Engineering Lead

Job Purpose

The Engineering Lead leads the architecture and technology for a high-performing development team responsible for AOT’s suite of interconnected digital solutions designed for the public and private sectors. This role combines hands-on technical oversight with people management, ensuring that the team is empowered to do their best work building scalable, secure, and user-friendly applications that drive meaningful impact in civic and government services. The Engineering Lead fosters a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and accountability, working closely with cross-functional partners to align technical execution with strategic goals. 

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of software engineers working across a portfolio of digital solutions for the public sector.
• Partner with the Software Product Manager to align technical implementation with user needs, regulatory requirements, and organizational goals.
• Demonstrated ability to dive into complex technical challenges – writing code, reviewing pull requests, and shaping software architecture – while guiding the team on best practices and high-level design decisions as needed. 
• Provide architectural guidance and ensure the maintainability, scalability, and performance of all products in the portfolio.
• Manage technical delivery across multiple projects and product lifecycles.
• Promote secure, accessible, and privacy-compliant development practices across the engineering team.
• Support career development through coaching, regular feedback, and performance reviews.
• Champion a high-performance, collaborative culture that embraces open communication, continuous learning, experimentation, and psychological safety – empowering each team member’s growth while maintaining accountability and shared ownership of outcomes.
• Contribute to long-term technical strategy, including modernization and integration of all product offerings.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration to ensure successful deployment, support, and evolution of each product.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.

Experience

• 12+ years of professional software development experience, including 2+ years managing or leading engineering teams, 2+ years architecture design or in a solution architect role.
• Experience delivering digital products for enterprise or public sector clients.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong technical background in web application development, cloud architecture, and system integration, with 10+ years of experience in full-stack development.
• Experience with process orchestration using traditional BPMN tools (e.g., Camunda).
• Proficient in one or more backend languages/frameworks such as Python Flask, Java Spring Boot, and frontend frameworks like React, Vue, or Angular.
• Demonstrated interest in and knowledge of AI, actively staying informed on emerging advancements in gen AI, LLMs, ML integration, etc.
• Proven leadership skills, with the ability to inspire and support a team in delivering high-impact software.
• Deep understanding of secure coding practices, accessibility, and compliance frameworks relevant to public sector software.
• Excellent communication skills and experience working in cross-functional environments.
• Skilled in agile development methodologies and iterative delivery.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in low-code/no-code platforms or process automation tools.
• Familiarity with government digital standards and procurement environments.
• Experience managing open-source or hybrid-source software projects.
• Exposure to DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and cloud infrastructure (e.g., AWS, Azure).
• Exposure to machine learning & LLMs: familiarity with ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn) and NLP/LLM solutions (OpenAI APIs, Hugging Face models, etc.).

Working Conditions

• Work Arrangement: An occasionally hybrid opportunity based out of our Trivandrum office.
• Travel Requirements: Occasional travel may be required for team meetings, user research, or conferences.
• On-Call Requirements: Light on-call rotation may be required depending on operational needs.
• Hours of Work: Monday to Friday, 40 hours per week, with overlap with PST required as needed.

Living AOT’s Values

Our values guide how we work, collaborate, and grow as a team. Every role at AOT is expected to embody and promote these values:

• Innovation: We pursue true innovation by solving problems and meeting unarticulated needs.
• Integrity: We hold ourselves to high ethical standards and never compromise.
• Ownership: We are all responsible for our shared long-term success.
• Agility: We stay ready to adapt to change and deliver results. 
• Collaboration: We believe collaboration and knowledge-sharing fuel innovation and success.

• Empowerment: We support our people so they can bring the best of themselves to work every day.