Software Engineer

LightSight is an AI consulting and engineering firm. Our engineering team builds data infrastructure and AI software solutions for small to midsized companies: data pipelines, cloud infrastructure, internal tooling, and client-facing applications.

We are growing fast, and you would be joining early, with real ownership over the systems and decisions that shape how we scale. The Software Engineer builds and ships the solutions our clients run their businesses on, from the first working prototype through production, and owns the data and cloud foundations underneath them.

Within each engagement, the Technical Product Manager defines the user experience and requirements, and the Software Engineer turns them into working, maintainable software. The role suits someone who builds daily with AI-assisted development tools, holds a high bar for code quality, and is comfortable working directly with client teams.

Reports to the Chief Technology Officer and works closely with the engineering and delivery team, the Technical Product Manager, and the Chief AI Officer. Cleveland, Chicago, Phoenix, or Seattle preferred; fully remote arrangements are available, and there is no in-office requirement. The seniority of the title and the compensation level are flexible based on experience.

U.S. work authorization required. We are unable to sponsor or transfer employment visas for this position.

Core Responsibilities

Solution Build and Delivery

Design, build, test, and ship AI software solutions and the systems that support them, from prototype through production.
Work from the user experience and requirements defined by the Technical Product Manager, and raise concerns early when a requirement will not hold up in practice.
Build with AI-assisted development tools such as Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor, and apply LLM fundamentals including prompting, context management, tool use, retrieval, and hallucination control.
Own the quality of what you ship: code review, testing, documentation, and clean object-oriented design that others can extend.

Data and Cloud Infrastructure

Build and maintain data pipelines that move, clean, and structure client data for AI solutions.
Provision and operate cloud infrastructure on Azure, AWS, or GCP, including environments, deployments, and access.
Containerize and automate deployments so infrastructure is reproducible and operable by others on the team.
Build internal tooling that makes the engineering and delivery team faster.

Client-Facing Work

Work directly with client technical and business stakeholders to understand their existing systems, data, and constraints.
Explain technical decisions and trade-offs in plain language, and communicate progress and risks clearly.
Support discovery and business development with working prototypes when a demo will move a client decision.
Represent LightSight’s standards for quality and responsiveness in every client interaction.

Qualifications

Programming. Professional software engineering experience, with at least one system you have owned end to end and can walk us through.
Modern AI tooling. Hands-on experience with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, or similar.
LLM fundamentals. Solid understanding of prompting techniques, context management, tool use, hallucination, and RAG.
Cloud. Hands-on experience with Azure, AWS, or GCP; Azure experience is a plus.
Git. Comfortable with branches, merges, and pull requests.
Object-oriented design. Strong grasp of object-oriented principles and when to apply them.
Collaboration and communication. Collaborative, organized, and curious, with clear written and verbal communication; comfortable working directly with clients.

Nice to have

Design patterns and functional programming exposure.
Networking and web protocols. REST/HTTP, TLS, DNS, MCP.
Infrastructure tooling. Docker, Bicep.
Azure networking and identity. VNets, subnets, NSGs, firewalls, peering, Entra ID, OAuth.
Relational databases, including PostgreSQL.

We recognize that strong candidates may not have experience in every area listed. We encourage applications from candidates who demonstrate strong quantitative foundations, intellectual curiosity, sound judgment and an ability to learn quickly.

Competencies

Judgment. Knows when a solution is ready to ship, when to simplify, and when to raise a risk before it becomes a problem.
Ownership. Carries work from requirement to production and asks for context when it is missing.
Clear communicator. Explains technical decisions to business audiences and client constraints to teammates, adjusting tone for each.
Builder’s mindset. Tests ideas by building them, using AI-assisted tools to turn a concept into working software within days.
Quality focus. Writes code and builds infrastructure that others can read, test, operate, and extend.
Relationship builder. Earns the trust of client technical teams and the LightSight delivery team.

Measures of Success

This job description will serve as the foundation for the 30-60-90 day plan established at hire. The following outcomes define the role performing well:

Solutions ship to the agreed scope and schedule and run reliably in production.
Data pipelines and cloud infrastructure are documented, reproducible, and operable by others on the team.
Prototypes reach clients early and shape solution decisions.
Client stakeholders experience a responsive engineer who communicates clearly and delivers what was committed.
Delivered solutions are adopted by clients and tied to the business outcomes identified at the start of the engagement.

Working Relationships

Chief Technology Officer. Direct reporting relationship and daily collaboration on technical direction, architecture, and delivery quality.
Technical Product Manager. Daily collaboration on requirements, user experience, prototyping, and delivery.
Engineering and delivery team. Shared standards for code quality, infrastructure, and delivery.
Chief AI Officer and Executive team. Collaboration on client priorities, engagement scope, and delivery health.
Clients. Direct working relationships with technical and business stakeholders at client companies.

Compensation

Associate: $70,000–$120,000
Senior: $120,000–$170,000

The level, and the compensation within it, is set based on experience.

Benefits

LightSight pays 100% of the employee premium on our core medical plan, an Aetna PPO HSA plan, and funds your Health Savings Account every month on top of it. Highlights, effective December 1, 2026:

Medical. No employee premium on the core plan. After a $3,400 individual deductible the plan pays 100% of covered in-network costs, with a $5,500 individual out-of-pocket maximum on a nationwide Aetna PPO network. Other plan options are available, and LightSight contributes the same dollar amount toward any plan we offer.
HSA funding. $1,800 per year for employee-only coverage, $2,700 for employee plus spouse or children, and $3,600 for family coverage, deposited monthly. The account is yours and rolls over each year.
Family coverage. LightSight pays 70% of the premium for your spouse, partner, and children on the core plan; the remaining 30% is paid through pre-tax payroll deductions.
401(k). 4% company match; eligibility begins after three full months of employment.
Dental, vision, and more. Dental and vision coverage for you and your family, voluntary life insurance up to $500,000, and supplemental hospital indemnity, critical illness, and accident coverage.
Coverage start. Coverage begins the first of the month after your start date, or on your start date if you start on the first of the month.

This is a summary. Plan details, carriers, and contribution amounts are governed by the official plan documents and may change at renewal.

LightSight is an equal opportunity employer. Responsibilities and expectations in this description may evolve as the company grows and will be reviewed with the role holder as part of regular performance planning.