We are looking to register interest in Staff Software Engineer positions within distributed systems and microservices architectures. These are opportunities for seasoned software engineers with significant leadership experience to drive technical excellence and shape the future of scalable, resilient systems. Please note the content of this advert does not represent a live vacancy. About the opportunity This is an opportunity to register your interest in future Staff Software Engineer roles based in Chicago, Illinois. Positions of this type typically sit within engineering teams focused on designing, building and maintaining distributed systems that power critical applications. The work could involve architecting microservices, establishing code quality standards, mentoring engineering teams and guiding technical direction across complex, large-scale systems. With 10-15 years of software development experience and 5+ years leading teams, you could bring both technical depth and the leadership presence to influence how systems are built and how teams operate. Typical role overview

Location:

Chicago, Illinois, USA Type:

Contract

•

Full-time Rate:

$720 - $960 per day

Focus:

Distributed systems

• Microservices architecture

• Technical leadership What you would do Typical responsibilities could include: Designing and architecting microservices and distributed systems that scale reliably Establishing and enforcing code quality standards, design patterns and best practices across engineering teams Leading cross-functional technical initiatives from concept through implementation and optimization Mentoring and developing senior and mid-level engineers, providing technical guidance and fostering growth Driving technical decisions that balance system performance, maintainability and operational resilience Collaborating with product, operations and infrastructure teams to align technical strategy with business goals Conducting code reviews, architecture reviews and technical assessments to raise engineering standards Contributing to technical documentation, design specifications and engineering standards What you could bring Most roles of this type require the following: Must-have 10-15 years of professional software development experience 5+ years leading, mentoring or guiding engineering teams Deep expertise in designing and building distributed systems and microservices architectures Proficiency in one or more modern programming languages and frameworks (Java, Go, Python, C++, Node.js or similar) Strong understanding of system design, scalability, resilience patterns and trade-offs Experience with cloud platforms, containerization and orchestration (AWS, GCP, Azure, Kubernetes or similar) Demonstrated ability to drive technical excellence, code quality and engineering standards Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or equivalent professional experience Authorization to work in the United States Nice-to-have Master's degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering Experience with distributed tracing, observability and performance optimization Track record of leading architectural migrations or large-scale system refactors Open-source contributions or published technical work Experience in high-throughput, low-latency system design What roles of this type could offer Most roles of this type offer the following, dependent on the industry and seniority of the role: The opportunity to shape technical direction and influence how systems are architected across the organization Leadership scope to mentor senior engineers and drive team capability Involvement in solving complex, large-scale system design challenges Exposure to stakeholders across product, operations and executive leadership Potential for technical growth toward principal-level and architect-level roles A competitive day rate reflective of senior expertise and leadership responsibility Professional development, flexible work arrangements and the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies About Specialist Staffing Group We are a global staffing and talent solutions firm specializing in connecting skilled professionals with forward-thinking organizations across technology, engineering, healthcare and professional services. We work with businesses of all sizes to find the talent they need and with professionals to unlock the next step in their careers. How to register interest If you are interested in being added to our database to be considered for future opportunities, registering is quick and easy. No cover letter required. We will be in touch when we are instructed on these roles to discuss the next step in your career. Please note that the content of this advert does not represent a live vacancy or any guarantee of future vacancies, and by responding to this advert you agree to us adding your details to our database for future opportunities.