Lead Full Stack Software Engineer – AWS / SaaS / Applied AI
Location: Toronto, Ontario — Hybrid
Employment Type: Full-Time
Experience: 5+ years
Level: Senior / Lead Individual Contributor
About the Role
We are seeking a Lead Full Stack Software Engineer to design, build, and continuously improve production-grade cloud applications and SaaS platforms.
This role is ideal for an experienced engineer who is comfortable working across the complete software-development lifecycle—from understanding business requirements and designing system workflows to developing front-end and back-end functionality, testing applications, supporting deployment, and improving production reliability.
The successful candidate will combine strong hands-on software engineering skills with technical leadership, stakeholder communication, architecture awareness, and the ability to translate business problems into practical technical solutions.
The position provides opportunities to work with modern JavaScript/TypeScript frameworks, Java/Spring Boot, Node.js, AWS, databases, CI/CD, containerization, security, and applied AI/ML technologies.
What You’ll Do
- Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain production-grade SaaS and web applications across the full technology stack.
- Build modern, responsive front-end applications using React, Next.js, Angular, TypeScript, JavaScript, HTML, CSS/SASS, Tailwind CSS, and related technologies.
- Develop scalable backend services and APIs using Java, Spring Boot, Node.js, Express.js, REST APIs, and GraphQL.
- Design modular application architectures, system integrations, data flows, APIs, authentication mechanisms, and reusable application components.
- Translate business and stakeholder requirements into technical requirements, user stories, prototypes, workflows, wireframes, data models, and implementation plans.
- Work with AWS cloud services, including services such as S3 and Lambda, to build and operate cloud-native solutions.
- Containerize and deploy applications using technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes.
- Contribute to infrastructure and delivery automation using Terraform, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, and CI/CD pipelines.
- Design and work with relational and NoSQL databases including PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, and MongoDB.
- Implement secure application architectures using OAuth2, OIDC, JWT, RBAC, encryption, access controls, and OWASP-aligned engineering practices.
- Develop automated tests using technologies such as JUnit, pytest, Jest, Cypress, and Playwright.
- Participate in code reviews, technical design discussions, architecture decisions, release-readiness reviews, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement.
- Identify technical debt, performance issues, maintainability concerns, and opportunities to improve application reliability.
- Collaborate closely with product, UX, QA, architecture, engineering, business, and customer-facing stakeholders.
- Provide technical mentoring and guidance to other developers while remaining strongly hands-on with development.
- Evaluate technical feasibility and contribute to delivery planning and engineering estimates.
- Support product demonstrations and explain complex technical capabilities clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Explore practical opportunities for incorporating AI, machine learning, NLP, computer vision, and LLM-based capabilities into software products where they provide measurable business value.
What You BringRequired Qualifications
- 5+ years of professional experience in software engineering, full-stack development, technical consulting, or closely related roles.
- Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or an equivalent technical discipline.
- Strong professional experience with modern front-end development using technologies such as:
- TypeScript
- JavaScript ES6+
- React
- Next.js
- Angular
- RxJS / NgRx
- HTML5
- CSS3 / SASS
- Strong backend-development experience with:
- Java
- Spring Boot
- Node.js
- Express.js
- REST APIs
- API integrations
- Experience designing and delivering production-grade full-stack applications.
- Experience with AWS and cloud-native application development.
- Working knowledge of Docker, Kubernetes, Linux, Git, CI/CD pipelines, and modern DevOps practices.
- Experience with relational databases and SQL, including technologies such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, or SQL Server.
- Understanding of software architecture principles including modular architecture, scalable applications, microservices/service-oriented architectures, design patterns, maintainability, and system integration.
- Experience with automated testing, regression testing, code reviews, and software quality practices.
- Understanding of secure application-development principles including authentication, authorization, API security, RBAC, JWT, OAuth/OIDC, and OWASP practices.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively in Agile/Scrum environments.
- Ability to independently own technical work from requirements clarification through implementation, testing, deployment, and continuous improvement.
- Strong communication skills and demonstrated experience collaborating with technical teams, business stakeholders, and customers.
- Experience providing technical mentoring, reviewing code, and supporting engineering-delivery decisions.
Applied AI & Data Experience
The ideal candidate also brings practical exposure to:
- Python
- Scikit-learn
- TensorFlow / Keras
- Deep learning
- NLP
- Computer vision
- LLM fundamentals
- Data integration and modeling
The role does not require a dedicated Machine Learning Engineer, but candidates should be comfortable evaluating and implementing AI-enabled capabilities when appropriate.
Preferred Background
Experience in one or more of the following environments would be particularly valuable:
- SaaS
- Financial services
- Insurance
- Technology consulting
- Enterprise software
- Cloud modernization
- Digital-transformation projects
- Data-intensive applications
Experience working with regulated or security-conscious organizations is considered an asset.
What Success Looks Like
Within this role, you will be expected to:
- Deliver reliable product features from concept through production.
- Improve the quality and maintainability of existing applications.
- Convert ambiguous business requirements into clear technical solutions.
- Help engineering teams make pragmatic architecture and implementation decisions.
- Maintain strong engineering standards through testing, reviews, documentation, and secure-development practices.
- Communicate effectively with customers and business stakeholders.
- Gradually take ownership of larger technical initiatives and help guide other engineers.
- Identify opportunities where cloud technologies, automation, data, or applied AI can materially improve the product.
Ideal Candidate Profile
You are a hands-on senior engineer who enjoys operating between software development, architecture, technical leadership, cloud engineering, and product delivery.
You can build a React or Angular interface, develop a Java/Spring Boot or Node.js backend, design APIs and data flows, work with AWS infrastructure, troubleshoot deployment issues, review another developer’s code, discuss requirements with a stakeholder, and explain the resulting solution to a customer.
You are not looking to move away from engineering into pure people management. Instead, you want to remain technically hands-on while increasing your ownership of architecture, delivery, mentoring, and technical decision-making.
Pay: $61,197.71-$142,098.92 per year
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Toronto, ON (Toronto District)
