Senior Software Engineer

About the Role

LifeDNA is seeking a Senior Software Engineer located in the United Arab Emirates who thrives on autonomy and can transform high-level projects into well-architected solutions. You'll receive project objectives rather than detailed PRDs, and you'll be trusted to break down complex initiatives, make technical decisions, and deliver results independently.

What You'll Do

• Own features end-to-end: Take high-level project goals and independently decompose them into executable tasks, technical designs, and implementation plans
• Drive technical decisions: Evaluate trade-offs, select appropriate technologies, and design scalable solutions without requiring detailed specifications
• Leverage modern AI-powered development tools: Use tools like Cursor, Claude Code, and other AI assistants to accelerate development, refactor code, and solve complex problems efficiently
• Build across the stack: Develop backend services, data pipelines, and frontend features using Python, SQL, and TypeScript
• Architect and deploy cloud infrastructure: Design, build, and maintain AWS-based systems with a focus on reliability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness
• Set your own course: Identify gaps, propose solutions, and execute with minimal oversight
  

What We're Looking ForRequired Skills

• Strong autonomy and problem decomposition: Proven ability to take ambiguous projects and break them into clear, actionable work without requiring prescriptive requirements
• Modern development workflow: Proficiency with AI-powered development tools (Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, etc.) and ability to use them effectively to enhance productivity
• Python expertise: Strong Python development skills for backend services, data processing, and automation
• SQL proficiency: Experience designing schemas, writing complex queries, and optimizing database performance
• TypeScript capability: Solid TypeScript/JavaScript skills for building modern web applications
• AWS experience: Hands-on experience with AWS services (EC2, S3, Lambda, RDS, CloudFormation/CDK, etc.) and cloud architecture patterns

Mindset & Approach

• Self-directed: You don't wait to be told what to do—you identify what needs to be done and do it
• Tool-savvy: You stay current with development tools and workflows, embracing AI assistants as force multipliers rather than crutches
• Pragmatic: You balance perfect with done, shipping iteratively while maintaining code quality
• Ownership mentality: You take responsibility for outcomes, not just outputs

Nice to Have

• Experience with infrastructure as code (Terraform, CDK, CloudFormation)
• Familiarity with containerization (Docker, ECS, Kubernetes)
• Background in data engineering or analytics
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
• Track record of mentoring or technical leadership
  

Our Ideal Candidate

You've moved beyond needing detailed tickets and specifications. When given a project like "build a system to process customer data more efficiently," you'll:

1. Ask clarifying questions about business objectives and constraints
2. Research and propose technical approaches
3. Break the work into logical phases
4. Build, test, and deploy the solution
5. Document and hand off when needed

You see AI coding assistants as powerful tools that augment your expertise, not replace your judgment. You know when to trust their suggestions and when to push back.

What Success Looks Like

• First 30 days: You've taken ownership of your first feature and deployed code that has made it to the production
• First 90 days: You've taken ownership of a project and are the go-to person for that specific project or area of expertise
• First year: You're driving multiple projects autonomously, influencing technical direction, and potentially mentoring others