Senior Engineering Lead

Location: Bangalore
Team: Engineering
Experience: 7-10 years
Role Type: Full-time

Codingal (www.codingal.com) is the global leader in online coding and AI education for kids and teens. We offer live, interactive classes led by expert Computer Science instructors, empowering students to build apps, games, websites, and AI-powered projects.

Our mission is to help kids fall in love with coding and prepare them to become future-ready creators - entrepreneurs, engineers, and scientists. With a curriculum accredited by STEM.org and aligned with the K-12 Computer Science Framework, we offer personalized learning through 1:1 and small-group classes.

As AI reshapes the world, Codingal integrates real-world AI tools like ChatGPT, machine learning, and data science into the learning journey, helping kids not just use AI - but build with it.

Trusted by over 1 million registered students worldwide and backed by Y Combinator, Rebright Partners, and top angels, Codingal is rated 4.9/5 by students and has an NPS of 86, making it the most loved platform for coding and AI education.

We are looking for a hands-on Senior Engineering Lead who can become a strong technical anchor for Codingal’s engineering team.

This is not a pure people-management role. We are looking for someone who can actively write code, review architecture, improve engineering quality, mentor engineers, and drive delivery of important product and platform initiatives.

The ideal person is a strong full-stack or backend-heavy engineer with startup experience, high ownership, strong product sense, and a bias for shipping fast without compromising system reliability.

• Own the architecture, design, and delivery of key product and platform initiatives.

• Write high-quality production code regularly.

• Review pull requests and improve code quality, maintainability, and performance.

• Make sound technical decisions across backend, frontend, infrastructure, integrations, and internal tools.

• Debug complex production issues and guide the team toward long-term fixes.

• Improve system reliability, observability, scalability, and engineering velocity.

• Reduce technical debt in a practical and business-aware manner.

• Convert business and product requirements into clear engineering plans.

• Break down projects into milestones, tasks, owners, and timelines.

• Ensure predictable delivery without adding unnecessary process.

• Work closely with founders, product, operations, academic, customer support, and business teams.

• Help prioritize engineering work based on business impact and urgency.

• Keep stakeholders updated on progress, risks, blockers, and trade-offs.

• Mentor a small team of engineers and help them grow technically.

• Create stronger engineering discipline around code reviews, testing, documentation, deployments, and incident handling.

• Help engineers improve ownership, speed, communication, and problem-solving.

• Support hiring and evaluation of future engineering team members.

• Build a high-accountability engineering culture with strong execution standards.

• Actively use AI tools to improve engineering productivity.

• Identify opportunities to build internal tools and automations for business teams.

• Help integrate AI into Codingal’s product, operations, teacher support, student experience, and internal workflows.

• Encourage the engineering team to use AI-native development practices responsibly and effectively.

• 7-10 years of hands-on software engineering experience.

• Strong backend engineering experience, preferably with Python / Django / Django REST Framework or similar stacks.

• Good understanding of frontend systems, APIs, databases, cloud infrastructure, and system design.

• Experience working in a startup or fast-paced product company.

• Ability to lead a team of 4-8 engineers while staying hands-on.

• Strong ownership mindset and ability to operate with limited supervision.

• Good product judgment and ability to understand business context.

• Strong debugging, problem-solving, and architectural decision-making skills.

• Comfortable working directly with founders and cross-functional teams.

• Practical mindset - should know when to build fast, when to refactor, and when to keep things simple.

• Experience with React, MySQL, Redis, Celery, AWS, Docker, ECS, or similar technologies.

• Experience building internal tools, dashboards, automation systems, or operational workflows.

• Experience in edtech, SaaS, marketplace, payments, scheduling, or communication systems.

• Prior experience as a Tech Lead, Engineering Lead, Staff Engineer, or founding engineer.

• Strong interest in AI-assisted engineering and AI-led operational efficiency.

• 50% hands-on coding, architecture, reviews, and technical problem-solving.

• 30% delivery ownership, planning, prioritization, and stakeholder communication.

• 20% mentoring, hiring support, and light people leadership.

In the first 3-6 months, success in this role would mean:

• Engineering delivery becomes more predictable and less founder-dependent.

• Code quality, review quality, and technical decision-making improve.

• The current engineering team becomes faster and more accountable.

• Important product and internal automation projects ship faster.

• Technical debt and production issues are handled more systematically.

• AI tools and automation become a stronger part of day-to-day engineering execution.

Compensation will be competitive and based on experience, ownership level, and fitment. For a strong candidate, we are open to a meaningful fixed compensation package along with ESOPs.

• Work closely with founders and own high-impact engineering initiatives.

• Build products used by students, teachers, parents, and internal teams across multiple countries.

• Join a lean team where strong engineers can have outsized impact.

• Help shape the next phase of Codingal’s product, platform, AI, and internal automation journey.