Lead Software Engineer

Company Description

At KAIRALITRAILS, we’re a fast-growing travel company on a mission to transform how people

experience the world. We’re seeking a Lead Software Developer to build innovative solutions

and guide a talented team in a dynamic, startup-driven environment in Mangaluru, Karnataka.

The ideal candidate is passionate about technology and has proven experience delivering

end-to-end software solutions, mentoring junior developers, and solving complex technical

challenges. In this role, you’ll shape our product architecture, champion technical excellence,

and build scalable systems that elevate the travel experience for our customers.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of developers, ensuring high-quality code, best practices, and

knowledge sharing.

• Design, build, and maintain scalable, robust, and maintainable software systems.

• Take ownership of the full software development lifecycle, from architecture and design

to deployment and maintenance.

• Build products from scratch and drive them through to successful release.

• Troubleshoot production issues, handle downtime, and ensure high system availability.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product and operations, to deliver

end-to-end solutions.

• Establish coding standards, architectural guidelines, and development processes.

Drive system improvements, automation, and process optimizations.

Required Skills & Experience:

• 8+ years of professional software development experience, preferably with startup

exposure.

• Proven experience building products from scratch and scaling them.

• Strong full-stack development experience in React and Node.js frameworks (Next.js,

Express, NestJS).

• Proficiency in SQL and NoSQL databases.
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and distributed systems.
• Solid understanding of OOP, system design, and software architecture.
• Hands-on experience with concurrency, caching strategies, payment gateway

integrations, and implementing security standards & compliance (e.g., PCI-DSS, GDPR).

• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
• Proven ability to write clean, maintainable, and efficient code.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and mentoring skills.
• Demonstrated success handling production downtimes, scaling systems, and

delivering under pressure.

• Comfortable with ambiguity, fast-changing priorities, and wearing multiple hats.
• Experience in travel tech (booking engines, payment integrations, third-party travel

APIs, real-time systems, handling peak traffic) is a strong plus.

What we offer:

• Highly competitive salary.
• Work from our Mangalore office with a collaborative and innovative team.
• Ownership of critical modules and influence over product architecture.
• Exposure to cutting-edge technologies and scalable systems.
• Opportunities for professional growth, learning, and mentorship.