Lead Software Engineer - Hardware/3rd Party Integrations

Company Description At Alertus, protecting people from harm is our mission and our passion. As the leader in mass notification, we are committed to providing customizable, scalable, and cost-effective solutions, as we know even a few seconds of warning can help save lives during an emergency. Our employees are integral to the company’s success and impact countless people's lives, safety, and well-being. We aim for a positive, collaborative environment that allows employees to work across departments easily and effectively. Job Description In a crisis, information is the most valuable asset. When an emergency alert is triggered, the underlying technology must be invisible, instantaneous, and infallible. As the Lead Software Engineer for hardware/3rd party integrations, you aren’t just writing code; you are building the digital nervous system that protects lives. You will lead a high-impact team responsible for the final, critical mile of our service: the delivery of audio via SIP, multicast data streams, and real-time alerts to a massive fleet of connected devices and desktop agents. This role sits at the intersection of complex SaaS architecture and physical hardware integration. If you are a systems thinker who enjoys bridging the gap between cloud services and real-world devices, your work here will have a direct, tangible impact on public safety. Candidates must be located within driving distance from our Baltimore HQ. A Day in the Life: Design and maintain backend systems capable of managing and communicating with hundreds of thousands of concurrent IoT devices. Design and maintain high-throughput backend systems that ensure emergency notifications are delivered across SIP, Multicast, and Desktop Agents and MQTT-based device networks without fail. Lead the integration of our cloud-based SaaS platform with remote physical hardware to trigger real-time emergency responses. Act as a technical mentor and example to the team, establishing best practices for NodeJS development, API design, and asynchronous communication. Implement advanced monitoring and alerting frameworks to proactively identify and resolve bottlenecks in the code and in the delivery pipeline. Refine and evolve communication protocols for audio and video streaming to ensure low latency and high fidelity in diverse network environments. Required Skills & Abilities: Deep expertise in building, scaling, and maintaining production-grade Node.js applications in a microservices environment. Proven experience designing complex SaaS solutions with a focus on distributed systems and high-availability architecture. Significant experience with relational (e.g., PostgreSQL) and non-relational (e.g., Redis, NoSQL) databases. You should be proficient in schema design, query optimization, and managing data integrity for high-concurrency, time-sensitive applications. Practical knowledge of SIP for audio, Multicast, and web-based communication protocols. A track record of managing high-throughput data delivery and meeting strict reliability SLAs. Strong command of asynchronous messaging patterns (e.g., RabbitMQ, Kafka) and robust API integration strategies. Demonstrated ability to guide a team through complex technical hurdles while maintaining a focus on impact and delivery. Ability to travel on occasion. Desired Skills: Experience with database performance tuning at scale or managing distributed databases. Familiarity with physical hardware or IoT devices in a professional capacity. Knowledge of video communication protocols and low-latency streaming. Direct experience in the emergency notification, security, or mission-critical software sectors Education & Experience: Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering or related field. Equivalent experience may substitute for education. 8+ years of related experience Alertus Career Advantages: Unlimited Paid Time Off Paid Holidays 401(k) Retirement Plan Medical, Dental, and Vision Plans Short-term Disability, Accident, Hospital, and Cancer Insurance Live Near Your Work HomeBuying Incentive Employee Referral Bonuses Flex Scheduling Additional Information: All applicants who wish to be employed by Alertus, regardless of work location, must be fully vaccinated or in the progress of vaccination by the first day of their employment (some exceptions may be considered if within the guidelines of the company policy). Proof of vaccination or exemption must be provided prior to their start date. Protecting people from harm is what we do. It's our mission and our passion. As a company dedicated to developing advanced technologies to help save lives, we feel strongly that our employees protect themselves and others from a potentially fatal virus. We encourage everyone who can safely do so to vaccinate against COVID-19. Alertus Technologies is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines. AT THIS TIME, ALERTUS DOES NOT PROVIDE VISA SPONSORSHIP