Lead Engineer, Data Systems & Platform

Lead Engineer – Data Systems & Platform

Location: Remote, U.S.-based, ~5% travel

Type: Full-time

About the Role

Poppy is seeking a hands-on, full-stack technical lead to architect and build the software backbone of a major R&D and early commercialization program — a government-funded national effort to develop the first real-time, bioaerosol-responsive building system. This person will be the first full-time technical hire on the program and play a foundational role in designing and delivering two critical systems: the core bioaerosol response system for buildings, and the data infrastructure for national-scale public health evaluation.

We’re looking for someone who thrives in ambiguous, interdisciplinary environments, knows how to build robust software and data systems from scratch, integrate with hardware, and is excited to work closely with scientists, engineers, academics, and government stakeholders to deliver systems with real-world impact.

What You’ll Do

1. Core System Architecture & Development

• Build the backend for the control system that ingests biosensor data and runs rule-based logic to drive building HVAC responses.
• Translate complex Excel-based models (developed by researchers) into clean, testable production code.
• Integrate with building automation systems (via external vendors).
• Prepare portions of the core system codebase for public release as open-source software, ensuring code quality, modularity, and documentation.
• Ensure reliability, maintainability, and security across all system components.

2. Study System & Data Infrastructure

• Design and implement the project’s central data pipeline and database infrastructure.
• Manage ingest, validation, transformation, and secure storage of heterogeneous datasets (e.g., biosensor outputs, HVAC data, health reports, absenteeism).
• Build tools and dashboards to support reporting to stakeholders (e.g., government, IV&V teams, internal program teams).

3. Technical Leadership & Oversight

• Select, evaluate, and manage technical contractors and vendors (e.g., for DevOps, frontend, or specialized tooling).
• Write internal technical requirements and act as product owner for outsourced work.
• Represent Poppy’s technical team in conversations with government stakeholders, researchers, and partners.
• Establish early engineering practices and culture — including code review standards, testing frameworks, and documentation expectations.

4. Security, Openness & Developer Tools

• Implement access controls and data handling protocols (HIPAA, FERPA-aligned).
• Design and oversee anonymization strategies for sensitive data like health and absenteeism records.
• Use tools whenever appropriate to accelerate development and reduce maintenance burden — including modern AI coding assistants, analytics tools like Metabase, and task tracking tools like Jira or their alternatives.
• Support the open-source community (including government and academic users) by providing basic documentation, responding to submitted issues, and guiding adoption as appropriate.

5. Contribution to Poppy Core Systems

• When capacity allows, lead and/or consult on systems built for Poppy’s core business (e.g., automating systems, improving customer-facing apps & dashboards, improving pipelines).
• Identify and implement technical improvements that increase scalability, reliability, and cost-efficiency across Poppy’s infrastructure.
• Provide technical mentorship to other team members, contractors, or future hires, helping to establish best practices and grow engineering capacity at Poppy.

What You Need

• 7–10+ years of professional experience in software/data engineering, ideally with startup or R&D environments.
• Proven experience building backend systems and data pipelines from scratch.
• Proficiency with AWS, SQL, scripting languages (e.g., Python).
• Experience working with heterogeneous, messy real-world datasets.
• Deep familiarity with modern data architecture, including security best practices (e.g., access control, anonymization).
• Comfortable leading vendor/contractor teams and performing code reviews.
• Highly self-directed and proactive; capable of operating without a product manager.
• Strong communicator and collaborator across disciplines, with mechanical engineers, scientists, policymakers, vendors, etc.
• U.S.-based, with the ability to attend 1–3 in-person meetings per year.

Bonus Points For

• Past role as a founding engineer or first technical hire at a startup.
• Experience with government-funded R&D projects or healthcare/public health data.
• Experience with biomedical or genomics data.
• Prior exposure to HVAC, BAS, or smart building systems.
• Interest in long-term architecture, technical strategy, and scaling internal systems at Poppy.

Why Join Poppy?

• Be part of a mission-driven company defining the future of healthy buildings and airborne pathogen defence
• Work with deeply motivated scientists, engineers, and founders on high-impact government innovation
• Competitive compensation including $130,000-$160,000 USD annual salary, 20 days PTO annually, plus statutory holidays, benefits package and 401(k) program, potential equity incentives
• Remote-First Culture: Flexible work environment with ~5% travel for in-person meetings and team events
• Opportunity for Growth: Be part of a nationally significant program with visibility, innovation, and scale

Project Context

You will be joining a multi-organization initiative led by Poppy to reduce respiratory illness in buildings through autonomous indoor air management. The program combines species level detection via bioaerosol sensors, AI-driven risk models, and automated building controls, and this role is central to integrating and operationalizing these systems across dozens of regions in the U.S as we move towards full commercialization.

As the Lead Engineer, you’ll work closely with Poppy’s research, product, and partner teams—as well as collaborators from leading universities, building automation firms, and public health agencies—to transform breakthrough science into production-ready systems that can scale nationally.

About Poppy Health Inc.

Poppy is a technology company that delivers breakthrough optimization solutions for energy efficient, healthy buildings. With proprietary real-time air tracer hardware, and innovative software solutions, we help commercial properties reduce operating costs, meet carbon reduction goals, and maintain safe, healthy environments. Our groundbreaking technology is recognized for transforming the building performance industry, earning accolades from institutions like Fast Company.

Join us to be part of a mission-driven team that’s making indoor spaces healthier, safer, and more energy-efficient.

Interested?

To apply, submit a cover letter and resume (combined in one PDF) by Tuesday, September 30th and tell us about your experience as a hands-on, full-stack technical lead.