Senior Tech Lead & Software Engineering Manager

Senior Tech Lead & Software Engineering Manager

Schedule: Flexible Monday through Friday. Candidates may be remote, in-person, or hybrid.

Location: Candidates based in Baltimore, MD or willing to relocate to Baltimore, MD are preferred, but remote work is accepted. Occasional travel to conferences/clients may also be required. 
 

Who is Vectech?

Vectech is a Johns Hopkins University spin out equipping professionals with the capabilities of a medical entomologist using AI and Computer Vision technology. Mosquitoes are the deadliest animals in the world, killing over half-a-million people each year. Lyme disease, spread by ticks, is now the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. There are thousands of different species of disease-carrying insects, which have different behaviors that call for different control measures. Vectech built IDX, an IoT imaging system, the world’s first AI vector identification system, with elements of a smart microscope, to assist vector control organizations with imaging, identifying and reviewing vector surveillance data, so organizations can take action and improve their impact. With Vectech's products, pest control organizations in public health can quickly generate the information they need to make public health decisions.

What will you do?

Vectech is seeking a Senior Tech Lead & Software Engineering Manager to lead our software team and work cross functionally with other technical teams (computer vision, systems, firmware, and entomology) to optimize cross-functional delivery and scale our products. You will work closely with other team leads, the Software Architect, Chief Technology Officer, product management, and leadership to resolve bottlenecks, introduce repeatable processes, and ensure that our cutting-edge technology is delivered efficiently using Agile practices, and engineering best practices. You will play a significant role in shaping the technology of Vectech. You will drive consensus with engineering teams to build foundational infrastructure at scale, and work with others to ensure it is used broadly and consistently. This role requires a background of understanding hands-on software development with leadership responsibilities, ensuring that our technical initiatives align with business goals and that our teams are empowered to deliver high-quality solutions.

Responsibilities will include:

Technical expertise and hands-on engineering

• Maintain technical fluency across full stack, mobile, and computer vision systems to support cohesive architecture and decision-making.
• Contribute hands-on when needed across firmware, backend, and application layers to accelerate delivery of critical features.

Process & Workflow Improvement

• Audit current workflows and implement scalable project tracking, sprint rituals, and handoff protocols across technical teams. 
• Lead code review structure development and establish shared engineering practices across siloed teams.
• Lead by example in writing clean, maintainable code, and uphold coding standards through regular code reviews and mentoring.
• Establish unit and integration testing standards and frameworks (Automation and Git). 
• Introduce knowledge management systems and ensure team-wide documentation compliance.
• Build systems with the long-term in mind, focusing on good design, robust testing, and sustainability from the perspective of cost and scale.

Cross-Team Coordination

• Identify and resolve interdependencies between software, firmware, and CV teams.
• Serve as a technical translator between specialist teams and leadership to ensure shared understanding and alignment.
• Collaborate with and across Agile teams to design, develop, test, implement, and support technical solutions in full-stack development tools and technologies.

Strategic Planning & Resource Management

• Implement resource capacity tracking and support Project Management Office initiatives in project prioritization.
• Help ensure high-priority technical resources like firmware and DevOps are better distributed and supported.

Mentorship & Team Development

• Build career development frameworks in collaboration with team leads.
• Foster a collaborative and inclusive team culture that encourages agency, innovation, and accountability.
• Mentor team members by sharing technical expertise, offering constructive feedback, and supporting their skill development.
• Support hiring efforts by collaborating with leadership to interview, identify, and onboard top talent, while also assessing when contractors or consultants are needed to meet team goals and project demands.

Risk & Delivery Oversight

• Create simple but effective risk tracking and delivery forecasting tools.
• Ensure progress on critical initiatives is tracked and reported transparently.

Desired Experience and Demonstrated Successes

• Background in computer science, AI/ML, computer vision, or related field.
• Passion for staying on top of tech trends, experimenting with and learning new technologies, participating in internal/external technology knowledge transfer.
• 6+ years of hands-on experience in full-stack software development, with a strong background in IoT systems.
• 5+ years experience in a Senior Engineering role, with at least 3+ years in engineering leadership or management, 
• Strong technical understanding of software development (ideally in mobile, backend, and CV/ML contexts).
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate across teams.
• People manager with a strong background in mentoring and coaching junior level engineers to develop their technical skills. 
• Experience in scaling software systems design, data engineering, and familiarity with fundamental computer science concepts and design patterns.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams including hardware, software, data science, and product.
• Proven ability to implement structure in high-growth or startup environments.
• Familiarity with modern collaboration and tracking tools like Jira, Notion, or GitHub Projects. 
• Experience working with relational and non-relational databases, including technologies like PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB. 
• Proficient in modern programming languages relevant to our stack, such as Python and  Javascript/Typescript.
• Experience with software frameworks and libraries such as ReactJS, React Native, and Express.js
• Core MLOps & Infrastructure skills: End-to-end MLOps pipelines, model deployment & serving, deploying model monitoring & observability systems, CI/CD for MLOps.
• Cloud & Infrastructure: Cloud Platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure), Containerization & Orchestration (Docker / K8s), Infrastructure as Code (IaC) – Terraform, CloudFormation, Networking & Security – VPCs, IAM, API Gateways, role-based access control (RBAC).
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to make sound technical decisions.
• Proven track record of leading teams to deliver complex projects on time and within scope.

You may not tick every box, and that's okay. We're looking for engineers who are excited about our mission and eager to learn.  If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway.

Our Interview Process

Top candidates will be invited to a short phone screening, interviews with our technical, product, and leadership teams, a coding assignment. Candidates will also be asked to provide professional references. 

Compensation

Base salary: $135,000 - $170,000

Stock options

Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, Vision, FSA: Company-sponsored plans with cost-share by company and employee.
• 401k: After one-year of service, matched 1:1 to 3%, matched 0.5:1 on the following 2% (contribute 5%, get 4%).
• Flexible PTO: 31 days per year including holidays.
• Life insurance and short- and long-term disability insurance.