Staff Software Engineer / Tech Lead

Every enterprise spends millions of dollars on Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC). It's one of the most critical, yet universally painful, parts of running a business. For decades, this industry has been dominated by legacy systems with notoriously low NPS scores, making it totally ripe for disruption.

Zania is building agentic AI for Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) to solve this massive problem. We are on a rocketship trajectory, creating intelligent agents that automate and augment the most complex risk and compliance workflows. We have found exceptional product-market fit and are scaling our team very quickly. Some reasons to join Zania are:

• Dream Customers: Our customers are the most notable enterprises in the world, including FAANG, Big 4 firms and a portfolio of top customers.

• Tier 1 Backing: Funded by a leading Tier 1 venture capital fund, giving us the resources to build a generational company.

• World-Class Team: Zania is hiring the best. Our team includes AI and Security leaders from Airbnb, Microsoft, Bain & Company, Deloitte, PwC, Brex, and Instacart.

• Pioneering Technology: Our engineers and GRC experts work at the absolute forefront of applied AI, building the next generation of agentic systems that will define the future of compliance.

• Hyper-Growth: We have seen 10x ARR growth in the last year and are rapidly expanding.

• Competitive Compensation & Equity.

As a Staff Software Engineer / Tech Lead, you will be at the helm of a talented, full-stack team, driving the end-to-end delivery of our core product. This is a hands-on role that combines deep technical expertise with a passion for leading, mentoring, and fostering a curious, AI-first engineering culture. You will have ownership of your team's domain, from technical strategy and architecture to product delivery and operational excellence. This is a unique opportunity for a driven individual to make a significant impact and accelerate their career in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment.

• Lead and Inspire: Lead a team of skilled software engineers, fostering a culture of curiosity, ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Mentor and guide team members in their technical and professional development.

• Champion an AI-First Culture: Drive the adoption of modern AI tools and methodologies to enhance end-to-end product development and boost team efficiencies.

• Own It, End-to-End: Take complete ownership of the product, from ideation and technical design through to development, deployment, and maintenance. You will be responsible for both the back-end and front-end components of your team's services.

• Drive Technical Excellence: Architect and build scalable, reliable, and maintainable systems using a modern tech stack. Make critical technical decisions and ensure the team adheres to best practices in coding, testing, and security.

• Execute with a Bias for Action: Thrive in a fast-paced, 0-to-1 environment where speed and quality are paramount. You will be expected to make informed decisions quickly and execute on them effectively.

• Collaborate and Communicate: Work closely with product managers, designers, and other stakeholders to define product roadmaps and deliver exceptional user experiences. Communicate technical concepts clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Build High-Performing Teams: Play a key role in recruiting, interviewing, and onboarding new team members who share our passion for excellence and our ownership mindset.

• Experience: A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or a related field, with at least 7 years of experience in software engineering building products.

• Proven Leadership: Demonstrated experience building and leading high-performing software engineering teams. You have a track record of successfully delivering complex projects and mentoring engineers to achieve their full potential.

• Product Building Experience: You have a history of building and launching products, ideally in a B2B, hyper-growth, or 0-to-1 startup environment. You understand the entire product development lifecycle.

• Deep Technical Expertise: You are a hands-on, highly technical leader with proficiency in:

  • Python: For building robust and scalable back-end services.

  • TypeScript and React: For creating modern, intuitive, and high-performance user interfaces.

  • Cloud Environments: Familiarity with cloud platforms like Azure (preferred), AWS, or GCP.

• Ownership Mindset: You take pride in your work and are accountable for the success of your team and your product. You are a proactive problem-solver who doesn't wait to be told what to do.

• Bias Towards Action: You are driven to get things done. You are comfortable with ambiguity and can make sound decisions with incomplete information to keep the team moving forward.

• Exceptional Skills:

  • Organizational Skills: You can effectively manage multiple priorities and lead a team to do the same.

  • Communication Skills: You can articulate your ideas clearly and persuasively, both verbally and in writing.

• Hunger for Growth: You are ambitious and eager to learn and grow your career at an accelerated pace. You are excited by challenges and see them as opportunities for development.

Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors, including, experience and expertise, and may vary from the amounts listed above.

Equity: In addition to the base salary, equity may be part of the total compensation package.

Zania is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition, or any other basis protected by law.