About this role
Lead Engineer, Part-Time
8–10 hrs/week • Manhattan / Hybrid • $125 to $175 / hour • Path to Full-Time
ABOUT THE COMPANY
NYC-based messaging company building a unified messaging platform that aggregates multiple apps.
Uses custom infrastructure to bridge messaging systems via backend services and brokers.
Pre-Series A startup with a large and growing user base.
THE ROLE
Part-time (8–10 hours/week) with a path to full-time.
Focus is hands-on coding with future leadership opportunities.
Work closely with founder and engineering team.
YOUR FIRST 90 DAYS
30 days: Understand system architecture and message flow.
60 days: Contribute code and ship PRs.
90 days: Contribute to backend messaging systems.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
Build Android features (Kotlin, Jetpack Compose).
Work with distributed messaging architecture.
Develop backend services using Node.js, TypeScript, Postgres.
Contribute to AI-driven features.
Use AI-assisted development tools.
Participate in code reviews and technical discussions.
WHAT IS NOT EXPECTED
Sprint ownership or roadmap management.
Vendor/contractor management.
Fundraising participation.
REQUIREMENTS
3+ years production coding experience.
Android (Kotlin/Jetpack Compose) + Node.js/TypeScript.
Experience with AI-assisted coding tools.
Strong communication skills.
Based near Manhattan (hybrid).
Portfolio or GitHub required.
Genuinely interested in growing into the full-time Lead Engineer role over time. You are interested in a career, not a job.
NICE TO HAVE
Messaging or mobile platform experience.
Android ML experience.
MQTT or event-driven architecture.
Kubernetes/DevOps exposure.
Startup background.
COMPENSATION
$125–$175/hour (part-time).
$120K–$160K + equity (full-time).
Paid sick time per NYC law.
NOT A FIT IF
Cannot commit 8+ hours/week.
Not interested in full-time growth.
Cannot meet hybrid requirement. $125–$175/hour (part-time)