PART-TIME - Lead Engineer

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.