Staff Software Engineer
Full Stack Engineer · Staff · Full Time
Opens PermitFlow's application page
Role
What you'll do.
Staff Software Engineer at PermitFlow, a Series B AI-powered construction tech company backed by Accel and Kleiner Perkins. You'll architect and build full-stack solutions using React, Node.js, and PostgreSQL that power AI agents helping America's fastest-growing construction companies navigate permitting, licensing, and project management at scale.
Responsibilities
- Full Stack Architecture and Implementation: Architect, design, and implement robust, scalable full-stack solutions that serve as the backbone of PermitFlow's construction management platform. Lead the technical design process for complex features, ensuring solutions are maintainable, performant, and aligned with long-term platform vision.
- Frontend Development and User Experience: Develop responsive and intuitive user interfaces using React and TypeScript, ensuring seamless experiences across devices and platforms. Optimize frontend performance and accessibility, implementing best practices in component architecture, state management, and UI patterns.
- Backend Development and Database Optimization: Build and optimize server-side components using Node.js, designing efficient APIs that power both user-facing applications and AI agent workflows. Work with PostgreSQL to design and implement scalable data storage solutions, ensuring data integrity and query performance for large-scale operations.
- System Architecture and Technical Strategy: Contribute to overall platform architecture and technology decisions, evaluating emerging tools and frameworks that enhance system capabilities. Make high-level decisions regarding scalability, system integrations, infrastructure patterns, and technology choices that support PermitFlow's rapid growth.
- Technical Leadership and Code Review: Conduct thorough code reviews, establish and enforce engineering best practices, and contribute to the professional development of the engineering team. Mentor junior and mid-level engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous improvement.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with product managers, designers, and stakeholders to align technical solutions with business objectives. Participate actively in agile processes including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and retrospectives, ensuring transparent communication between technical and non-technical teams.
- Customer-Centric Product Development: Engage directly with customers to understand their needs and ensure the platform delivers a polished, valuable product. Identify technically challenging projects that provide customer impact, communicate implementation strategies, and execute with autonomy and ownership.
- Technology Innovation and Learning: Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in full-stack development. Evaluate new tools and approaches that could enhance PermitFlow's platform capabilities and developer experience.
Qualifications
What we look for.
Technical
Full Stack Development Expertise
Extensive professional experience building complete web applications across frontend and backend, with proven ability to make architectural decisions and implement solutions end-to-end.
React and TypeScript
Deep proficiency with React for building scalable, component-based user interfaces and TypeScript for type-safe, maintainable code at scale.
Node.js Backend Development
Strong experience building production server-side applications with Node.js, including REST API design, middleware architecture, and event-driven patterns.
PostgreSQL Database Design
Solid understanding of relational database design, SQL optimization, indexing strategies, and data modeling for complex business domains.
System Design and Architecture
Ability to design systems for scalability, performance, and maintainability. Experience with microservices, caching strategies, asynchronous processing, and system integration patterns.
Technical Problem Solving
Strong debugging skills, ability to identify bottlenecks, and experience optimizing application performance, database queries, and infrastructure efficiency.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or Related Field
Formal education in computer science, software engineering, mathematics, or equivalent discipline providing strong foundational knowledge in algorithms, data structures, and software principles.
Experience
7+ Years of Professional Software Development
Extensive track record as a professional software engineer with proven expertise across full-stack development, with significant time spent in startup environments where you've navigated rapid change and worn multiple hats.
Startup Environment Experience
Demonstrated success working in high-growth startups where you've prioritized impact, moved quickly, and taken ownership of technically complex and demanding projects from conception to execution.
Project Ownership and Autonomy
Proven track record of identifying valuable projects, developing and communicating technical strategies, and executing complex cross-functional initiatives with minimal oversight.
Customer-Oriented Development
Experience deeply understanding customer needs through direct engagement, translating those requirements into product improvements, and maintaining a customer-first mindset throughout the development process.
Technical Leadership
Experience mentoring engineers, conducting code reviews, enforcing best practices, and contributing to the growth and development of engineering teams through technical guidance and knowledge sharing.
Skills
Required
React
Production-grade experience building component-based applications with hooks, state management, and performance optimization.
TypeScript
Strong proficiency writing type-safe, maintainable TypeScript code for both frontend and backend applications.
Node.js
Solid backend development experience with Node.js, including Express or similar frameworks, API design, and server-side architecture.
PostgreSQL
Hands-on experience with relational database design, query optimization, and managing production PostgreSQL systems.
System Design
Ability to architect scalable systems, evaluate trade-offs, and make technical decisions considering performance, maintainability, and business needs.
Software Engineering Best Practices
Commitment to clean code, comprehensive testing strategies, code reviews, documentation, and continuous improvement methodologies.
Preferred
Construction Technology or Domain Expertise
Nice to haveFamiliarity with construction industry challenges, permitting processes, regulatory compliance, or enterprise software serving the built environment.
AI/ML Integration Experience
Nice to haveExperience integrating AI agents or machine learning models into production applications, understanding how to build systems that leverage AI capabilities effectively.
Cloud Infrastructure and DevOps
Nice to haveExperience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure), containerization, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code practices that support scalable deployments.
Agile Development Methodologies
Nice to haveDemonstrated experience working within agile frameworks, collaborating in cross-functional teams, and adapting to evolving product requirements in fast-paced environments.
Open Source Contributions
Nice to haveActive participation in open source projects demonstrating initiative, collaboration skills, and commitment to quality software development.
Performance Optimization
Nice to haveTrack record of identifying and resolving performance bottlenecks in applications, databases, and infrastructure systems.
Tech stack
Languages
Frameworks
Databases
Tools
Other
Compensation
Pay and benefits.
Base·USD 200,000 – 275,000
Equity·Stock options
Benefits
Comprehensive Health Coverage
100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees, plus healthcare FSA for tax-advantaged healthcare savings and flexibility.
Retirement Planning
401(k) savings plan to support long-term financial planning and retirement security.
Generous Time Off
Unlimited PTO policy combined with paid family leave, supporting work-life balance and life events without bureaucratic constraints.
Remote Work Support
Home office and equipment stipend to create a productive workspace, supporting hybrid work arrangement (3 in-office days per week in NYC).
In-Office Amenities
Daily provided lunch and dinner at NYC headquarters, fostering team collaboration, reducing mealtime logistics, and supporting employee wellness.
Commuter Benefits
Pre-tax transit and parking benefits for NYC-based employees, reducing commuting costs and supporting sustainable transportation options.
Meaningful Equity Participation
Significant equity stakes in a high-growth Series B company backed by top-tier investors including Accel and Kleiner Perkins, with substantial upside potential.
Competitive Compensation
Market-competitive salary reflecting the Staff-level position and demand for full-stack expertise in high-growth technology companies.
Process
Interview steps.
- 01
Initial Screening Call
Introductory conversation with a technical recruiter to discuss your background, experience with the core tech stack (React, Node.js, PostgreSQL), and alignment with PermitFlow's mission in construction technology.
- 02
Technical System Design Interview
Whiteboard or collaborative session focused on system architecture and design thinking. Expect questions on designing scalable systems, evaluating trade-offs, and making architectural decisions relevant to construction management platforms.
- 03
Full Stack Coding Assessment
Take-home or live coding exercise testing your ability to implement both frontend (React/TypeScript) and backend (Node.js/PostgreSQL) components. Demonstrates problem-solving approach, code quality, and familiarity with the tech stack.
- 04
Product and Customer-Centric Discussion
Conversation exploring your customer-first mindset, experience translating user needs into product improvements, and interest in the construction permitting domain. May include discussion of past projects where you advocated for customer needs.
- 05
Leadership and Mentorship Conversation
Discussion with engineering leadership about your experience mentoring engineers, conducting code reviews, contributing to technical culture, and your vision for team growth and engineering excellence.
- 06
Founder/Leadership Round
Final conversation with senior leadership or founders to assess cultural fit, your entrepreneurial mindset, alignment with PermitFlow's mission to modernize construction, and long-term vision for the role.
Full posting
Original listing.
PermitFlow is redefining how America builds. We’re an applied AI company serving the nation’s builders, tackling one of the largest information challenges in the economy: understanding what can be built, where, and how. Our AI agent workforce helps the fastest-growing construction companies navigate everything from permitting and licensing to inspections and project closeouts – accelerating housing, clean-energy, and infrastructure development across the country.
Despite being a $1.6T industry, construction still suffers from massive delays, wasted capital, and lost opportunity. PermitFlow has already delivered unprecedented speed, accuracy, and visibility to over $20B in development, helping contractors reduce compliance time, de-risk projects, and scale with confidence.
As the U.S. enters a new capex supercycle across data centers, factories, housing, and renewables, joining PermitFlow means building the AI infrastructure at the core of every construction project driving the next wave of reindustrialization.
We’ve raised over $90M, most recently completing our Series B, from top-tier investors including Accel, Kleiner Perkins, Initialized, Y Combinator, Felicis, and Altos Ventures, with backing from leaders at OpenAI, Google, Procore, ServiceTitan, Zillow, PlanGrid, and Uber.
Our HQ is in New York City with a hybrid schedule (3 in-office days per week). Preference for NYC-based candidates or those open to relocation.
What You’ll Do
Full Stack Development: Architect, design, and implement robust and scalable full-stack solutions. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to gather requirements, understand user needs, and translate them into technical solutions
Front End Development: Develop responsive and intuitive user interfaces using React and Typescript. Ensure a seamless and visually appealing user experience across various devices and platforms
Back End Development: Build and optimize server-side components using Node.js. Work with databases, particularly Postgres, to design and implement efficient data storage and retrieval solutions
System Architecture: Contribute to the overall architecture and design of the construction management platform. Make high-level decisions regarding technology choices, scalability, and system integrations
Leadership and Mentorship: Conduct code reviews, enforce best practices, and contribute to the professional growth of the development team
Collaboration: Collaborate with product managers, designers, and other stakeholders to ensure alignment between technical solutions and business objectives. Participate in agile development processes, including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and retrospectives
Continuous Learning: Stay updated on industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in full-stack development. Evaluate and recommend new tools and frameworks to enhance the platform's capabilities
What We're Looking For
Extensive experience in professional fullstack development, ideally most of which you’ve spent in startups
Extensive experience working within our tech stack, which is listed above
You sweat the important details and strive for excellence in your work
Experience owning technically challenging and demanding cross-functional projects
A record of identifying valuable projects, communicating the strategy for them, and executing on them autonomously
A customer-first mindset and an interest in talking with customers to make sure what we’re building is a polished product meets their needs
Habit of introspection and understanding what’s helped you be successful in the past
What We Offer
Competitive salary and meaningful equity in a high-growth company
100% company-paid base medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees + healthcare FSA
401(k) savings plan
Unlimited PTO and paid family leave
Home office & equipment stipend
Daily in-office lunch and dinner provided
Commuter benefits (pre-tax transit and parking)
PermitFlow provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or family status, as protected by applicable law.
We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcome people from all backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and abilities. All employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs.
Redirects to PermitFlow's application page.
Other roles