Full Stack Technical Lead (MERN + .NET)

Experience: 5+ years of full-stack development with hands-on MERN and .NET

Role Overview:
Code District is looking for a Lead Software Engineer with strong expertise in .NET and MERN to drive the architecture and delivery of modern, AI-enabled, cloud-native web applications. This is a hands-on technical leadership role: you will design systems, lead and mentor engineers across both stacks, enforce standards, and still write production-quality code.

Our projects typically use C#, ASP.NET Core, Web API, SQL Server on the .NET side, and React/Next.js, Node.js/NestJS/Express, MongoDB, TypeScript on the JavaScript side, deployed on AWS (and increasingly Azure). We expect a technology-agnostic mindset and the ability to choose the right tool for the job, including leading legacy modernization efforts where needed.

Key Responsibilities:

• 
  Architecture & design: Own cross-stack architecture (.NET + MERN), define service boundaries, integration patterns, and non-functional requirements (performance, scalability, security), and apply appropriate design patterns pragmatically.
• Hands-on engineering (.NET & MERN): Lead development using C#/ASP.NET Core/Web API and React/Next.js, Node.js/NestJS/Express; design RESTful APIs; work with SQL Server/PostgreSQL/MySQL and MongoDB/NoSQL while enforcing clean code, testing, and observability practices.
• Cloud & DevOps: Design and guide deployments on major cloud platforms (primarily AWS, with exposure to Azure as a plus), using core services for compute, storage, networking, data, and messaging; collaborate with DevOps on CI/CD and infrastructure, ensuring security, resilience, and cost-awareness.
• Team leadership & standards: Lead and mentor developers across .NET and JavaScript squads, set and enforce coding standards and review processes, unblock engineers, and ensure high-quality, on-time delivery across multiple workstreams.
• Client & stakeholder engagement: Work with clients, Product, Design, QA, and PMO to run discovery, shape technical solutions from business goals, estimate and plan sprints, and communicate risks, trade-offs, and options clearly.
• AI & modernization leadership: Promote AI-assisted development tools (Copilot, Cursor, ChatGPT) and AI features (LLM integrations, intelligent workflows), and, where applicable, lead legacy modernization initiatives (monolith microservices, on-prem cloud, .NET Framework .NET Core, stack migrations).

Required Skills & Experience:

• 5+ years of professional experience in full-stack web development with strong, hands-on experience in both:
  • .NET: C#, ASP.NET Core, Web API, strong background with SQL Server or other relational databases.
  • JavaScript/TypeScript: React/Next.js on the frontend and Node.js (NestJS/Express) on the backend with MongoDB/NoSQL.

• Solid understanding of software engineering fundamentals, architecture styles (modular monolith, microservices, API-first, event-driven) and design patterns (DI, repository, adapter, strategy, etc.) applied in real systems.
• Strong experience in designing and consuming REST APIs, integrating third-party services, and building secure, performant, and maintainable backend services.
• Practical, hands-on experience with cloud platforms AWS is required; Azure experience is a strong plus (compute, storage, databases, networking, messaging, monitoring, CI/CD concepts).
• Proven track record of leading engineering teams: mentoring, code reviews, setting standards, and managing delivery across multiple streams in Agile/Scrum environments.
• Technology-agnostic mindset comfortable switching between .NET and JavaScript ecosystems and able to evaluate and adopt other technologies when required.
• Experience with or strong interest in AI/LLM integration and AI-assisted development tools (Copilot, Cursor, ChatGPT, etc.).
• Nice to have: Experience leading legacy modernization efforts (replatforming, refactoring, cloud migration, tech stack upgrades).
• Excellent communication and client-facing skills, with high levels of ownership, discipline, and commitment to engineering excellence and deliver