Tech Lead

The Company

We're Big Human, a digital product studio that's been solving complex problems since 2010. We're part client-services, part internal lab. We create beautiful online experiences, as well as incubate our own ideas. We've built, launched, and sold our own products, which gives us valuable insights into creating leading-edge tech for our clients.

The Role

We're seeking an experienced Tech Lead to join the Big Human team and take ownership of the technical direction across our client and internal product work. You'll have at least 8 years of relevant industry experience and the ability to operate at the intersection of engineering, product, and people. You think in systems — considering not just how to build something, but why it's being built, what it means for the user, and how it fits into a larger product strategy.

You'll lead a small team of engineers, setting the technical standard through architecture decisions, hands-on code review, and mentorship. You're the resident expert your teammates turn to when something is hard — and the person clients trust to speak candidly about what's possible. You're equally comfortable writing production code and stepping back to guide others through doing the same.

We embrace AI-assisted development as part of how we work. You should be comfortable using tools like Cursor and Claude Code to accelerate your workflow — and bring the judgment and ownership to validate, refine, and take full responsibility for everything that goes into production.

Qualifications/Requirements:

• Strong product thinking — ability to understand user needs, business goals, and the 'why' behind what we build, and to advocate for the right solution even when that means pushing back

• Proven ability to lead and mentor a team of engineers — setting expectations, unblocking others, and raising the overall quality of the team's output

• Rigorous approach to code quality and PR review — able to give clear, constructive feedback and hold a high bar without slowing teams down

• Ability to serve as a resident technical expert — go-to resource for architectural decisions, difficult debugging, and evaluating new tools or approaches

• Experience interfacing with clients as a technology domain expert — translating technical concepts clearly and building trust

• Willingness to jump into any project and lead through ambiguity

• Extensive knowledge of React and Next.js — including API routes, middleware, and server-side rendering

• Experience architecting and consuming RESTful APIs

• Strong TypeScript skills with support for modern ES7+ features

• Experience with Supabase or similar backend-as-a-service platforms for database, auth, and storage

• Experience integrating third-party payment systems (Stripe, including Stripe Elements and Stripe Identity)

• Experience with cloud hosting and deployment pipelines, particularly Vercel

• Experience writing tests with Jest, Vitest, and Playwright, and working within CI/CD pipelines

• Commitment to accessible, pixel-perfect responsive design — WCAG 2.1 AA compliance experience preferred

• Productive with AI-assisted coding tools (Cursor, Claude Code) and able to critically evaluate output and ship production-ready code with confidence

Bonus Points:

• Experience with AI/LLM service integration (OpenAI, Google Vertex AI / Gemini)

• Experience with error tracking tools such as Sentry

• Knowledge of background job processing (Redis, BullMQ)

• Experience with geolocation or geo-restriction implementations

• Familiarity with OpenAPI documentation standards

• SEO knowledge

• Experience with headless CMS systems like Contentful or Sanity

• Familiarity with relational databases such as MySQL or PostgreSQL

• Experience with web analytics platforms such as GA4 and PostHog

Benefits and Perks:

• Remote Office (with bi-monthly coworking days)

• Health, Dental & Vision Insurance (including options completely covered by Big Human)

• 14 Paid Holidays & Generous Vacation Time

• 401(k) Matching

• 10–16 Weeks of Paid Parental Leave

• Internet Credit & Home Office Upgrade Stipend

• Summer Fridays

• Yearly Team Retreat & Company-Sponsored Team Events

• Shared Experience Fund & Donation Matching

• Education Fund for professional development

This role is fully remote, with strong preference for someone based in the Tri-State area (or who can easily travel to NYC for coworking days and team gatherings). Compensation is commensurate with experience, and depends on background.

Big Human is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Opportunities for advancement exist, and Big Human is committed to helping all staff develop and grow.