Software Engineer II - RCS Studio

About Vibes 

Vibes is on a journey to reinvent the messaging ecosystem. You probably get dozens of communications from brands every day – most of them are not interesting. They don’t make you love the brand more or improve the service you receive. And maybe you want richer engagement with brands, but are you really going to download their app? Probably not… You may be surprised to learn that in the next year the way people engage with brands is going to completely change. RCS is an exciting new messaging channel that enables the richness of apps through the ubiquity of your phone’s text messaging capabilities.

The potential of RCS is clear, but the industry needs to be inspired. Someone needs to chart the path. Luckily, we’ve done this before. Vibes is a pioneer in mobile engagement – shaping the industry and guiding innovation for since the advent of text messages. Today, we route billions of messages of month and cultivate excellence through our technology and deep expertise in mobile best-practices. We hold one of only four coveted spots as a Tier-1 DCA for RCS, which means we will shape the journey as RCS replaces Apps and outdated-email for consumer communication.

Vibes is shaping the new world that will make text messages more engaging, more useful, and more valuable to everyone.  You should join us.

Position Overview

We are seeking a collaborative, proactive, and results-driven full-stack Software Engineer to join the RCS Studio team at Vibes.

RCS Studio is a new product team building a brand-new offering and taking it to market. We operate like a startup within an established company — which means speed, ownership, and comfort with ambiguity are essential. This role is ideal for a strong engineer eager to take ownership of a system, build a new product from the ground up, and grow into technical leadership as the product evolves.

This is a full-time, hybrid role based in the greater Chicago area, with an expectation of being in the office two days per week.

The Role

In this role, you will help design, build, and own the technical foundation of RCS Studio. You will work across the full stack, developing APIs, building product features, integrating with major brands, and helping shape both the technology and the product direction.

You will be building new systems, shipping early versions of product, learning from customer feedback, and iterating quickly. This role is ideal for engineers who enjoy taking initiative, shaping solutions from early ideas, and seeing their work through from concept to production.

What Success Looks Like

After 6–12 months, a successful hire:

• Ships meaningful functionality to production early and often
• Understands the broader product vision and customer needs
• Takes ownership of major areas of the system
• Makes sound technical decisions in the face of ambiguity
• Earns additional responsibility by consistently delivering impact

How We Work

• We prioritize ownership, speed, and relentless focus on the customer
• We value iteration and learning over perfection
• We are comfortable releasing v1 and improving it over time
• We expect engineers to engage deeply with both product and technology
• Everyone on the team owns outcomes, not just code

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain full-stack features using React, TypeScript, and AWS
• Design and build APIs that integrate with major brands and partners
• Lead feature development from concept through production
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional partners to deliver customer value
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues across the stack
• Continuously improve the system based on customer feedback and usage
• Challenge existing approaches and suggest better ways to build and ship

Requirements & Qualifications

• Formal education in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent professional experience
• 3+ years of professional software engineering experience
• Experience working across the full stack in production systems
• Proficiency with modern JavaScript frameworks (React, TypeScript)
• Experience building APIs and backend services
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS preferred)
• Strong sense of ownership and accountability
• Comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
• Strong communication and collaboration skills

Location & Work Arrangement

• Hybrid role based in Chicago
• In-office two days per week
• Authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship

Our Core Values

• Respect, Honesty, and Integrity for All Stakeholders
• Always be Learning
• Relentless Focus on the Customer
• Never be Satisfied
• Create Value
• Seek Accountability and Ownership

Compensation and Benefits

The compensation range for this role is $95,000 to $115,000. Final compensation will be determined by factors such as relevant work experience, skills, and certifications. Vibes offers a full slate of benefits from competitive salaries, options, medical, dental and vision coverage, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, 11 paid holidays, flexible vacation, summer Fridays, Winter Holiday break, commuter benefits, a 401(k) plan and match, and a paid parental leave program.

Equal Opportunity

Vibes is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, parental or pregnancy status, marriage and civil partnership, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Reasonable accommodations will be made to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and will be provided as requested by candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.