Senior Software Engineer - job 3 of 15

About Tin Can

Tin Can is building a safer, simpler way for kids to connect — without smartphones. We’re creating screen-free, delightful devices and services that let families call the people who matter most, free from the noise of today’s digital world.

We’re building a bold, authentic, nostalgic, and kinda quirky brand that resonates with folks who want something simpler & better for their kids than the tech-infused lives we’re currently living (and who have a sense of humor about it). As we gear up to scale to thousands of families, we’re ready to bring on an engineer to help make it happen.

The Role

We’re looking for a full stack Software Engineer to take the reins of our technical stack alongside the founding team. In this role, you’ll focus on making our systems more scalable, efficient, and secure as we grow. You’ll work on everything from backend APIs and databases to IoT device provisioning to customer-facing frontend features and internal tools, prioritizing practical solutions that keep families connected safely.

This is a highly hands-on role. You’ll be building and maintaining APIs, developing dashboards and internal tooling, deploying and managing IoT devices, collaborating with designers to ship frontend features and continuously improving how our systems run. You don’t need to come in knowing everything—but you do need to be a strong problem solver, comfortable learning independently, and eager to dive into new challenges.

What You’ll Do

• Build and ship product features across frontend and backend with Product and Design

• Build and maintain backend services and APIs that power devices, apps, and internal tools

• Improve system reliability, scalability, and operational maturity as we grow

• Ensure everything we build is designed with safety and data privacy at its core

• Support platform stability by identifying and reducing systemic risk

• Provide flexibility as the team balances stability, product work, and new investigations
  

What We’re Looking For

• 5+ years experience working on complex, production systems

• Expertise leveraging AI to enhance and scale your work given our small, fast-moving team

• Experience with Node.js, TypeScript, and modern backend development practices

• Experience with relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL) and data modeling

• Familiarity with AWS and cloud-native or serverless architectures

• Comfort working across backend, frontend, and system integration

• Experience collaborating with product and design on user-facing features

• A strong sense of ownership and ability to work independently when needed

• A collaborative, low-ego approach and interest in improving how the team works

Why Join Tin Can

• We’re building tech that protects childhood: We’re on a quest to give kids a more analog childhood—one with real conversations, real connection, and way less screen time. No doomscrolling, data mining, or dopamine traps—just a simpler, better way for kids to stay in touch. At Tin Can, security isn’t a checkbox — it’s how we earn and keep the trust of every family we serve. This is a rare opportunity to build something that truly matters: technology that protects what’s most precious.

• You’ll have real ownership, not just responsibility: This is the dream role for an engineer who wants to fully own building and scaling secure systems from the ground up — with the full backing of the founding team. You’ll have both the autonomy and the responsibility to shape Tin Can’s security vision, tools, and culture as we scale.

• Small, high trust team: Every company says “team,” but at Tin Can it means something different. We’re a small, mission-driven group that genuinely has each other’s backs — professionally and personally. You’ll be joining a tight-knit crew where your ideas and instincts matter from day one.

• Room to explore, not just execute: You’ll have the space to explore new ideas, challenge assumptions, and build secure systems that reflect our values of trust, simplicity, and care.

If you’re excited by the idea of taking a solid technical foundation and scaling it to support thousands of families—while making it more efficient, secure, and delightful along the way—please reach out. We can’t wait to meet someone who’s ready to jump in, level up what we’ve started, and help us grow.