Lead Open Source Engineer (Node.js, TypeScript)
Location: Los Angeles (onsite preferred) | Remote considered
Comp: $220K–$260K base
Seniority: 8–10+ years
INDUSTRY: AI, Devtools, Enterprise, API SDK, B2B - Client builds the embedded integration infrastructure that powers customer-facing integrations for hundreds of B2B SaaS products. They help engineering teams build integrations 7x faster than in-house across dozens of categories.
Role Snapshot
This is a Lead Open Source Engineer role where you''ll shape client''s open-source strategy from the ground up and have significant influence over technical direction and long-term platform decisions.
Senior‑level technical leader to own open‑source readiness, strategy, and commercialization for a high‑scale integrations platform used by Zendesk, Postman, and Pipedrive (billions of requests/month).
This role is 70% hands‑on IC / 30% strategy.
You’ll help shape what becomes open source, how it’s released, and how it’s commercialized.
Reports directly to the CTO.
What You’ll Own
- Guide core platform components toward open‑source readiness
- Define standards for code quality, docs, testing, releases
- Own API/SDK design, versioning, compatibility, and migrations
- Design OSS contribution, governance, and review models
- Define boundaries between open‑source vs. enterprise features
- Act as internal expert on open‑source strategy & tradeoffs
- Represent the company externally via writing, talks, and technical content
Must‑Have Experience (Non‑Negotiable)
- 8–10+ years senior software engineering experience
- Deep production experience with Node.js + TypeScript
- Worked at a company that built and commercially distributed open source
- or maintained a widely‑used OSS project
- Built platforms, frameworks, or developer tooling
- Strong experience with API / SDK design and long‑term compatibility
- Excellent written and verbal communication
- Public technical presence (writing, talks, OSS visibility)
Strong Signals
- Titles such as Staff, Principal, Lead, Director of Open Source
- Experience commercializing OSS and building community around it
- Opinionated but pragmatic about open‑source strategy
- Comfortable setting direction in 0→1, ambiguous environments
- Strong self‑starter; asks the right questions without hand‑holding
Seniority
6+ years of experience as a senior-level software engineer with hands-on experience building or maintaining open source projects.
Work experience
Has worked at a company that builds and distributes open source software (ideally commercially), or has independently maintained a widely-used open source project.
Has had hands-on experience building platforms, frameworks, or dev tooling.
Has held a position as a senior, principal, director, or staff-level engineer.
Hard skills
Deep production experience with Node.js / TypeScript.
Strong experience with API/SDK design, versioning, and compatibility.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills for documentation and public-facing content.
Has a public technical presence (writing, talks, conference speaking).
Hard No’s (Not Qualified)
- OSS consumers only (no ownership or stewardship)
- Customer Success / non‑engineering OSS roles
- Job hopping (multiple roles <14 months)
- Low‑communication or poor public presence
- Uncomfortable with ambiguity or strategic ownership
- Uncomfortable defining strategy in ambiguous, zero-to-one environments.
Interview Process (Fast)
- Quick, informal Teams meeting with Excel
- Screen call
- Two technical interviews
- Take‑home exercise
- Onsite meeting
Can be completed in ~4 days
Submission Rule
We can only submit candidates with direct OSS ownership + commercialization exposure and strong communication skills.
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