API Engineering Team Lead (Java / Scala)

Unacast is a leading provider of global location intelligence that delivers cutting-edge analytics about human mobility in the physical world. We are a team of experts with decades of unmatched industry experience and we partner with organizations across the private and public sectors to unlock the potential of location data. Unacast drives smarter decision-making based on trustworthy, reliable, and privacy-friendly location intelligence that powers both commercial and societal benefits.

We are hiring an API Engineering Team Lead!

At Unacast, we are on a mission to revolutionize location-based insights, exploring how people interact with the physical world. Privacy is baked into everything we do, and we partner with highly trusted, privacy friendly data providers. We take a customer-first approach, and are building APIs to provide valuable analytics across very large data sets, enlightening our customers to the “needle in a haystack” of big data. Our aim is to be the go-to leaders in location data, and we are now looking for a API Team Lead to join our effort.

The position is for our API team, which builds the infrastructure that customers use to harness the power of Unacast’s products. The APIs maintained by this team are the core building blocks of our data offering.

This role is a blend of team leadership and hands-on API development. You’ll guide a highly skilled team while also rolling up your sleeves to design, build, and optimize APIs.

What you will be doing

• Lead a team of Software Engineers, providing mentorship and guidance while actively contributing to API design, development, and optimization
• Plan, execute, iterate, and challenge assumptions to ensure the team’s deliverables are timely and delivering the intended value
• Continuously improve the team's ability to ship client and product value
• Design, develop, and maintain high-quality APIs to support various applications and services.
• Implement API solutions that adhere to industry best practices in terms of scalability, performance, and security.
• Ensure APIs are well-documented, including clear usage instructions and examples.
• Monitor API performance and troubleshoot issues, implementing necessary optimizations.
• Stay updated on emerging technologies and trends in API development, recommending improvements and advancements to our current API ecosystem.
• Participate in code reviews, providing constructive feedback to ensure code quality and maintainability.
• Contribute to the overall architecture and design of our API strategy, aligning with business objectives.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders (including customers) to gather requirements and understand use cases as needed.

Who we think you are

• Minimum 2-4 years of team leadership experience.
• Minimum 1-2 years of experience working with REST APIs.
• Experience in software or engineering projects from ideation, through development and into production.
• Proficiency in Java 8 or higher and Scala is required. Experience with Python or other programming languages is a plus.
• Demonstrate excellent SQL database skills ranging from database initial creation and design, table design, automated load and maintenance processes, and efficient querying.
• Proficiency working in Amazon Web Services (AWS) and utilizing its many services.
• Experience processing data efficiently in JSON and GeoJSON.
• A positive and adaptable attitude, with a collaborative approach to teamwork.
• Excellent organizational and progress-tracking skills.
• Proficiency in Agile methodologies.
• Strong communication skills and fluency in English.

... and it is a positive if

• You are familiar with AWS Elastic Container Service for application deployment or AWS X-Ray for debugging.
• Experience working with Snowflake SQL.
• Experience with data analytics and data visualization.
• You have experience working with geospatial data.
• You are team and customer service oriented, innovative, open-minded to the solution set, and driven to deliver solutions that meet or exceed requirements.
• You believe that simple approaches are better than complex, whenever possible.

Most relevant technologies

We are first and foremost looking for a leader, but we are expecting you to get your hands dirty and have experience in building REST APIs. The ability to adapt and learn new technologies quickly is important. Familiarity with technologies such as Java, Scala, Python, Git Snowflake SQL, and other services in Amazon Web Services (AWS) would be beneficial.

What we expect of you

• Demonstrate a proactive and entrepreneurial mindset
• You have good leadership skills and are a good listener and mentor
• Contribute to a positive and enjoyable work environment
• We are a startup, so things change fast, you need to be agile and proactive on this journey
• Work closely with Product, willingness to hear from customers, and translate that input into product value through our Unacast APIs

Other Info

This a remote position that may require occasional travel. Preference for candidates who live in the EST time zone who reside in the following states: CT, FL, GA, MD, NJ, NY, NC, RI, PA, SC, VA, WV

We offer competitive salaries and benefits and unlimited PTO. The typical base salary range for this role is $150,000 to $170,000. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, job level, internal equity and budget. Exact salary offers will be determined by factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, experience and geographic location.

Unacast is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Unacast is committed to making the job application process accessible to everyone. If you are living with a disability (visible or not visible), we will provide a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process. To request an accommodation in connection with the application or recruiting process, please contact Human Resources at 703-840-8850. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.

Unacast participates in the E-Verify program.