Principal Software Engineer​/Technical Lead – Full-Stack Cloud & AI Systems

Principal Software Engineer / Technical Lead – Full-Stack Cloud & AI Systems

Location:

Remote – U.S. Based (1st week in Maryland)

Company:
International Responder Systems (IRS)

Employment Type:

Full-Time

International Responder Systems builds advanced cloud platforms that empower emergency response, grant management, and situational coordination for public‑sector agencies and humanitarian organizations. Our software helps responders act faster, collaborate smarter, and make data‑driven decisions during moments that matter most.

We blend modern full‑stack engineering, AI/ML, and secure scalable cloud architecture to deliver real‑time intelligence and mission‑critical resilience.

We’re looking for a principal software engineer/technical lead who’s equally passionate about writing clean, production‑grade code and designing the scalable architectures behind it. You’ll lead core engineering initiatives across multiple SaaS platforms — from API design and data architecture to performance optimization and Dev Ops automation. This is a hands‑on, high‑impact role: you’ll architect systems, build them yourself, and shape the technical roadmap that supports the company’s growth and mission.

• Design, code, and ship production‑ready features across the full stack (React, Node.js, Python, Postgre
  
  SQL).
• Develop modular, scalable APIs and backend services that power multi‑tenant SaaS applications.
• Implement elegant, performant front‑end interfaces for complex operational workflows.
• Write efficient, maintainable code with strong focus on testing, observability, and performance.

• Lead architectural design for distributed, event‑driven, and data‑intensive systems.
• Drive scalability and reliability across all layers of the stack — from database design to cloud infrastructure.
• Implement advanced RBAC and access‑control models for secure, multi‑organization environments.
• Plan and evolve system topology and data partitioning strategies for long‑term growth.
• Optimize performance under heavy concurrency and real‑time data loads.

• Architect, automate, and maintain AWS‑based environments (ECS/EKS, S3, Lambda, Cloud Front).
• Implement CI/CD pipelines for automated testing, deployment, and rollback.
• Ensure high availability, fault tolerance, and proactive monitoring using modern observability stacks.
• Manage containerized environments (Docker, Kubernetes) and Infrastructure‑as‑Code (Terraform).

• Design data pipelines and real‑time processing flows to support predictive analytics and AI models.
• Build clean, consistent APIs to expose structured operational and analytical data.
• Collaborate with data scientists to integrate AI/ML models into production environments (Python, Tensor Flow, PyTorch).
• Ensure data reliability, versioning, and lineage across all systems.

• Mentor engineers through code reviews, pair programming, and architectural discussions.
• Lead by example — writing elegant, production‑ready code while defining standards for the entire team.
• Partner with product and design teams to transform ideas into technically sound, user‑centric features.
• Contribute to the company’s long‑term technical strategy, infrastructure roadmap, and innovation pipeline.

• 10+ years of hands‑on software development experience across front‑end, back‑end, and cloud environments.
• Deep expertise in Python, Node.js, Type Script/JavaScript, and SQL/Postgre
  
  SQL.
• Strong background in scalable software architecture, microservices, and API design.
• Proven success building and scaling multi‑tenant SaaS platforms.
• Experience with AWS Cloud (ECS/EKS, Lambda, S3, RDS, Cloud Front) and Dev Ops pipelines.
• Solid understanding of security best practices, RBAC, and data protection principles.
• Familiarity with geospatial/mapping systems (ArcGIS, QGIS, or Leaflet) is a plus.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills, with the ability to balance speed, quality, and maintainability.

• Experience with AI/ML model deployment and real‑time data streaming (Kafka, Spark).
• Familiarity with Terraform, Cloud Formation, and Kubernetes orchestration.
• Knowledge of compliance frameworks (HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP).
• Interest in public safety, crisis management, or Gov Tech platforms.
• Contributions to open‑source or developer community projects.

• Build mission‑critical software that supports first responders and humanitarian missions.
• Lead with autonomy — your architectural decisions directly shape the platform’s evolution.
• Collaborate with an elite, purpose‑driven team that values quality over bureaucracy.
• Competitive compensation, long‑term growth, and the satisfaction of building technology that saves lives.