We are building a next-generation, AI-native Dental Software for dental practices across the United States. Our platform will modernize the end-to-end workflows of dental practices -from patient scheduling and clinical charting to insurance billing and revenue cycle management - with intelligent automation at the core. This is a greenfield build with the ambition to become the de facto operating system for modern dental practices.

About the Role :

As the Tech Lead for the Dental Software platform, you will be the engineering anchor of the founding team. You will make the foundational architecture decisions, set engineering standards, and directly build the core platform alongside your team. This is a deeply hands-on role - you are expected to write production code every day while also providing technical direction, mentoring engineers, and partnering closely with the Senior PM to translate product requirements into a scalable, reliable, and secure system.

This role reports to the Engineering Head / CTO.

Key Responsibilities :

- Own the end-to-end technical architecture of the Dental Software platform - design for scalability, reliability, and maintainability from day one of the greenfield build.

- Lead backend development using Python/Django, building production-grade RESTful APIs and microservices that power core Dental Software workflows: scheduling, charting, billing, and insurance processing.

- Design and manage the data layer - PostgreSQL schema design, query optimization, indexing strategy, and migration management via SQLAlchemy and Alembic.

- Architect and implement HIPAA-compliant data handling, security controls, and audit logging across the entire platform.

- Build and own integrations with US dental ecosystem touchpoints - insurance clearinghouses (EDI 837/835), HL7/FHIR interfaces, dental imaging platforms, and payment processors.

- Define and implement CI/CD pipelines, branching strategies, automated testing frameworks, and deployment workflows for safe, high-velocity releases.

- Optimize system performance using Redis caching, Nginx reverse proxying, and observability tooling (metrics, logs, tracing).

- Mentor and upskill senior engineers on the team - conduct rigorous design and code reviews, set coding standards, and build a strong engineering culture.

- Be hands with complex engineering problems

- Actively leverage AI coding tools (GitHub Copilot, Cursor, LLM-assisted development) to accelerate delivery and set the standard for AI-augmented engineering.

- Partner with the Senior PM to decompose product requirements into executable technical plans, provide accurate effort estimates, and flag technical risks early.

Required Qualifications :

- 8-12 years of software engineering experience, with 2+ years in a Tech Lead or Staff Engineer role owning architecture and team delivery.

- Deep expertise in Python and Django - building and scaling production web backends, REST APIs, and async task processing (Celery).

- Strong command of PostgreSQL - schema design, indexing, transactions, query tuning, and managing migrations with SQLAlchemy and Alembic.

- Hands-on experience with Redis (caching strategies, eviction policies) and Nginx (reverse proxying, load balancing, SSL termination).

- Proficiency in CI/CD pipeline design, Git workflows, automated testing (unit, integration, e2e), and environment promotion strategies.

- Experience integrating with third-party APIs - payment gateways, clearinghouses, or healthcare data platforms.

- Practitioner of AI-assisted development tools - uses LLMs and AI coding assistants as a force multiplier, not just a convenience.

- Strong communication skills - able to present technical trade-offs clearly to both engineering peers and non-technical product stakeholders.

Nice to Have :

- Experience in dental, healthcare, or medical billing software - familiarity with US insurance workflows, ADA/CDT codes, ERA/EOB processing is a significant advantage.

- Cloud-native delivery experience - Docker, Kubernetes, infrastructure-as-code (Terraform/CDK) within CI/CD workflows.

- Exposure to AI/ML model integration in production systems - embedding LLMs, building AI-assisted features, or managing ML pipelines.

- Experience building multi-tenant SaaS platforms at scale.

- Frontend working knowledge (React or similar) - not a primary requirement, but useful for full-stack context in a lean founding team.

- Working knowledge of healthcare interoperability standards - HL7, FHIR, EDI 837/835 - and HIPAA technical safeguards.

Success Indicators :

- Core architecture decisions documented and foundational services scaffolded within 30 days -no premature optimization, but no costly rewrites either.

- First end-to-end Dental Software workflow (scheduling or billing) live in a staging environment within 60 days, with CI/CD pipeline operational.

- MVP deployed to pilot dental practices with stable performance, zero critical security issues, and clean HIPAA compliance posture within 6 months.

- Codebase is well-tested, well-documented, and a second engineer can onboard and contribute meaningfully within one week - by month 9.

- GA release with measurable uptime SLAs (99.9%+), sub-200ms API p95 latency, and a team that ships weekly without fear within 12 months.

Preferred Educational Background :

- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field from IITs, BITS, NITs, or equivalent top-tier institutions.

- Strong computer science fundamentals - data structures, algorithms, system design, and distributed systems - are non-negotiable regardless of institution.