Senior Software Engineer

Thistle; Vacaville (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Thistle is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to lead and shape our engineering practice within the Engineering department. You will work closely with product, data, and design to build robust systems, guiding best practices and mentoring teammates as we explore AI-enabled solutions.

You will deliver high-quality, scalable software, contribute to roadmaps, and collaborate with stakeholders to drive impact while balancing speed and reliability.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of hands-on software development and mentoring experience.
• Experience designing scalable software solutions and leading teams.
• Familiar with AI tools and applying them to software development.

Responsibilities

• Deliver organized, reliable, high-performance, and thoroughly tested code within established timelines, ensuring alignment with team and company objectives.
• Push our product forward by identifying opportunities, proposing improvements, and contributing to the project roadmap.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design and clearly articulate ideas and build strong relationships with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Continuously explore and implement new technologies, tools, and frameworks to optimize development processes and product performance.
• Share knowledge with teammates through pairing, documentation, and coaching to maintain high-quality standards.

Skills

Experienced Leader

Adaptable Innovator

Problem-Solver

Pragmatic

Driven by Impact

Tools

Claude Code

Job description

TITLE: Senior Software Engineer DEPARTMENT: Engineering REPORTS TO: Software Engineering Manager

Who We Are

Thistle makes it easy to eat well – without overthinking it. Thistle was founded in 2013 with a mission to help people get and stay healthy while improving the sustainability of our food system. Thistle delivers fully prepared, healthy-by-default meals, snacks, desserts, and organic cold-pressed juices. We believe the health of people starts with eating real, whole foods, in the right balance, without the friction. We’re building a future where nutritious, sustainable food is accessible, craveable, and part of everyday life.

About The Role

As a Senior Software Engineer you’ll serve as a leader within the team, guiding best practices and fostering growth among peers. You’ll work alongside product, data, and design to build full systems that solve real problems. Engineers at Thistle are expected to help tackle business challenges and own the implementation of solutions they design to solve them. We’re looking for engineers who treat AI as a core part of their toolkit and help raise the bar for how the whole team works with emerging technologies to deliver results.

How You’ll Make a Difference

• Deliver organized, reliable, high-performance, and thoroughly tested code within established timelines, ensuring alignment with team and company objectives.
• Push our product forward by identifying opportunities, proposing improvements, and contributing to the project roadmap. Your impact will not be measured by the number of tickets you complete, but the difference you make on the product.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design and clearly articulate ideas and build strong relationships with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Continuously explore and implement new technologies, tools, and frameworks to optimize development processes and product performance.
• Share knowledge with teammates through pairing, contributing to documentation, and offering constructive feedback to maintain high-quality standards and build a culture of learning on the team.

Qualifications

Who You Are

• Experienced Leader: You have a proven track record of designing and implementing scalable software solutions, with 4+ years of hands‑on experience in software development and a history of mentoring team members.
• Adaptable Innovator: You stay ahead of industry trends, have integrated AI tools like Claude Code into your daily workflow, and have informed opinions about where they help and where they don't.
• Problem‑Solver: You excel at identifying technical challenges and developing innovative, effective solutions. You feel comfortable designing and building systems to solve complex problems.
• Pragmatic: You balance quality with speed, and you know when it's the right time to invest in future‑proofing your work. When it matters, you are meticulous about making your code reliable, performant, and forward‑looking.
• Driven by Impact: You are motivated by the opportunity to contribute to a mission‑driven company and to build technology that makes a difference.

Our Culture

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential values at Thistle. We know we do our best and most impactful work when we feel we are represented and belong. We're proud to actively recruit and hire talented individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. We do not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally recognized basis (“protected class”), including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, citizenship, national origin, color, hairstyles, hair texture, religion or religious creed, age, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, veteran or active military status, marital status, criminal record, genetics, retaliation, sexual harassment or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.