Build and maintain production-grade full-stack applications across frontend, backend, cloud infrastructure, and deployment pipelines. Develop responsive React or similar frontend applications, TypeScript and Node.js backend services, RESTful APIs, and AWS cloud-native architectures. Design serverless and container-based solutions, implement Generative AI and RAG applications, and work with vector databases, embeddings, retrieval pipelines, model evaluation, and prompt engineering. Own projects from design through deployment with minimal oversight.
- Modern Frontend: 10+ years of strong hands-on experience with JavaScript/TypeScript and React (or similar frameworks), building scalable, responsive, and user-friendly applications. Demonstrates expertise in component design, state management, performance optimization, and delivering intuitive user experiences.
- Backend & Databases: 10+ years of hands-on experience designing and developing RESTful APIs, backend services using Typescript (Node) and Strong understanding of authentication, and scalable service architecture.
- Cloud Infrastructure: Experience designing and deploying cloud-native solutions on AWS, including serverless architectures using Lambda, API Gateway, S3, and DynamoDB. Able to evaluate architectural tradeoffs between serverless and container-based platforms such as ECS/EKS.
- AI/ML & RAG: Practical experience building Generative AI and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) solutions, including vector databases, embeddings, and retrieval pipelines. Understands model evaluation, prompt engineering, and designing AI applications for enterprise use cases.
- Ownership & Self-Driven Execution: Highly self-driven with a strong ownership mindset, capable of independently driving projects from design through production deployment. Proactively identifies challenges, proposes solutions, and delivers results with minimal oversight.
- Resume Ownership: Able to confidently discuss any technology listed on their resume, including implementation details, design decisions, and technical tradeoffs. Demonstrates depth of understanding through real-world examples and lessons learned from hands-on experience.
- Full-Stack Engineering: Strong full-stack development experience spanning frontend, backend, cloud infrastructure, and deployment pipelines. Capable of architecting, building, troubleshooting, and enhancing production-grade applications end-to-end.
Compensation, Benefits and Duration
Minimum Compensation: USD 56,000
Maximum Compensation: USD 196,000
Compensation is based on actual experience and qualifications of the candidate. The above is a reasonable and a good faith estimate for the role.
Medical, vision, and dental benefits, 401k retirement plan, variable pay/incentives, paid time off, and paid holidays are available for full time employees.
This position is available for independent contractors
No applications will be considered if received more than 120 days after the date of this post
Photon Chicago, Illinois, USA Office
11 East Adams Street Suite 1100, Chicago, IL, United States, 60603
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What you need to know about the Chicago Tech Scene
With vibrant neighborhoods, great food and more affordable housing than either coast, Chicago might be the most liveable major tech hub. It is the birthplace of modern commodities and futures trading, a national hub for logistics and commerce, and home to the American Medical Association and the American Bar Association. This diverse blend of industry influences has helped Chicago emerge as a major player in verticals like fintech, biotechnology, legal tech, e-commerce and logistics technology. It’s also a major hiring center for tech companies on both coasts.
Key Facts About Chicago Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 245,800; 5.2% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: McDonald’s, John Deere, Boeing, Morningstar
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, fintech, software, logistics technology
- Funding Landscape: $2.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Arch Venture Partners, MATH Venture Partners, Jump Capital, Hyde Park Venture Partners
- Research Centers and Universities: Northwestern University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Institute of Technology, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
