Software Engineer

Title: Lead Software Engineer/Solution ArchitectLocation: Chicago, IL – Hybrid, 3 days/week in office near Union StationPay Rate: $130k–$180kDuration: Direct hireRequired Skills & ExperienceBachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field.8–10 years of software development or enterprise architecture experience, including recent hands-on coding.Advanced JavaScript and modern web application development experience.Experience architecting and integrating customer-facing technology solutions.Strong experience designing and developing APIs and system integrations.Experience creating technical designs, architecture diagrams, roadmaps, and proofs of concept.Experience guiding software engineers or technical leads in implementing architectural direction.Ability to translate business and product requirements into scalable technical solutions.Nice to Have Skills & ExperienceExperience with Next.js.Experience with Kafka.Experience with headless or composable content management systems.Job DescriptionWe are seeking a hands-on Lead Software Engineer/Solution Architect to shape the architecture and technical roadmap for a modern, customer-facing digital platform. This is a player-coach individual contributor role combining solution architecture and technical strategy with hands-on coding, proofs of concept, and integration work. The role will partner closely with product leadership, software engineers, internal technology teams, and global digital partners while helping guide a development organization of approximately 8–10 engineers.Shape solution architecture and technical roadmaps for a customer-facing digital ecosystem.Translate product roadmaps and business objectives into scalable solutions and quarterly technical plans.Design APIs, system integrations, and event-driven solutions supporting digital commerce and customer self-service.Remain hands-on by writing code, reviewing technical solutions, developing proofs of concept, and supporting implementation.Create architecture diagrams, system workflows, integration models, and other technical documentation.Guide modernization across e-commerce, online ordering, order tracking, product discovery, digital quotes, and customer self-service capabilities.Partner with engineers and technical leads to turn architectural decisions into production-ready solutions and provide technical mentorship.Support the transition from legacy platforms to a unified, composable global web platform.