Lead Engineer – Platform & Architecture

Role Overview :

The Lead Engineer owns the technical integrity, reliability, and scalability of the Quest platform, while also being directly hands-on in building critical systems.

This is a player-coach role:

○    You will write and review code

○    Solve complex technical problems directly

And ensure that all engineering (internal + vendors) meets high quality and architectural

Standards 

Key Responsibilities:

Hands-on Engineering Ownership (Critical)

○     Actively contribute to core platform code (backend, APIs, system components)

○     Take ownership of complex, high-risk, or poorly understood problem areas

○     Performance bottlenecks

○     Data inconsistencies

○     Critical bugs (e.g., save failures, concurrency issues)

○     Build reference implementations that set standards for vendors

○     Step in when:

○     Root cause is unclear

○     Issues are repeatedly reopened

This role is not advisory — you get into the code and fix things

2. Architecture & System Design

○     Define and evolve platform architecture

○     Ensure system coherence across modules, services, and integrations

○     Make pragmatic architecture decisions grounded in real constraints

○     Prevent over-engineering while ensuring scalability

3. Code Quality & Engineering Standards

○     Define and enforce:

○     Coding standards

○     PR review processes

○     Personally review critical PRs and vendor code

○     Set clear expectations for:

○     Multi-developer handoffs

○     Ownership of modules

4. Environment & DevOps Standardization

○     Ensure Dev, QA, UAT, and Prod environments are aligned

○     Standardize:

○     Server configs (file size limits, caching, infra)

○     Deployment processes

○     Work hands-on with DevOps to fix:

○     Cache inconsistencies

○     Environment drift

○     Deployment issues

5. Testing & Quality Engineering

●     Define and enforce:

○     Unit testing standards (all success criteria must be covered)

○     Scenario-based QA expectations

●     Ensure testing includes:

○     Boundary conditions (e.g., file size limits)

○     Edge cases (state handling, retries, failures)

6. Root Cause Analysis & Reliability

• Lead deep debugging of critical issues
  
• Ensure:
  

○     No issue is closed without clear root cause understanding

• Improve RCA quality:
  

1.              What happened

2.             Why it happened

3.             How we prevent it

Eliminate “guess fixes” and repeated reopens

7. Integration & Platform Governance

●     Design and review:

○     APIs

○     External integrations (e.g., SIDH, partners)

●     Ensure consistency in:

○     Data contracts

○     Error handling

○     Security practices

8. Performance & Real-World Reliability

●     Ensure systems are tested for:

○     Large files (e.g., 2MB vs 50MB scenarios)

○     Low bandwidth / throttling

○     Concurrency limits

●     Fix issues like:

○     Save failures

○     Race conditions (auto-save conflicts)

○     Cache inconsistencies

 Accountable For

●     Writing and improving critical parts of the codebase

●     Platform architecture and system coherence

●     Engineering quality across internal and vendor teams

●     Environment consistency (Dev ↔ UAT ↔ Prod)

●     Reduction in ticket reopens and production bugs

Requirements

●     6–10+ years of strong backend engineering experience

●     Deep hands-on expertise in:

○     PHP/Laravel

○     MySQL modeling, performance and debugging

○     APIs and distributed systems

●     Strong experience in:

○     Debugging production issues

○     Performance tuning

○     DevOps collaboration

●     Proven ability to:

○     Work across multiple teams/vendors

Benefits

Salary: The pay band for the position starts at Rs. 1,25,000/- per month (cost to company) (The salary offered will be commensurate with the experience and expertise of the candidate)

- Comprehensive Personal Accident Insurance covering up to ₹10,00,000 annually

- Mediclaim Insurance covering up to ₹3,00,000 annually, supported through our insurance partner, Loop, which also offers additional wellness benefits

- Reach for the Stars (RFS) amount of up to ₹5,000 to support your self-learning and knowledge-building efforts

- Internet allowance of up to ₹750/month, reimbursable based on actual usage to support flexible and hybrid working arrangements

- For employees with children under the age of 6 years, Quest offers childcare or day care fee support through a monthly matching contribution of up to ₹3,000, helping you create a supportive work-life balance

- Access to emotional health and wellbeing programs such as:

* Group sessions worth ₹7,500 per session fully covered by the organisation

* 1:1 counselling sessions (worth ₹1,800 per session), fully covered by the organisation

At Quest Alliance, we pride ourselves on being an Equal Opportunities employer, embracing applications from all segments of the community. We are committed to ensuring that every applicant and employee is treated with fairness and respect, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, marital status, social status, caste, religious belief, age, or any other factor that is irrelevant to performance. Your individuality is valued and respected within our organization.

 Know About Quest

Website :http://www.questalliance.net/

Blog : https://thelearnerbyquest.wordpress.com

 About the Team and Culture

Everyday is a Friday! - How we make our workplace fun

Quest Day - Our Bday celebrated with people we love, and there is food & music

What our partners & collaborators say? - see here

Annual All Staff Meet - From Goa, Kumarakom, Coorg, Bodh Gaya & Puducherry this is where all  employees meet to celebrate their learning & relationships.

Watch our youtube playlists for more.