Software Engineer

About The Company
At 8th Light, we bring life to the best ideas. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Chicago, we are a technology solutions provider that partners with organizations to solve meaningful challenges and drive sustainable growth. Our diverse client portfolio ranges from early-stage startups to global enterprises across various industries, enabling us to optimize digital products through innovative product strategies, experiential design, AI solutions, and deep engineering expertise. We are committed to delivering high-quality solutions that we are truly proud of, fostering an environment of curiosity that sparks innovation and breakthrough thinking. Our culture champions continuous education, mentorship, and hands-on work, creating an open, collaborative environment grounded in honesty and trust. We believe that true success is measured by the outcomes we create for our clients and the growth of our team members. If you thrive in a dynamic environment that values innovation, learning, and impactful work, 8th Light is the right place for you.

About The Role
We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Lead Engineer to join our team at 8th Light. In this role, you will serve as a technical leader, guiding complex projects from conception to deployment while collaborating closely with clients and internal teams. You will be responsible for making immediate contributions to projects, establishing trust with clients, and leading architecture and software design discussions. Your expertise will help shape our solutions across various technologies, including AI and machine learning, ensuring that our deliverables meet high standards of quality, security, scalability, and performance. As a key player in our projects, you will also mentor colleagues, foster team health, and contribute to our culture of continuous learning and innovation. This role offers an exciting opportunity to work on diverse projects, lead technical teams, and influence the strategic direction of our solutions in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have over 7 years of proven success in software development and technical leadership. Candidates should possess a broad and deep expertise across multiple programming languages and frameworks, including Python, Java, JavaScript, and React. Experience with AI/ML-powered features, such as recommendation engines, NLP models, computer vision, or predictive analytics, is highly desirable. Strong familiarity with automated testing, debugging, and refactoring pre-existing code is essential, along with experience working with version control systems like Git, and CI/CD pipelines. Candidates should have a solid understanding of architecture concerns such as scalability, security, reliability, and performance. Leadership skills are critical, including the ability to mentor colleagues, facilitate collaboration across functions, and make thoughtful recommendations in ambiguous situations. Excellent communication skills, empathy, and stakeholder management experience are also required, along with a demonstrated ability to lead high-stakes projects from discovery through production.

Responsibilities
As a Lead Engineer at 8th Light, your responsibilities will include:

• Making immediate and impactful contributions to client projects, establishing trust and credibility quickly.
• Leading architecture and software design discussions to develop scalable, secure, and maintainable solutions.
• Collaborating on systems that encompass the entire ML lifecycle, including data ingestion, preprocessing, model deployment, integration, and performance monitoring.
• Generating innovative solutions to technical and non-technical challenges in partnership with team members and clients.
• Facilitating formal feedback sessions such as retrospectives to improve team processes and project outcomes.
• Clearly documenting project outcomes, technical decisions, and driving actionable next steps.
• Contributing to team health and culture by modeling company values and fostering a collaborative environment.
• Managing project roadmaps and prioritizing backlogs to ensure timely delivery of high-quality work.
• Maintaining strong relationships with client technical leaders through regular communication and status updates.
• Identifying, mitigating, and resolving blockers to team progress to ensure smooth project execution.
• Serving as a mentor and role model within the team, supporting professional development and internal knowledge sharing.
• Representing 8th Light in the broader tech community through workshops, speaking engagements, or contributions to open source projects.

Benefits
At 8th Light, we prioritize the growth, well-being, and success of our team members. Our comprehensive wellness package includes unlimited access to thousands of books, courses, and expert-led training via the O'Reilly learning platform, along with an annual financial stipend dedicated to learning and development. We support flexible work arrangements with coworking support for our global team, flexible PTO, wellness days, and 12 weeks of parental leave for eligible employees. Our transparent promotion process occurs twice a year, providing clarity on career progression. Additional benefits include health insurance, retirement plans, and a collaborative work environment designed to promote work-life balance. We also encourage participation in community events, internal workshops, and mentorship programs to foster continuous professional growth.

Equal Opportunity

8th Light is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. We believe that a variety of perspectives fosters innovation and drives better outcomes for our clients and team members. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic. We are dedicated to providing equal employment opportunities and fostering a welcoming environment where everyone can thrive and contribute meaningfully to our shared success.