Senior Full-Stack Developer

Job Description

Job Description

Senior Full-Stack Developer

Location : Remote

Type : Full-Time (Upon Funding)

Reports to : VP of Product / CTO

About Just Badge Worldwide

Just Badge Worldwide is building ELITE—the global skills verification platform that transforms how professionals prove capability through real-time behavioral data, not resumes. We've proven the concept, validated our acquisition model, and we're finishing the final 20% of ecosystem development. We're pre-revenue, founder-funded, and preparing for public launch. Join now to help us build the foundation, onboard our first subscribers, and position ourselves for scale.

The Role

This is a high-impact technical role for a highly-experienced full-stack developer who thrives on shipping fast, solving complex problems, and leveraging AI development tools to accelerate execution. You'll build the core features of ELITE—a professional social network with behavioral skill tracking, community infrastructure, session booking marketplace, and gamification systems;all while maintaining clean architecture and cost-conscious technical decisions.

You'll work in a fast-paced, AI-assisted development environment where we use tools like Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and traditional software development tools to move quickly without sacrificing quality. This role requires both technical depth and startup pragmatism : knowing when to build from scratch, when to fork open-source projects, and when to integrate third-party solutions.

Core Technical StackFrontend

React 18 with Vite or Next.js

Tailwind CSS and Headless UI components

State management with Zustand

React Router v6, React Hook Form with Zod validation

Mobile-responsive and accessibility-first design

Backend

Node.js 20+ with Express.js and TypeScript

PostgreSQL 15+ with Prisma ORM

RESTful API design and implementation

Authentication via Clerk or Auth0

Payment processing with Stripe and Stripe Connect

File storage (AWS S3 or Cloudinary), email (SendGrid)

DevOps Infrastructure

CI / CD with GitHub Actions

Vercel (frontend), Railway / Render (backend)

Database hosting (Supabase or PlanetScale)

Error monitoring (Sentry), analytics (PostHog)

Advanced Capabilities

Browser extension development (Manifest v3)

Desktop app development with Electron

SQLite for local data management

API integrations (Zoom, calendar systems)

Batch processing for LLM cost optimization

Critical Requirement : AI-Assisted Development

This role requires proficiency with AI development tools :

Cursor, GitHub Copilot, V0, Lovable, or Replit experience

Ability to write effective prompts for AI code generation

Comfortable using AI copilots to accelerate development timelines

Skilled at reviewing and refining AI-generated code

Experience with AI-assisted test suite generation

Understands how good, scalable software is written and the balance between using AI and writing custom code

We're building fast with AI tools as force multipliers. You should be excited about this development methodology, not resistant to it.

What Success Looks Like

Month 1-3 : Ship 3-5 high-priority features (social network core, authentication, profiles, activity feeds). Integrate with existing codebase and establish development workflows.

Month 4-6 : Complete session booking marketplace, payment processing, and email automation. Launch beta with core feature set ready for user testing.

Month 7-9 : Build gamification systems, behavioral tracking integrations, and AI-powered skill categorization. Optimize performance, cost, and user experience based on beta feedback.

What You Bring

5+ years full-stack development experience with modern JavaScript / TypeScript frameworks.

Strong React and Node.js proficiency—you've built production applications with these technologies.

Database design and management with SQL databases (PostgreSQL preferred) and ORMs like Prisma.

API development and integration experience—RESTful design, third-party API consumption, and authentication systems.

Experience with payment processing (Stripe preferred) and marketplace or booking systems.

AI development tool fluency—you've used Cursor, Copilot, or similar tools to accelerate your development workflow.

Startup mentality—comfortable with ambiguity, rapid iteration, and making pragmatic technical decisions.

Cost-conscious engineering—you know how to build scalable solutions within budget constraints.

Bonus Experience

Social network or community platform development

Browser extension or desktop app development (Electron)

Gamification mechanics and point systems

LLM / AI API integration with cost optimization strategies

Privacy-first data architecture and local-first applications

Experience forking and customizing open-source projects

Mobile app development (React Native or similar)

Development Methodology

We work in 6-week sprints with a focus on shipping MVPs quickly :

MoSCoW prioritization : Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, Won't Have

Minimum Viable Feature (MVF) approach : Ship core functionality first, iterate based on feedback

AI-assisted development : Use AI tools for scaffolding, testing, and documentation

Weekly progress reviews : Feature prioritization and risk mitigation planning

12-20 week timeline to production beta : Fast-paced execution with clear milestones

Mindset Values

Ship fast, iterate faster : You prioritize delivering working features over perfect architecture, then refine based on real user feedback.

AI-native developer : You embrace AI tools as productivity multipliers and know how to use them effectively.

Problem solver : You find creative solutions to technical challenges, especially when balancing cost, performance, and speed.

Self-directed : You take ownership of features end-to-end and don't need hand-holding.

User-focused : You care about building intuitive, performant experiences that users love.

Mission-aligned : You believe in the vision of verified professional capability and understand how your code enables that future.

Compensation Equity

Competitive base salary upon funding : $120K-$160K (depending on experience and location)

Equity : 0.25%-0.75% in stock options (4-year vesting with 1-year cliff)

Performance bonus : Tied to feature delivery milestones and platform launch success

Start Before Funding (Preferred Candidates)

For exceptional developers who want to start contributing immediately :

Part-time or full-time on an equity-only basis with vesting beginning after the trial period

Equity grant remains the same (0.25%-0.75%)&

Contractor to start and transition to full salary + benefits package upon funding close + signing bonus (backpay)

Early vesting credit for pre-funding contributions

This option is ideal for developers who believe in the mission and want to shape the platform from the earliest stage while accelerating their equity position.

Timeline

This role will be hired upon funding close, anticipated in the coming weeks. However, we're open to bringing on the right candidate earlier on an equity-only basis to begin vesting immediately.

Why This Role Matters

You're not just writing code—you're building the infrastructure that enables professionals to prove their capabilities and unlock opportunities based on verified skills, not resumes. Every feature you ship helps people connect, grow, and earn in ways that weren't possible before.

This is a founding engineering role where your technical decisions shape the platform's scalability, user experience, and long-term success. If you're a builder who thrives on fast execution, AI-assisted development, and mission-driven work, this is your opportunity to create something that matters.