Staff Software Engineer

Rockstar is recruiting for a profitable, fast-growing, Series A start-up backed by leading VCs. This client is on a mission to simplify and automate shopping for home and auto insurance using ML-powered recommendations and a GenAI-powered conversational interface. They operate fully remotely, allowing them to attract top talent and provide maximum flexibility. The company is led by a third-time fintech entrepreneur who has previously founded multiple fintech and insurtech startups that are now publicly traded companies.

About the Company

The client is a profitable, fast-growing, Series A start-up backed by leading VCs like General Catalyst, QED, NYCA, and Amex Ventures. They are on a mission to simplify and automate shopping for home and auto insurance. Their ML-powered insurance recommendations and GenAI-powered conversational interface enable them to insure everyday Americans faster, cheaper, and smarter. They are fully remote, believing it allows them to find the best talent wherever it is, provide their team with maximum flexibility, and stand out to candidates. The company is led by a third-time fintech entrepreneur who has previously founded multiple fintech and insurtech startups that now operate as publicly-traded companies.

Our Values

- Extreme Ownership – The team fulfills promises to each other and to customers, owning responsibilities 110%.

- Speed – The team works quickly and pragmatically, moving fast and getting things done.

- Craft – The team is constantly learning and bettering themselves and the way they work.

- Collaboration – The team works transparently, solicits feedback, and leaves egos at the door.

- Positivity – The team sees a cup half-full, focuses on the team's potential, and rises to challenges.

Position Overview

As a Staff Software Engineer, the individual will be a technical leader on the engineering team. They will develop technical plans based on company-level strategic initiatives and shape project work for the team. They will guide the team in their approach to project work and help them develop solutions to complex problems. They will deliver well-tested code and provide actionable feedback that improves overall team performance. They will also help onboard new hires and foster a collaborative team culture. Ideal candidates are self-motivated problem solvers, detail-oriented, and effective communicators. They can communicate complex ideas to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. A balance of pragmatism and strong opinions, along with curiosity and a proactive approach to solving challenges, is essential for success.

Who You Are

- Meticulous: Pays attention to detail and takes pride in what is delivered.

- Articulate: Communicates verbal and written technical and non-technical ideas and topics succinctly and effectively.

- Kind, not (just) nice: Provides tough feedback in a clear and concise manner that does not diminish or belittle the recipient.

- Opinionated: Brings strong opinions to discussions but is willing to change their mind when presented with new or better information.

- Product-minded: Focuses on the “why” just as much as the “what” or “how”.

- Collaborative: Works within the team and cross-functionally to build consensus and achieve results.

- Autonomous: Is self-motivated, able to hold themselves accountable, and can generate high-value work with little direct supervision.

What You’ll Do

- Guide the team in delivering high-quality, well-tested technical solutions providing technical and project oversight.

- Lead by example through the quality of code and approach to work.

- Own projects through the entire software development lifecycle - from planning and development to validation, iteration, and maintenance.

- Translate conceptual work into well-crafted tech plans for review by technical leadership and key stakeholders.

- Leverage understanding of the business and engineering strategies to design experiments and high-value projects that impact the work the team is doing.

- Expertly navigate complex systems and domains to identify key challenges and create plans to address them.

- Own system quality and hold team members accountable through constructive and actionable feedback.

- Level up the team through code review feedback and knowledge sharing sessions.

- Assist in the onboarding of new engineering hires.

What You’ll Need

While not all of these are required, having more of them will contribute to success in this role:

- 7+ years’ experience developing software in a production environment.

- 2+ years’ experience in a staff engineer or technical lead role.

- Production experience with Node.js and Typescript.

- Proven experience working in backend systems, designing RESTful APIs, and codifying business logic on top of data stores.

- Exceptional ability to communicate clearly and concisely, particularly in Slack and technical documents.

- Experience in product development where the individual was a key decision maker.

- Deep expertise in system architecture and design.

- Proven success in operational excellence.

- Cross-functional leadership and collaboration experience.

- Familiarity with cloud environments, especially the Google Cloud stack.

Why This Company is a Fantastic Place to Work

Join a talented, passionate team:

- Flat, collaborative, transparent culture; get in at the ground floor and be a true business partner.

- Opportunities for growth and development within the role and all areas of the organization.

- 75th-percentile (competitive!) compensation.

- 100% remote work environment.

- Quarterly, fun team bonding events.

The company additionally offers competitive benefits:

- Unlimited vacation time.

- 100% employer-paid Platinum-tier health insurance for employee, 65% for dependents.

- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).

- 401(k) retirement savings plan.

- Bonuses and equity opportunities.

- Budget for home office equipment.