Lead Engineer

We are seeking a hands-on Lead Engineer to help shape and deliver a patient-facing research eligibility platform for a leading U.S. academic medical center. This is a high-impact contract opportunity where you will lead technical discovery, guide development, and help bring a real-time eligibility-to-consent experience to life across a modern React and Next.js environment.
Responsibilities

• Lead technical discovery by learning the existing application, environment, pipelines, and development standards from the current internal team.
• Run feasibility spikes focused on key technical risks, including eligibility response performance and embedded electronic signature workflows.
• Break down work into actionable user stories, estimate effort, and surface technical risks early.
• Provide hands-on development leadership across front-end and back-end workstreams.
• Establish and reinforce coding standards, branching practices, and code review expectations aligned with the existing codebase.
• Mentor engineers and coordinate integration efforts across systems such as EHR, participant tracking, and e-signature platforms.
• Collaborate closely with QA to support testing, release readiness, and defect resolution.
• Support production cutover, hypercare, and post-launch issue triage.
• Create clear technical documentation and transition materials for internal stakeholders.

Skills

• 8+ years of full-stack development experience, including at least 3 years in a technical lead role.
• Strong expertise with React, Next.js, TypeScript/JavaScript, and Node.js.
• Proven experience integrating with REST/JSON APIs and building reliable async workflows.
• Background working with retries, webhooks, and idempotent service patterns.
• Experience contributing code in enterprise environments with established engineering processes.
• Solid automated testing skills using tools such as Jest, React Testing Library, Playwright, or Cypress.
• Experience supporting CI/CD practices and release workflows.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and mentoring skills.

Preferred Skills

• Experience working on healthcare, clinical research, or patient portal applications.
• Familiarity with HIPAA-related safeguards and secure data handling practices.
• Exposure to Epic FHIR APIs.
• Experience with Adobe Acrobat Sign API or Google Cloud Pub/Sub.
• Previous experience taking over and extending a client-built codebase.
• Ability to thrive in a collaborative, fast-moving team environment.

Horizontal is committed to fostering a workplace where diversity, equity, and inclusion are valued and respected. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and perspectives, and we strive to create an environment where everyone can contribute and succeed.
By applying for this position, you acknowledge and agree that Horizontal Talent may contact you regarding your application using automated technology, including phone calls, SMS/text messages, or email, which may be delivered by our virtual AI recruiter, Alex.
Please apply through this online posting or by visiting our Job Board at Applications will be accepted for 4 weeks. For those that join the team, we offer competitive compensation and benefits including medical, dental, vision, and retirement. Check out all we have to offer and how you can become part of the Horizontal Talent Team. The pay range for this role is $29 - $85 per hour based on qualifications and experience.