Lead Platform Engineer (Full-Stack)

Our dynamic, mid-sized IP law firm represents the world’s leading computer software and hardware innovators—from early-stage startups to unicorns and global Fortune 100 companies. Our work spans cutting-edge technologies including artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, video encoding, quantum computing, and cloud computing. With approximately 50 attorneys and 30 staff across Michigan, California, and several other states, we are entering a phase of continued growth and organizational maturity.

We are seeking a highly autonomous and experienced technical lead for our application platform on a contract-to-hire basis.

- End-to-End Ownership: Lead the full SDLC, including requirement gathering, system architecture, coding, testing, deployment, and documentation.

- Platform Architecture: Design and build a platform that others can build on, including shared services, templates, and a governed path for attorneys and developers to take an application from prototype or spec to production, with sandboxes, review, and controlled promotion. Set technical direction across our Azure environment, including the core platform and the applications and workflows built on it.

- Infrastructure & DevOps: Manage and improve our Azure environments, CI/CD pipelines, and version control.

- Database Ownership: Own the MSSQL / Azure SQL data layer, including schema design, backups, migrations, and performance tuning.

- Security & Compliance: Ensure all applications are secure by design, implementing authentication and authorization (Entra ID, managed identities, least privilege) and protecting against common vulnerabilities. Work with our IT on identity, network isolation, access policy, and security testing.

- Technical Leadership: Scope, assign, and review work from contract or third-party developers, set the standards they work to, and mentor attorney technologists.

- Technical Roadmap: Advise leadership on technology choices, build-versus-buy decisions, technical debt, and future scalability requirements.

Backend: Expert in modern backend ecosystems, including knowledge of .NET and C#. Must be comfortable building clean, maintainable logic independently and setting the standard others build to.

- Database: Mastery of MSSQL. You must be able to design schemas and write efficient T-SQL independently.

- Frontend: Working proficiency in JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3, with the ability to oversee or integrate front-end work performed by third-party developers. Deep front-end specialization is not required.

- AI: Hands-on experience shipping production software with AI-assisted development tools, reviewing and governing AI-generated code, and building features on model APIs.

- Architectural: Proven ability to design platforms, templates, and patterns that other people build on, with governance and self-service deployment, and that keep the codebase manageable as it grows.

- Ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines without daily supervision or a project manager.

- Ability to debug issues anywhere in the stack, from a CSS alignment bug to a database deadlock or a server configuration error.

- Ability to balance “perfect code” with the need to deliver functional business value in a timely manner.

- Disciplined approach to documenting the codebase and system architecture so that the system remains maintainable by whoever comes next, including AI agents.

- A builder who can lead: you have built systems from the ground up and led others in building them, and you are as effective working alone as directing a team.

- Motivated to create something: you want to shape a new role and platform, and are results oriented.

- Ability to work with technically minded attorneys as collaborators, not just users.

- Experience: 5+ years of professional experience, including time as technical lead, architect, or the senior engineer responsible for production systems, ideally with at least one previous role in a startup or small-team environment where you had high levels of independence.

- Leadership: Experience directing developers or contractors, including remote or offshore teams: scoping the work, reviewing it, and holding to a standard.

- Environment: Experience in a regulated or confidentiality-sensitive field such as legal, healthcare, finance, or government.

- Tools: Proficient with Git, Visual Studio, SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), Azure DevOps, and Azure.

- Communication: Strong ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders, including partners and firm leadership.