Experienced Technical Lead II for Backend Development - Live Chat Team - Self-Service Group at blithequark

Introduction to blithequark and the Live Chat Team At blithequark, we're passionate about empowering support teams to deliver exceptional customer experiences through real-time conversations. Our Live Chat Team is at the forefront of this mission, building a first-class product that supports millions of messages with high performance and reliability. As we continue to expand our system, we're seeking a talented Technical Lead II to join our Backend team and play a key role in shaping the future of our live chat capabilities. About the Role We're looking for an experienced Technical Lead II to oversee a small team of engineers and provide technical guidance, product direction, and coaching to team members. As a Tech Lead II, you'll spend approximately 70% of your time on hands-on coding, while also developing and mentoring direct reports and leading productive teams. Your expertise will be instrumental in driving the technical execution and delivery of new features, unifying separate systems, and exploring generative AI opportunities to help our customers move faster. Key Responsibilities Lead a small team of engineers, providing technical guidance, product direction, and coaching to team members Participate in the technical execution and delivery of new features to improve time to value Unify separate systems into a cohesive chat experience Explore generative AI opportunities to help our customers move fast Make use of industry-leading 3rd party tools as well as robust home-grown infrastructure powering the blithequark Engineering organization Build and scale a robust data infrastructure that serves the entire organization Our Technology Stack Our services rely heavily on performant technologies to achieve our goals. We write lots of microservices, primarily with Java 11, and our APIs are RESTful, using the Dropwizard framework. We also take advantage of Kafka for processing large volumes of data. As a Tech Lead II, you'll have the opportunity to work with these technologies and contribute to the development of our technical stack. Key Expectations As a Tech Lead II at blithequark, you'll be expected to: Be a player-coach, responsible for leading a small team and providing technical guidance and coaching to team members Collaborate with Product, Design, and other Tech Leads to establish relevant, compelling, and challenging goals Actively work with other Tech Leads to address and resolve cross-team issues Take proactive ownership of the team's on-call health, product reliability, and overall quality Have a vested interest in the direction of the product, actively participating in decision-making rather than deferring to others Serve as an active member of the team's leadership triad, helping to co-set the team's direction Be committed to the growth of team members, enabling them to take on increasingly complex tasks Focus on cultivating Software Engineers into Senior Software Engineers and nurturing Senior Software Engineers into future Tech Leads and Staff Engineers Regularly evaluate team members' performance and provide necessary coaching, guidance, and learning opportunities to support their career growth Essential Qualifications To be successful in this role, you'll need: Strong senior engineering skills with some experience leading small teams A passion for writing code and reading code Excellent communication and collaboration skills Experience with Java 11, RESTful APIs, and Dropwizard framework Familiarity with Kafka and microservices architecture A strong understanding of software development principles and practices Preferred Qualifications While not required, the following qualifications are preferred: Experience with generative AI and machine learning Knowledge of cloud-based technologies and infrastructure Familiarity with agile development methodologies and DevOps practices Experience with mentoring and coaching junior engineers A strong understanding of diversity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives Skills and Competencies To succeed as a Tech Lead II at blithequark, you'll need to possess the following skills and competencies: Strong technical skills and expertise in software development Excellent leadership and management skills Strong communication and collaboration skills Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment Strong problem-solving and analytical skills Ability to mentor and coach junior engineers Strong understanding of software development principles and practices Career Growth Opportunities and Learning Benefits At blithequark, we're committed to the growth and development of our employees. As a Tech Lead II, you'll have access to a range of career growth opportunities and learning benefits, including: Professional development and training programs Mentorship and coaching from experienced engineers and leaders Opportunities to work on complex and challenging projects Collaboration with cross-functional teams and stakeholders Access to industry-leading technologies and tools Work Environment and Company Culture At blithequark, we're proud of our culture and work environment. We offer a range of benefits and perks, including: Flexible working hours and remote work options Comprehensive health and wellness programs Generous paid time off and vacation policies Opportunities for professional development and growth A collaborative and dynamic work environment Compensation, Perks, and Benefits We offer a competitive compensation package, including a salary range of $191,100 - $305,800 per year, depending on experience. We also offer a range of perks and benefits, including: Comprehensive health and wellness programs Generous paid time off and vacation policies Opportunities for professional development and growth A collaborative and dynamic work environment Access to industry-leading technologies and tools Conclusion If you're a motivated and experienced technical leader looking for a new challenge, we encourage you to apply for this exciting opportunity. At blithequark, we're committed to building a diverse and inclusive team, and we welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and experiences. Don't hesitate to apply – we'd love to hear from you!