Payments Platform Lead for Public Sector Impact

Promise; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity for All

100% Paid Health Coverage

Hybrid Work

Flexible Time Off

Job summary

Promise is seeking an Engineering Lead to steer the technical vision and the team behind our Payment Plans platform—empowering residents with flexible, interest-free installments nationwide. You’ll guide architecture, delivery, and best practices while ensuring dignity-first values across governments and utilities.

You’ll oversee a high-performing team, scale the platform, and drive cross-functional collaboration with Product, Design, and Customer Success to deliver real-world impact and

Qualifications

• 6+ years building and scaling production software, including at least 2 years leading teams or projects.
• Tracks technical direction and delivers against ambitious goals.
• Strong background in backend systems, system design, and secure architecture.
• Follows improvements in AI and other emerging technologies, turning them into useful tech.
• Experience integrating with legacy or third-party systems (government, fintech, or regulated industries a plus).
• Problem-solving skills to turn complex challenges into scalable solutions.
• Adaptability in a fast-paced, feedback-driven environment with shifting priorities.
• Mission-driven energy and belief in Promise’s vision for equitable outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead by doing: Roll your sleeves up and build alongside the team, know the ins and outs of the product.
• Own the roadmap: Partner with Product and Design to prioritize features balancing usability, scalability, and real-world impact.
• Build for scale & trust: Ensure the platform is secure, composable, and capable of nationwide use by governments and utilities.
• Elevate the resident experience: Deliver features like flexible installments, smart reminders, and personalized plans.
• Stay hands-on: Dive into technical details when needed, from debugging to performance optimization.
• Automate what matters: Leverage AI and automation to reduce overhead and free teams to focus on impact.
• Collaborate cross-functionally: Work with Customer Success and Operations for deployments and reliability.
• Raise the bar: Define and enforce engineering quality standards and reliability.

Job description

Promise is seeking an Engineering Lead to steer the technical vision and the team behind our Payment Plans platform—empowering residents with flexible, interest-free installments nationwide. You’ll guide architecture, delivery, and best practices while ensuring dignity-first values across governments and utilities.

You’ll oversee a high-performing team, scale the platform, and drive cross-functional collaboration with Product, Design, and Customer Success to deliver real-world impact and