Senior Software Engineer – Productivity App

About the Role

Our client is an early-stage, founder-led company building a novel productivity application designed to bridge the gap between daily execution and long-term personal goals. Rather than acting as a standard standalone task manager, the platform connects daily priorities directly to macro goals through high-performance desktop workflows.

We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer to own technical decisions, architect core systems, and lead hands-on development as the product transitions into its next phase. This is a fully remote, high-ownership role working directly alongside the founder.

We place a high premium on end-to-end systems architecture and fundamental software design. In an era where AI tools streamline routine coding tasks, we are specifically looking for a senior engineer who brings deep architectural vision, system-level problem solving, and production rigor to the table.

Technical Stack & Architecture

Target Platforms: macOS Desktop (Primary / First), followed by Windows, Mobile (Expo/React Native), and Web.
Frontend / Desktop: Electron, React, TypeScript, Vite, Tailwind CSS.
Backend: Node.js / TypeScript, Hono, Drizzle ORM.
Database, Sync & Auth: Local-first SQLite, PowerSync, PostgreSQL (Neon), Clerk.
Infrastructure: Dockerized API hosted on dedicated Linux VPS, Neon Postgres, PowerSync Cloud.

What You’ll Do

Desktop & UI Architecture: Lead the development of our macOS-first desktop application, creating snappy, responsive client interfaces using Electron, React, and TypeScript.
Local-First & Data Sync: Implement reliable offline-first data architectures using local SQLite, managing state and seamless bi-directional synchronization to PostgreSQL via PowerSync.
Backend & API Systems: Build lean, scalable microservices and APIs using Node.js, Hono, and Drizzle ORM.
Systems Design & Tradeoffs: Make critical architectural choices balancing speed, maintainability, memory management, and app performance.
Responsible AI Engineering: Maximize output speed using modern AI coding agents (Cursor, Copilot, LLMs) while rigorously auditing, debugging, and maintaining full ownership of code security and architecture.

What We’re Looking For

Senior Engineering Fundamentals: 5+ years of professional software engineering experience with demonstrated depth in systems architecture, data structures, and app performance.
TypeScript Mastery: Deep experience across the full TypeScript ecosystem (React, Node.js, modern build tools like Vite).
Desktop Application Experience: Proven experience building or maintaining desktop apps (Electron or Tauri) or complex client-side applications.
Relational Database Expertise: Strong understanding of relational data modeling and SQL performance (PostgreSQL, SQLite).
AI-Native Workflow: Ability to leverage AI tools to multiply personal output, combined with the core engineering capability to independently debug and refactor complex systems without relying on AI.
Product Mindset: Comfort operating in an evolving startup environment, translating early-stage product vision into clean, maintainable software.

Preferred (Bonus) Qualifications

Direct experience building local-first or offline-first synchronization systems (PowerSync, CRDTs, WatermelonDB, RxDB).
Familiarity with cross-platform mobile development (Expo / React Native) to assist in upcoming product extensions.
Previous experience building productivity, task management, or workflow applications.

Role Details

Type: Full-time (40 hours/week)
Location: Fully Remote (South Africa)
Impact: Direct collaboration with the founder with significant technical autonomy and equity-like impact on product direction.

Software Engineer - 20555