Principal Engineer & Technical Strategist (remote)

About Decise Decise is a hands-on advisory and delivery firm that helps organizations unlock the full value of their technology and improve business profitability. We work directly with executives to define what should be built, then we build it. Our work spans software engineering, data platforms, analytics, and customer-facing digital products. We often operate as fractional CIOs and CTOs, guiding both the strategic direction and the technical execution of our clients' technology initiatives. Our clients rely on us to turn complex business problems into working systems — not slide decks. We are intentionally small and senior. Everyone on the team is a builder who can operate independently, solve complex problems, and deliver finished systems that people actually use. White-glove service. Blue-collar grit. The Role We're looking for a principal-level technologist who can move seamlessly between engineering, architecture, and client strategy. You will spend most of your time building systems, writing code, and delivering solutions. The rest of your time will be spent working directly with executives to shape technical strategy and ensure what we build drives real business value. This role is for someone who enjoys solving complex problems end-to-end — from the first whiteboard conversation through production deployment and long-term operation. If you prefer roles where requirements are handed to you and work is narrowly scoped, this will not be the right fit. What You'll Do Build and Deliver Most of your time will be spent doing real engineering work. You will: • Design and build production systems • Write and review production code • Build data pipelines and analytics workflows • Develop applications and dashboards used by real customers and business operators • Deploy and operate systems in cloud environments • Debug and stabilize systems built by other teams • Ensure solutions are production-ready, secure, and reliable You will frequently work across the full stack — from backend services and data infrastructure to user interfaces and analytics. Work Directly with Clients You will also serve as a technical leader with clients. That includes: • Working directly with CTOs, CFOs, CMOs, and CEOs • Translating business problems into technical solutions • Designing practical roadmaps and architectures • Advising clients when they're about to build the wrong thing • Leading technical discussions in high-stakes environments Our clients rely on us not just to build systems, but to help them make better technology decisions. What Makes Someone Successful Here The people who thrive at Decise tend to share a few traits. They: • Take ownership of outcomes, not just tasks • Finish what they start • Are comfortable working in ambiguity • Do not confuse activity with results • Can debug almost anything • Speak plainly and avoid unnecessary jargon • Care deeply about whether the work actually delivers value They enjoy building systems that real businesses rely on and take pride in shipping work that is polished, reliable, and well thought out. Engineering Technologies We Frequently Work With Our work spans a modern and varied stack. No single tool dominates everything we do. Frontend & Mobile • React • Angular • Next.js • Swift (iOS) • Kotlin (Android) • Flutter • Ionic Backend • Node.js • Go Data & Analytics • Snowflake • SQL • dbt • Domo • Streamlit • Data pipeline and ETL systems Cloud & Infrastructure • AWS (Lambda, ECS, EC2, App Runner, S3, RDS, Cognito, CloudWatch) • Vercel • Azure environments for some clients Product & Development • GitHub • CI/CD pipelines • Figma We actively use the newest AI-assisted engineering tools to accelerate development, debugging, and analysis. Strong candidates already incorporate AI tools into their daily workflow and can think strategically about how AI can improve both engineering productivity and client systems. You do not need to be an expert in every tool listed above. What matters most is your ability to learn quickly and move confidently across technologies. Experience We typically see strong candidates with: • 10–15 years of professional experience • Backgrounds in software engineering, data engineering, or technical consulting • Experience building production systems used by real organizations • Comfort operating both as a hands-on engineer and as a technical advisor You should be equally comfortable: • writing code • architecting systems • explaining technical tradeoffs to non-technical executives Structure This is a long-term, full-time independent contractor engagement (1099). Everyone at Decise — including the founders — operates in this structure. Compensation is structured to be competitive with senior engineering roles at leading technology companies while preserving the flexibility and autonomy of an independent contractor structure. You will manage your own taxes, equipment, and working environment. The work is fully remote, though occasional tr