Senior Software Engineer

Cognistack hiring Software Engineer to join Full-time On-site in New York

This role requires evidence of startup ownership or engineering experience at well-recognized, high-performing technology companies.

Compensation: $160K - $190K + Equity

Location: New York, NY On-site work policy: 5 days in-office in New York

Number of Openings: 12

Visa sponsorship available: H-1B transfers and TN visas supported. No new H-1B sponsorship.

(visa transfers by default (not new visas), case-by-case discussion)

(Please don’t apply candidates from other than USA and Canada)

Key Responsibilities

• Own Feature Delivery End-to-End

• Independently scope, design, and ship features across the stack — from targeted enhancements to multi-system integrations

• Make architectural decisions within your scope that balance long-term maintainability with immediate delivery pressure

• Identify and resolve technical blockers proactively, escalating strategically when you've exhausted reasonable options

• Drive Technical Excellence with Business Context

• Translate product requirements into technical solutions, probing for edge cases and constraints that partners may not have considered

• Articulate trade-offs between technical approaches using concrete examples: performance implications, development time, operational complexity, and user impact

• Contribute meaningfully to technical discussions with data-driven recommendations, pushing back constructively when proposals create technical debt

• Navigate Ambiguity and Accelerate Team Velocity

• Work effectively when requirements are unclear or changing, asking clarifying questions that expose hidden assumptions and unblock progress

• Reduce coordination overhead by anticipating dependencies — notifying other teams before your work affects them

• Take ownership of problems outside your immediate scope when they block team progress

• Elevate Code Quality and Engineering Standards

• Write maintainable, well-tested code that other engineers can build upon without extensive context

• Provide thoughtful code review feedback that catches not just bugs but architectural issues before they compound

• Contribute to technical documentation and knowledge sharing that reduces onboarding friction and scales team effectiveness

• Embrace AI-Driven Innovation

• Actively use AI tools (Cursor, Copilot, ChatGPT) to accelerate your development velocity and code quality

• Identify opportunities where AI capabilities can improve product features or internal workflows

• Share learnings about effective AI usage patterns with your team

Requirements

A)       3-5 years of backend software engineering experience

B)       Strong proficiency in at least one backend language (Python, Java, Go, or similar) with ability to write clean, testable code

C)       Solid understanding of APIs, databases, and web technologies

D)       Experience providing constructive code review feedback that improves team standards

E)       Computer Science Degree

Bonus Skills

·         Interest in fintech, consumer finance, or mission-driven companies

·         Track record of working effectively with product managers and cross-functional partners to deliver business outcomes

·         Experience making technical decisions that balance delivery speed with long-term system health

·         Proven ability to work on complex problems without constant direction

·         Track record of fixing issues outside assigned scope when they block progress

·         Experience turning ambiguous requirements into concrete solutions through clarifying questions and proposals

·         Demonstrates self-starting behavior - seeks out problems to solve rather than waiting for assignment

·         Clear written and verbal communication across technical and non-technical audiences

·         Comfortable with both documentation and real-time collaboration

·         Track record of building trust through follow-through and transparent communication about blockers

·         Active experimentation with AI development tools to improve productivity

·         Openness to feedback and commitment to continuous learning

·         Enthusiasm for emerging technologies and their practical application

Benefits/Other: Open to relocation for strong non-NYC candidates (must relocate within 60 days); visa transfers by default (not new visas), case-by-case discussion

If you have the required skills and experience, please send your resume (with details) to: 📧 [email protected]

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