Senior Software Engineer

Senior Software Engineer

Company details

Description of the offer

MOTO(acquire): the most mobile-friendly, highest converting trade-in tool with instant values, offer requests, and automated value tracking emails. We build modern trade-in experiences and value-tracking products that feel more like a great consumer app than a legacy dealership tool.

We’re growing fast: our goal is to be supporting 1,000+ dealers by the end of 2026. Our Chief Marketing Officer is Russell Richardson aka “RussFlipsWhips”—an automotive creator with 2M+ followers—and we’re building a category-defining product with real distribution behind it.

If you want to build software that ships, gets used, and compounds into a meaningful business quickly, you’ll like it here.

The Role (what “own engineering” means here)
We’re looking for a strong full-stack engineer who can take real ownership of our engineering function—not just tickets. You’ll be the person who turns product direction into execution, builds the foundations, and helps us scale from “shipping” to “shipping reliably at high volume.”

You will:
• Own the engineering org: technical direction, engineering standards, and how we build (process, quality, and velocity)
• Architect and ship core product features end-to-end across our stack (Next.js 14 + TypeScript + Node + Prisma + Postgres)
• Build and maintain robust integrations (e.g., Twilio, vehicle data APIs, dealer workflows)
• Create systems that scale: reliability, observability, performance, and clean data flows
• Drive practical engineering discipline (PR reviews, testing strategy, environment management, CI/CD, incident response) without slowing us down
• Partner directly with the founder (Mike) to shape roadmap, tradeoffs, and priorities—then execute

Who you are
• You have strong full-stack experience and can ship production software confidently
• You have good engineering judgment: you know when to build it “right” vs when to move fast
• You like ownership, high agency, and being accountable for outcomes (not just output)
• You can translate messy real-world needs into clean, maintainable systems
• You communicate clearly and can lead without ego

What you’ve likely worked with (or similar)
• Next.js / React, TypeScript
• Node.js (TypeScript)
• PostgreSQL + Prisma (or another ORM)
• REST APIs and third-party integrations
• Auth patterns (Auth.js / Auth0 or equivalent)
• Shipping on modern infra (e.g., Vercel)
• Bonus: event-driven workflows (Inngest or similar)

Why this role is different
This isn’t “join an engineering team.” This is help define what the engineering team becomes. If you’ve wanted a shot to build an engineering function with real product-market pull and real distribution, this is that shot.

Location / working style
Chicago-based (hybrid preferred). Open to remote within US time zones with collaboration hours 10am–4pm CT.

Interview process
1. Quick intro with Mike
2. Technical conversation (real-world, practical)
3. Deeper architecture/ownership discussion
4. Working session or paid project (if helpful)

Location of employment

How to apply?