Software Engineer III

Lead; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation with equity grants

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life insurance

Flexible vacation policy

Paid parental leave

401k Matching

Job summary

Lead is seeking an experienced backend engineer in San Francisco to design and maintain large-scale backend systems. The candidate will work closely with product managers to implement features, mentor junior engineers, and ensure high performance in a dynamic environment.

With 7+ years of experience, strong skills in programming languages such as Go or Java, and a passion for cloud-native systems, you'll find competitive compensation and a supportive work culture that fosters growth.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience and a proven track record of shipping successful projects.
• Passionate about building large scale systems in a cloud native environment.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to mentor junior engineers.

Responsibilities

• Design, build and maintain large-scale backend systems with a focus on performance.
• Work closely with product managers and key stakeholders to implement new features.
• Grow the team via mentorship and leadership.

Skills

Large scale systems development

Cloud native environment

Strong command of programming languages

Leadership and mentorship

Strong communication skills

Tools

AWS

Go

Java

Job description

Lead is a fintech building banking infrastructure for embedded financial products and services. We operate an FDIC‑insured bank headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Additionally, we have offices in San Francisco, Sunnyvale, and New York City, where our technical, product, design, and legal teams operate.

We are built for a constantly evolving financial landscape, where new ventures and technological advancements emerge daily. Guided by a team of entrepreneurs and technologists with decades of experience navigating intricate banking and payments regulations, Lead blends regulatory and technological expertise to help our fintech partners scale their operations with compliance and creativity.

Simply put, Lead offers the essential attributes that every fintech seeks in a partner bank. First, unparalleled technical expertise from a distinguished team of developers with an extensive understanding of the banking and payments systems. Second, oversight expertise, automated compliance systems, and bespoke program management to navigate the ever‑shifting regulatory landscape. Finally, a commitment to transparency and operational rigor to ensure everyone’s money does what it’s supposed to do.

Role Description

This candidate will design, build and maintain large‑scale backend systems with a focus on performance, reliability and scalability. They will work closely with product managers and key stakeholders across the company to implement new features that address both product goals and customer needs. Candidates will prioritize effectively, develop systems from the ground up, navigate ambiguous problem domains, grow the team via mentorship and leadership and have a consistent track record of high performance and delivery.

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties. Team members will also perform all other duties assigned based on business needs.

Basic Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience and a proven track record of shipping successful projects
• You are passionate about building large scale systems in a cloud native environment (preferably AWS)
• You have a strong command of at least one language (preferably Go and/or Java)
• Demonstrated experience in working on large scale systems, developing and maintaining a high quality code base, and consistently delivering challenging projects on schedule with high quality
• Demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to mentor and guide junior engineers
• Ability to collaborate/compromise to get to the best, most efficient outcome
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work cross‑functionally to align stakeholders on the goals and deliverables
• You are curious, have humility and are open to learning

Preferred Qualifications

• Fintech experience is a plus
• Ability to perform in a fluid environment with high autonomy

What We Offer

• At Lead, we design our benefits to support company culture and principles, to foster an efficient and inspiring work environment, and to create the conditions for our team to give their best in both work and life
• Competitive compensation, including opportunities for equity grants, based on experience, geographic location, and role
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, 401k Matching, and other wellness benefits, including FSA, HSA and HRA
• Paid parental leave
• Flexible vacation policy, including PTO and paid holidays
• A fun and challenging team environment in a dynamic industry with ample opportunities for career growth
• Lead Bank is proud to have an inclusive culture committed to ensuring equal employment opportunity in all employment decisions regardless of race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, veteran status or any other legally protected status.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
• Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several US geographic markets. Pay is based on a number of factors and may vary depending on geographical market location, job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience. These ranges may be modified in the future.

Zone 1: $190,000 - $210,000 (SF/Bay Area, NYC)