Deputy Head of Engineering (Node.js / Next.js)

Ruby Labs is a leading tech company that creates and operates innovative consumer products across the health, education, and entertainment industries.

• 3+ years of intensive experience with Node.js and Next.js, able to solve complex SSR/ISR issues and optimize performance.
• 3+ years of experience managing engineering teams with skills in motivation, feedback, and conflict handling.
• Solid experience with AWS and Cloudflare, including configuring CI/CD pipelines and managing cloud resources.
• Deep understanding of Postgres and experience with modern ORMs like Drizzle or Prisma (migrations, query optimization).
• Proficiency in setting up and interpreting data from Mixpanel and Google Analytics; experience running systematic A/B tests.
• Strong knowledge of web security principles including OWASP, WAF, and hosting-level protection.
• Ability to communicate clearly with technical teams and stakeholders while maintaining focus in a fast-paced environment.

Nice to have:

• Practical experience with Model Context Protocol (MCP) to build or optimize AI-assisted development tools.
• Experience in fine-tuning Web Vitals and optimizing backend latency for high-traffic applications.
• Experience building custom AI agents or complex RAG systems.

• Architectural Guardrails: Ensuring all projects strictly follow the established company architecture, approving architectural changes, and ensuring long-term scalability.
• Rigorous Code Review: Maintaining high code quality across teams, identifying bottlenecks and potential bugs, and ensuring every PR aligns with best practices.
• Project Bootstrapping: Hands-on involvement in deployment and configuration of new projects, including CI/CD, environment variables, and hosting.
• Security & Compliance: Implementing and overseeing security measures at code and hosting levels (WAF configuration, secure headers, data encryption).
• Innovation & AI Adoption: Leading implementation of new technologies focusing on AI-driven workflows and MCP to enhance developer productivity.
• Growth Engineering: Managing technical aspects of A/B testing via Growthbook and ensuring accurate data tracking through Mixpanel and GTM.
• Technical Leadership & Hiring: Conducting technical interviews and mentoring developers to meet company standards.
• Continuous Improvement: Identifying outdated practices and replacing them with modern, efficient workflows.

• Remote work environment allowing work from anywhere.
• Unlimited paid time off (PTO).
• Paid national holidays.
• Company-provided Apple MacBook for employees who need them.
• Flexible Independent Contractor Agreement offering flexibility, autonomy, tax advantages, networking opportunities, and freedom to work from anywhere.

Applicants must be located within approximately ± 4 hours of Central European Time (CET) to ensure optimal collaboration and communication during working hours.