Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience). 8–12 years of software engineering experience, with deep expertise in backend systems (Node.js, PostgreSQL) and experience with modern front-end frameworks (React, TypeScript). Proven track record of architecting and delivering scalable systems in production environments. Experience mentoring engineers and raising the technical bar through reviews and design feedback. Strong systems thinking with the ability to evaluate tradeoffs in scalability, reliability, and maintainability. Experience designing for observability and operational excellence (e.g., logs, alerts, dashboards, runbooks). Comfortable operating in ambiguity and driving clarity across product, engineering, and business stakeholders. Familiarity with regulated domains (e.g., healthcare, fintech) and high-availability infrastructure. Experience with containerized cloud environments (Docker, AWS ECS/EKS), CI/CD automation, and infrastructure as code. Exposure to event-driven architecture or microservices with asynchronous workflows.