Lead Ruby on Rails Software Engineer

About The Company A well-established US education-technology company with a global presence, providing digital learning content and platforms to a large user base for over two decades. Distributed, international team working on products used by millions of active users worldwide. About The Role Lead Ruby on Rails Software Engineer needed to join the Engineering team. This is a technical leadership role for someone with deep Ruby on Rails expertise and a strong understanding of technology architecture, programming languages, systems, and security models, who can drive the architecture and delivery of complex software solutions, mentor engineers, and lead cross-team technical initiatives. The role combines hands-on technical ownership with people leadership: you'll be responsible both for the systems you design and for the growth of the engineers around you. Responsibilities Leading the architecture, design, and development of Ruby on Rails applicationsPlanning and overseeing large technical projects involving multiple engineering teamsCoordinating tasks and assignments within complex cross-team projectsDriving technical direction, coding standards, and engineering best practicesMentoring and developing junior, intermediate, and senior engineersCollaborating with Product, Engineering, and Architecture teams to deliver scalable solutionsIdentifying technical risks and driving resolution strategiesIdentifying team-specific technical issues and proposing or implementing solutionsEvaluating new technologies and recommending solutions aligned with business goalsLeading prototyping and research initiatives for future platform improvements Requirements 7+ years of experience in software development5+ years of professional experience with Ruby on RailsExperience designing and scaling APIs, distributed systems, and web applicationsExperience with MySQL or other relational databasesExperience with Git and modern CI/CD practicesExpert-level software development, debugging, testing, and analytical skills2+ years of experience planning and executing cross-team technical projectsExpert-level knowledge of relevant sector technologies, engineering processes, and security modelsStrong written and spoken English (interviews are conducted in English)Ability to freely communicate in Russian or Ukrainian Nice to Have Experience with microservices and service-oriented architecturesExperience integrating third-party platforms and APIsLeadership, team-building, and mentoring skillsStrategic thinking and ability to evaluate alternative technical approachesStrong communication and stakeholder management skillsData-driven decision-making and analytical mindsetExpertise in using generative AI tools to improve software development, code quality, debugging, testing, documentation, and engineering productivityExperience working on multiple projects in various stages simultaneously Benefits Compensation: Up to $6,000 gross/month What's Offered Stable, long-term position with a well-established American company (many team members have 5+ years of tenure)Significant ownership and responsibility for the systems you developDynamic, continually growing company culture where your contributions make a real differenceFast, agile development within a smart, highly collaborative, and dedicated teamCutting-edge, open-source tech stack and large-scale, global applications with real impact on students, classrooms, and institutions of higher learningFriendly and supportive team culture Contract type: Independent contractor (sole proprietor / IP), incubator arrangements are not accepted.