Lead Platform Engineer

Location: Preferred Minneapolis, MN or Chicago, IL

Annual Salary: $140k-$160k + Benefits

Science on Call is on a mission to make restaurant tech simple and reliable. We help operators minimize downtime, automate troubleshooting, and streamline operations through a powerful mix of human expertise and cutting-edge technology. Our platform uses conversational AI to provide real-time support and RPA solutions to automate repetitive tasks, freeing restaurants to focus on hospitality instead of headaches. We’re a fast-growing startup with big ambitions—and we’re just getting started.

We’re looking for a hands-on, entrepreneurial Lead Platform Engineer to influence the next phase of our platform evolution. This isn’t a “just manage” role—you’ll be coding, architecting, and building an engineering team from the ground up (starting with you + one other engineer). You’ll report directly to the CTO and work closely with product and leadership to deliver an AI-powered, automation-driven platform that transforms how restaurants manage technology.

If you love building, scaling, and solving complex problems with AI, automation, and modern cloud architecture, this is your opportunity to make an outsized impact.

Our Company Values:

  • Be Human: Approach every interaction with empathy, clarity, and professionalism, be it with our customers or your coworkers.

  • Own Your Limits: Recognize when you need support and take responsibility for delivering the best possible service.

  • Seek Solutions: Be proactive in troubleshooting and problem-solving, ensuring the best outcomes for our customers.

  • Sustain a Growth Mindset: Continuously learn, adapt, and improve to enhance both personal and team performance.

In this role, you will:

  • Build and Lead:

    • Recruit, mentor, and grow a high-performing engineering team

    • Define the engineering culture and technical standards for a growing startup

  • Be Hands-On:

    • Write production-quality code for AI, core services, APIs, and automation features.

    • Review code, set engineering best practices, and lead by example

  • Drive AI and Automation:

    • Build features powered by conversational AI to deliver smart, automated customer support

    • Collaborate with our Automations team to automate operational tasks and reduce manual overhead for clients

    • Explore new opportunities for technology to expand product offering

  • Operational Excellence:

    • Implement CI/CD, observability, and robust security measures.

    • Optimize performance, reliability, and cost efficiency in a cloud-native environment

  • Collaborate:

    • Partner with Product and Operations teams to deliver innovative features quickly without sacrificing quality.

    • Communicate technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders

What We’re Looking For:

Must-Haves:

  • 8+ years in software engineering, with at least 3 years in a leadership or architecture role

  • Proven experience building and scaling SaaS or cloud-native platforms

  • Strong coding skills in modern languages (e.g., Python, Node.js, Go, or similar)

  • Experience with AI-powered applications (NLP, conversational AI, or similar) and/or RPA solutions, Azure, RPA, distributed systems, microservices, and API design

Nice-to-Haves:

  • Startup experience (0-to-1 builds, scaling teams)

  • Exposure to restaurant or hospitality technology

  • Experience in building a software team

Soft Skills:

  • Entrepreneurial, builder mindset: scrappy, adaptable, and ready to roll up your sleeves

  • Strong leadership and communication skills

  • Strategic thinker with a love for solving complex problems fast

Why You’ll Love It Here:

  • We are a people-first business. We believe in creating meaningful jobs and opportunities for our employees.

  • Be a part of a mission-driven culture that is helping transform restaurant tech for our customers

  • Ability to work remotely or from one of our offices in Chicago and/or MN.

  • Competitive pay and ever-growing list of benefits and perks (e.g., health & wellness and technology stipends, paid time off, coffee subscription, meal reimbursements)

  • The opportunity to grow with us and shape the technical future of a high-growth startup 

  • Lead, code, and innovate with AI and automation—a rare combination

  • Direct impact: report to the CTO, influence every major technical decision

>> To apply, email resume & cover letter to jobs@scienceoncall.com

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