Engineering Lead

Hello, we’re Instrumentl.

We’re a mission-driven startup helping the nonprofit sector to drive impact, and we’re well on our way to becoming the #1 most-loved grant discovery and management tool. To help us get there, we’re hiring an Engineering Lead to provide both technical leadership and people management for one of our product engineering teams. If you’re excited by the idea of building great software, mentoring a strong team, and applying AI in practical, user-facing ways, we’d love to hear from you.

About us:

Instrumentl is a hypergrowth YC-backed startup with over 4,000 nonprofit clients, from local homeless shelters to larger organizations like the San Diego Zoo and the University of Alaska. We are building the future of fundraising automation, helping nonprofits to discover, track, and manage grants efficiently through our SaaS platform. Since 2015, our customers have used Instrumentl to find, win, and manage over $6.7 billion in grant funding. 

Our charts are dramatically up-and-to-the-right 📈 — we’re cash flow positive and doubling year-over-year, with customers who love us (NPS is 65+ and Ellis PMF survey is 60+). Join us on this rocket ship! 

About the role:

As an Engineering Lead at Instrumentl, you’ll help shape technical direction, support engineers in their growth, and ensure we’re delivering scalable, high-impact product experiences, especially through the use of modern AI tools and features. 

Instrumentl’s engineers are organized into five teams:

- Growth/GTM: go-to-market tooling

- Discover: grant discovery features 

- Apply: grant application/proposal development and submission features

- Manage: grant award tracking and reporting features 

- Data, Tools, and Infrastructure (DTI): platform and internal tooling 

You will embed with one of the above groups in a hands-on leadership role, actively balancing team management with individual technical contribution. Get to know us at instrumentl.com/about!

The Instrumentl team is fully distributed (though if you’d like to work from our Oakland office, we would love to see you there). For this position, we are looking for someone who has significant overlap with Pacific Time Zone working hours.

• Lead and mentor a team of engineers, balancing hands-on technical work with coaching and execution. 
• Drive technical planning and team execution, from early discovery to final delivery.
• Partner on AI-backed product features, bringing practical experience in integrating models or AI services into production systems. 
• Work side by side with Product and Design teams, connecting technical feasibility to customer outcomes. 
• Transform product development by applying cutting-edge AI tools, driving impact in both what we build and how we build it.
• Raise the bar on technical standards, from pull request quality to incident response, ensuring that we leave things better than we found them.
• Foster a team culture where engineers take ownership of results, challenge each other constructively, and continuously level up. 

• Software engineering background: you’ve been a software engineer for 6+ years, including at least 2 years leading a team or function. Startup experience and comfort operating in fast, scrappy environments is a huge plus!
• Hands-on leadership: you’ve demonstrated your ability to guide system design, drive execution, and develop talent on growing Engineering teams. 
• Experience with AI integration: you have practical experience shipping AI-powered product features or integrating third-party AI services into production systems.
• Technical adaptability: you’re familiar with Ruby on Rails or similar web frameworks (our core platform is built in Rails). You’re also open to learning new tools or frameworks to move faster and build better. 
• Collaborative approach: you thrive in a cross-functional environment involving product managers, designers, marketers, and data analysts, and you value the unique perspective each person brings to the table.
• Results-driven: you’ve shown a bias for action and ownership in fast-paced, high-autonomy environments. You have strong instincts for balancing speed, quality, and simplicity in technical decision-making.
• Player/coach mindset: your team leadership style is grounded in clarity, trust, and accountability. You hold yourself to a high standard and help others to raise the bar. 
• Passion: you’re excited about Instrumentl’s mission to propel nonprofits into a bigger, brighter future!

• Salary ranges are based on market data, relative to our size, industry, and stage of growth. Salary is one part of total compensation, which also includes equity, perks, and competitive benefits. 
• For US-based candidates, our target salary band is $160,000 - $190,000/year + equity. Salary decisions will be based on multiple factors including geographic location, qualifications for the role, skillset, proficiency, and experience level. 
• 100% covered health, dental, and vision insurance for employees, 50% for dependents
• Generous PTO policy, including parental leave
• 401(k)
• Company laptop + stipend to set up your home workstation
• Company retreats for in-person time with your colleagues
• Work with awesome nonprofits around the US. We partner with incredible organizations doing meaningful work, and you get to help power their success.

What to expect:

Instrumentl is evolving rapidly. You’ll always have new challenges and opportunities to grow in your role - you won’t be bored! You’ll be an early member of our small but mighty team, playing a huge part in shaping our culture for the years and teammates to come.

At Instrumentl:

- We’re customer-focused. We routinely seek feedback from our customers to improve the Instrumentl experience for everyone. Our first company value is "The customer is the hero" and we mean it.

- We love to experiment. We are constantly generating new concepts and iterating to see what works - ideation and experimentation are essential here. "Bend the curve" is another key company value.

- We appreciate authenticity. We have a diverse range of life experiences, and we encourage open, clear communication with each other about the things that matter most to us.

- We’re approachable and collaborative. Everyone has a voice, and we’re all building Instrumentl together.

- We kick it every day with some of the nicest people in the world. No joke, our customers are often on the front lines educating kids, saving endangered species, and restoring watersheds. In helping them take advantage of Instrumentl’s technology, you’re helping them move the world forward.

Ready to apply?

Please submit a written response addressing the prompts below:

1. Why are you interested in Instrumentl?

2. What makes you a good fit for the Engineering Lead role? 

Don't forget to include the word moxie in your application to show you read this from start to finish! Along with your written response, please attach your CV or resume.

At Instrumentl, we pride ourselves on building a diverse team from the ground up. Every role is an opportunity to teach, learn, and create some of your best work - if you’re excited to grow along with us, we encourage you to apply!