Job boardFarmers District 46

Lead Software Architect

Work location: South Asia
Work arrangement: Remote
Salary range: USD $24,000 - $36,000 + + Phantom Equity + Bonus Potential per annum
Skills:
Software Architect
Leadership & People Management
Next.js
Django REST Framework (DRF)
Working With Generative AI

Read This First

This is a hands-on technical leadership role, not just an "architect" in name. You’ll spend ~60% of your time writing production code, 25% on architectural decisions and mentoring, and 15% on strategic planning. You’ll directly shape the technical foundation of two AI-powered SaaS products and ship real value weekly.

About Sopify.AI

We're a US-founded, South Asia-operated startup with real market traction and product momentum:

Sopify.ai: AI-powered SOP & Playbook Generator (MVP live with early adopters)

SHIFT: Personal growth app with journaling, habit tracking, and goal alignment (launching Q3 2025)

We’re lean, global, and built for scale — with $500K+ in funding, a growing paying customer base, and an intentional team culture rooted in ownership and outcomes.

What You’ll Do

In Your First 90 Days:

  • Audit existing codebases and define standards

  • Ship your first major feature on the Shopify platform

  • Begin mentoring junior devs

  • Improve database performance and reduce tech debt by 30%

Ongoing Responsibilities:

  • Architect and build core systems across both products (Node.js/Nest, React/Next.js, TypeScript, PostgreSQL)

  • Scale systems to handle 5K+ concurrent users

  • Lead a 3-person dev team and guide engineering best practices

  • Own CI/CD, monitoring, and DevOps pipelines (Docker, AWS/GCP)

  • Integrate AI/ML APIs (OpenAI, Claude, etc.) into real features

  • Collaborate closely with the Founder and PM on product direction

  • Make smart build-vs-buy calls that align with our lean startup ethos

What We’re Looking For

Must-Haves:

  • 7+ years full-stack development experience

  • Node.js, React/Next.js, TypeScript, PostgreSQL expertise

  • SaaS scaling experience — from MVP to 10K+ users

  • Production DevOps (Docker, CI/CD, AWS or GCP)

  • Experience mentoring or leading 2+ junior/mid-level devs

  • Excellent async communicator; thrives in remote culture

Nice-to-Haves:

  • AI/ML API integration experience

  • Multi-tenant architecture familiarity

  • Real-time feature development (WebSockets, SSE)

  • Experience with modern testing frameworks & TDD

  • Prior early-stage startup experience (Seed to Series A)

Success Metrics

  • 30 Days: Complete tech audit; ship code; define engineering standards

  • 90 Days: Deliver a major feature; optimize response times; mentor junior

  • 6 Months: Scale infra 3x; launch SHIFT; implement automated test suite

  • 12 Months: 99.9% uptime; systems supporting 5K+ concurrent users; build & lead a dev team

Compensation & Perks

  • $24K–$36K USD/year (based on experience)

  • Performance Bonus (up to 20% of base)

  • Phantom Equity Program

  • Annual Raises

  • Learning Budget

  • Home Office Setup Allowance

  • Unlimited PTO

  • Remote + Flexible Hours (with some South Asia overlap)

Not a Fit If You...

  • Want to manage, not code

  • Need constant hand-holding

  • Struggle with async communication

  • Expect corporate-style handbooks and bureaucracy

  • Seek an "easy" role or just want a paycheck

Perfect Fit If You...

  • Want to write clean code and grow into technical leadership

  • Love solving real problems with modern tools

  • Are excited by AI integration and SaaS scalability

  • Thrive in early-stage environments where every line of code matters

This application includes an assessment as the first step