative AI

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

GraphQL

Unix/Linux

Job description

Join us as we work to create a thriving ecosystem that delivers accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare for all.

State the Business Title

Lead Software Engineer, Services and Tasks

Role Summary

The Lead Software Engineer will lead full-stack development efforts across clinical workflow solutions, combining hands-on engineering with technical leadership and design oversight. This hybrid role is based in Boston, MA, and supports the development of scalable, reliable software using React, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Java, APIs, relational databases, and distributed systems. The role also includes evaluating and applying generative AI and AI-assisted software engineering tools to improve productivity and quality. This position will report to the Senior Engineering Manager.

Team Summary

The Clinicals Services & Tasks team owns the end-to-end arc of clinical work at the point of care - from the moment an order is created, through the documents that inform and result from it to the tasks that carry that work to completion across the practice. The team supports the systems and workflows that help clinicians and care teams move efficiently through complex work while reducing friction and cognitive load. This includes building and maintaining stable platform capabilities, improving user-facing workflows, and ensuring the underlying services can support dependable performance at scale. Team members work across application layers, service boundaries, and data models to improve the experience of clinical work from initiation to completion.

Essential Job Responsibilities

• Lead full-stack engineering efforts across React-based frontend applications, Java services, and supporting APIs.
• Provide technical mentorship, architectural guidance, and design oversight to engineers on the team.
• Develop and maintain features using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, and modern frontend architecture patterns.
• Design and support APIs and service integrations across distributed systems, including monolith and microservices environments.
• Build and optimize relational data models and database-backed application functionality.
• Collaborate with product, design, and engineering partners to translate requirements into maintainable technical solutions.
• Evaluate and apply generative AI and AI-assisted software engineering tools to improve development workflows, code quality, and delivery efficiency.
• Drive technical decisions that strengthen scalability, reliability, maintainability, and system clarity.
• Troubleshoot production issues, identify root causes, and support durable fixes across application layers.
• Travel as needed to support team or business needs.

Additional Job Responsibilities

• Contribute to planning and prioritization discussions for team delivery.
• Support code reviews and promote consistent engineering practices.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to improve workflow clarity and implementation alignment.
• Help refine engineering standards, documentation, and team operating practices.
• Assist in evaluating legacy technologies and migration paths in large-scale production environments.
• Explore GraphQL, Unix/Linux, and other tools or technologies that may improve platform capabilities.
• Participate in incident response and operational follow-up when needed.
• Recommend improvements to developer productivity, deployment workflows, and testing practices.
• Share knowledge across the broader engineering organization through informal mentoring and technical discussions.

Expected Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 6 years of experience in software engineering or full-stack application development.
• Demonstrated experience leading full-stack development teams, including technical mentoring and design oversight.
• Proficiency with React, modern frontend architecture, and core web technologies including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Strong programming experience in Java.
• Experience working with generative AI and AI-assisted software engineering tools in day-to-day development workflows.
• Solid experience with relational databases and data modeling.
• Experience designing and supporting APIs and working across distributed systems and evolving system architectures, including monolith and microservices environments.
• Exposure to GraphQL, Unix/Linux environments, and legacy technologies in large-scale production systems is a plus.
• Strong communication skills, ownership, and accountability, with a demonstrated track record of adopting new technologies.
• Ability to work in a hybrid environment in Boston, MA.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across engineering and cross-functional partners in a product-focused environment.

Expected Compensation

$143,000 - $243,000

The base salary range shown reflects the full range for this role from minimum to maximum. At athenahealth, base pay depends on multiple factors, including job-related experience, relevant knowledge and skills, how your qualifications compare to others in similar roles, and geographical market rates. Base pay is only one part of our competitive Total Rewards package - depending on role eligibility, we offer both short and long-term incentives by way of an annual discretionary bonus plan, variable compensation plan, and equity plans.

About Athenahealth

Our vision

In an industry that becomes more complex by the day, we stand for simplicity. We offer IT solutions and expert services that eliminate the daily hurdles preventing healthcare providers from focusing entirely on their patients — powered by our vision to create a thriving ecosystem that delivers accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare for all.

Our company culture

Our talented employees — or athenistas, as we call ourselves — spark the innovation and passion needed to accomplish our vision. We are a diverse group of dreamers and do-ers with unique knowledge, expertise, backgrounds, and perspectives. We unite as mission-driven problem-solvers with a deep desire to achieve our vision and make our time here count. Our award-winning culture is built around shared values of inclusiveness, accountability, and support.

Our DEI commitment

Our vision of accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare for all requires addressing the inequities that stand in the way. That's one reason we prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in every aspect of our business, from attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce to maintaining an inclusive environment for athenistas, our partners, customers and the communities where we work and serve.

What We Can Do For You

Along with health and financial benefits, athenistas enjoy perks specific to each location, including commuter support, employee assistance programs, tuition assistance, employee resource groups, and collaborative workspaces — some offices even welcome dogs.

We also encourage a better work-life balance for athenistas with our flexibility. While we know in-office collaboration is critical to our vision, we recognize that not all work needs to be done within an office environment, full-time. With consistent communication and digital collaboration tools, athenahealth enables employees to find a balance that feels fulfilling and productive for each individual situation.

In addition to our traditional benefits and perks, we sponsor events throughout the year, including book clubs, external speakers, and hackathons. We provide athenistas with a company culture based on learning, the support of an engaged team, and an inclusive environment where all employees are valued.

Learn more about our culture and benefits here: athenahealth.com/careers

https://www.athenahealth.com/careers/equal-opportunity