Who are we?
Zencity is a mission-driven startup re-inventing the way governments hear from, understand, and engage with their residents. Our community input & insights platform and community survey solution use advanced NLP and ML algorithms to help government organizations make data-driven decisions. Our global team of urban enthusiasts and data geeks works with over 400 cities - from Los Angeles, to Chicago, to Austin. If you're passionate about joining a growing and dynamic company focused on leveraging data and tech to work on real-world challenges and radically improve life in cities - your place is with us!
What is the role?
This is not a typical full-stack position. We're looking for an exceptional Staff / Principal Engineer who can own complex technical domains, shape system architecture, and lead end-to-end development while remaining 100% hands-on. You will report directly to the VP R&D, work closely with them on technical strategy and architecture, gradually take ownership of architectural responsibilities across the platform, and become one of the company's leading technical voices. Along the way you'll help mayors and other city leaders understand their residents and their city in more effective ways, improving the lives of millions of citizens around the world.
Key Responsibilities
Own complex product domains from architecture through production
Lead end-to-end feature development across frontend, backend, and cloud
Drive architectural decisions and technical direction across the platform
Design and build scalable distributed systems
Design and develop AI-powered capabilities as part of the core product
Work closely with the VP R&D on technical strategy and architecture
Mentor engineers through technical leadership (without people management)
Serve as one of the company's technical leaders, influencing engineering standards and long-term technical strategy
Requirements
7+ years of software engineering experience, with significant experience leading architecture and complex technical initiatives
Background as a Staff Engineer, Principal Engineer, Software Architect, or highly experienced Technical Lead
Strong system design and software architecture experience
Proven experience with agentic coding (Claude Code / Codex / Cursor)
Proven experience owning complex technical domains end-to-end
Experience owning architecture and leading technical direction in a product startup environment
Deep expertise with Node.js, TypeScript, and React
Cloud experience, preferably AWS
Familiarity with containers and Kubernetes
Great interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate with product, design, and go-to-market teams
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, delivery-driven environment
It's even better if you have:
Designed and built a POC or product/service from the ground up in a current or previous role
A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent relevant experience
Experience working with local government
