Lead Developer - backend at Echo Mobile

About the role

We are looking for an experienced and energetic lead developer to drive forward the growth of the Echo platform, with a focus on coaching/mentoring and leading the dev team, backend development, architecture and planning. The position reports to the CEO and there is potential for the right candidate to move up to CTO in future.

We build using Python and Go, using AppEngine and Cloud Run and other serverless technologies on the Google Cloud Platform, with React and Javascript on the front-end. We closely track new design and implementation practises and tools.

Responsibilities

1. DevOps
   1. Grow the Echo platform by implementing, deploying and iterating new features
   2. Develop unit and integration tests to prove and lock in functionality
   3. Help monitor the production platform to identify and resolve issues as they arise
   4. Help the engineering team resolve escalated customer support issues
2. Team leadership
   1. Support, coach and mentor junior technical staff
   2. Continually review Echo's engineering systems and development operations to
   3. identify and implement improvements
3. Architecture
   1. Shape the architecture of the Echo platform, consulting with other engineers to make technology choices and decide the overall technical direction of the codebase
   2. Track and review the changing technology landscape, identifying new tools, approaches and technology shifts
   3. Monitor and, if necessary, control platform costs
   4. Participate in ideation and feasibility studies on new Echo offerings and potential product features and spin-offs
4. Planning
   1. Work with commercial and engineering teams to manage the product roadmap and decide which new features we will deliver to customers
   2. Break down larger features, and plan how to efficiently deliver the pieces to customers in a streamlined way
   3. Monitor implementation and delivery across the team to ensure work is completed and goes live in a timely manner. We currently use Kanban for day to day planning but are open to experimentation.

About you

1. To be successful in this role, you will need to have the following skills and experience:

Personal

1. 5+ years of experience as a software engineer, senior engineer or lead developer/engineer
2. Self-managed, proactive, and good at working with a small team
3. Passionate about technology, technical products and the creative process
4. Proficient at managing your time to meet milestones
5. Either living in Nairobi or willing to relocate
6. Fully available - this is a full-time role
7. Technical & Leadership
8. Highly skilled technical mind with a proven track record designing, developing and launching commercial software
9. Deep knowledge of backend development (in any framework or language)
10. Experience developing scalable web-based applications and the know-how to test and roll out significant new features without downtime or outages
11. Confident planner, able to break down complex features and schedule development work
12. Experience in mentoring and coaching other developers, and excellent knowledge of development tools and systems

Bonus skills

These skills will set you apart, but are not essential:

1. Python, particularly server-side
2. Go
3. Google Cloud Platform
4. Elasticsearch
5. Experience in selecting and managing serverless technologies
6. Experience integrating with common CRM platforms and other third-party software
7. JavaScript
8. React

Why join Echo Mobile?

1. Responsibility and impact. Productivity, creativity, and collaboration are thoroughly
2. rewarded. Your efforts have impact on our platform and our customers.
3. Personal development. We invest heavily in personal development: you will learn a lot when you join Echo, and you will learn fast. Employees have an annual training budget.
4. Friendly team. We’re a friendly and energetic team with away-days where we down tools and have fun.
5. Remote-first. Echo Mobile is a remote-first company: we’re all based around Nairobi but work from home, meeting up monthly.
6. Compensation and benefits. We pay a competitive salary and provide health insurance, lunch allowances and a home-office set-up stipend. Hours of work are flexible. A computer and monitor are provided.