Lead Product Engineer | Software Engineer III

DefenseStorm is hiring a Lead Product Engineer to lead engineering efforts for its GRID platform. The role combines hands-on product development with technical leadership, including shaping solutions, guiding AI agents through implementation, setting technical direction, managing delivery risks, validating results, and coaching engineers.

Responsibilities:

• Partner with Product, Design, engineering, and customer-facing teams to shape solutions and influence product direction
• Identify dependencies and delivery risks, unblock the team, and communicate changes to commitments early
• Break initiatives into small, independently deliverable increments for agent execution and rapid feedback
• Own complex solutions from discovery through production delivery and customer validation
• Set technical direction, review designs, and make sound decisions about architecture, security, reliability, and maintainability
• Direct AI agents through implementation, testing, debugging, and refinement
• Coach engineers and raise the team’s quality and consistency through feedback, mentorship, and shared practices
• Encourage constructive debate, help the team reach decisions, and create accountability for executing them
• Other duties as assigned by management

Requirements:

• Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science or a related field
• 7+ years of experience building and maintaining production software systems
• 2+ years of experience operating as a Tech Lead, Lead Engineer, Staff Engineer, or equivalent technical leadership role
• A demonstrated record of owning complex initiatives from an ambiguous problem through production delivery
• Experience setting technical direction, making architectural decisions, managing delivery risks, and mentoring engineers without relying on formal authority
• Strong product judgment and the ability to turn customer and business problems into precise specifications and measurable acceptance criteria
• Practical experience using AI agents across implementation, testing, and debugging
• Strong engineering fundamentals to evaluate architecture, data flow, tests, edge cases, and security
• Clear communication, sound judgment, collaborative instincts, and a record of delivering on commitments