Lead Software Engineer

Salary Range: 180000 to 210000 (Currency: USD) (Pay period: per-year-salary)

About RealSelf

For two decades, RealSelf has been the trusted authority in the aesthetics space. Now, we're evolving into a dynamic digital ecosystem that puts consumers at the center of their aesthetic journey. As the only destination combining verified patient experiences, board-certified doctor insights, and cutting-edge technology, RealSelf empowers millions to make confident, informed decisions.

Role Overview

Our NYC-based engineering team is seeking a Lead Software Engineer to lead a small but mighty engineering squad, with an initial focus on RealSelf's new booking and finance products.

You will work across the stack, designing and building the backend services that power booking flows, payments, and financial tooling, while setting the technical direction for a team you will help build and grow.

This is a hands-on engineering leadership role where you will write code, own architecture, and mentor engineers while collaborating with product, design, operations, and finance stakeholders. You'll directly shape how consumers finance and book care, while contributing to the foundation of our next-generation technology platform.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and lead the architecture for RealSelf's booking and finance products infrastructure, including booking and scheduling flows, financing application integrations, and financial collection and reporting pipelines.
• Build and scale backend services using Node.js, TypeScript, and SQL that power a high-traffic consumer marketplace used by millions of people researching and booking care.
• Ensure security and compliance across everything that touches money or personal data, including PCI DSS scope reduction, data privacy (GDPR, CCPA), and audit-ready logging.
• Collaborate across engineering, product, and finance to design APIs, data contracts, and reporting feeds used for revenue operations and business decision-making.
• Mentor and guide engineers through code review, architectural reviews, and technical direction.

Requirements

• 7+ years of backend or infrastructure engineering experience, with at least 1+ year in leading a team
• Proven experience designing high-throughput, low-latency distributed systems in Python, Node.js, TypeScript, or similar.
• Familiarity with security and compliance frameworks for financial data (PCI DSS) and privacy (GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA).
• Experience with cloud infrastructure (AWS preferred), infrastructure-as-code tools (CloudFormation, Terraform, or similar), containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and CI/CD best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technically — setting direction, unblocking engineers, and raising the bar through reviews and mentorship.
• Proficiency in leveraging AI tools to accelerate code delivery and improve quality.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with experience working cross-functionally with product, operations, and finance teams.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Experience with experimentation and growth engineering (A/B testing, funnel optimization, conversion instrumentation).
• Previous work in consumer marketplaces, Martech or healthcare tech.

Bonus Qualities

• Hands-on experience with consumer financing providers (Cherry, PatientFi, CareCredit).
• Experience building booking, scheduling, or marketplace systems at scale.

Why RealSelf?

• RealSelf exists to help people make confident, informed decisions about procedures that can change how they see themselves, and how the world sees them.

• Our reviews are raw and honest. Our Q&A connects people directly with verified experts. We care deeply about trust, safety, and transparency in an industry where those things matter.

• On the heels of a major rebrand, RealSelf is entering a new era of rebuilding and reinvention. This role is an opportunity to help shape the future of a culturally relevant, deeply useful product — and leave a lasting mark on a platform that genuinely matters.

Perks & Benefits

• You'll work alongside our inspiring world-class team to create content and build products that connect and empower millions of people around the world, wherever they may be on their aesthetics journey.

• Health benefits: We offer comprehensive benefits for medical, dental and vision — 100% paid for by RealSelf at the employee level.

• Work-life balance: Enjoy paid time off, including no work on your birthday and Summer Fridays, as well as generous leave options for life events such as becoming a parent.

• 401(k) matching: Plan for the future and take advantage of our 401(k) plan with a company match.

• Treatment reimbursement: At RealSelf, we encourage our team to walk in our audience's shoes. That's why we offer a cosmetic treatment reimbursement program to employees who would like to take on a more active role as the consumer.

• Company holidays: We believe in celebrating holidays! Enjoy time off during our 12 company-wide holidays + no work on your birthday!

• Hybrid NYC office: We recognize that there's no one size fits all with office culture. That's why we believe in a flexible hybrid schedule for our New York City employees, who can enjoy the benefits of in-person collaboration in our office as well as deep work time while remote at home.

*Compensation will be evaluated based on experience.

RealSelf is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

More About RealSelf

• Beautymatter: RealSelf's New “Omnichannel Content Flywheel” Is Quickly Paying Off

• Forbes: Inside RealSelf’s Rebrand

• Adweek: Cosmetic Surgery Platform RealSelf Appoints New CEO to Spur Editorial Expansion

• Tech Crunch: RealSelf, a community for cosmetic treatments, raises $40 million