Staff Software Engineer

Purpose Unlimited is an independent financial services company with an unrelenting focus on customer-centric innovation, delivered through technology-driven solutions. Led by entrepreneur Som Seif, the company is developing a diversified product platform aimed at addressing historically underserved segments of the market. Purpose Unlimited’s businesses include Purpose Investments, Advisor Solutions by Purpose, and Driven.
Vacancy Status: This is for a current opening.
Job Description
Who you are
You own the hardest technical problems in our consumer-facing product — setting the bar for how code ships, how architecture decisions get made, and how AI-augmented engineering works in a regulated environment. Impact is measured in product outcomes: performance, reliability, client experience. AI fluency is a baseline expectation; you lead how the team integrates it, handling the judgment, architecture, and craft that AI cannot replace.

Responsibilities: What you will do/ What you’ll drive

Product performance and reliability — own architectural decisions that move latency, uptime, and client-facing quality metrics.

Technical direction for AI-augmented engineering — define tools, workflows, standards for AI-generated code, and how productivity is measured.

Engineering craft and release safety — testing standards and observability practices that let the team ship weekly in a SOC 2 environment.

Cross-cutting problem solving — shared abstractions, state management, platform tech debt, resolved without stalling delivery.

Team capability and growth — mentorship, design feedback, and code review that raises the ceiling of what the team can do.

Product partnership — pressure-test requirements before they become expensive commitments; advocate for technical quality as a driver of client experience.

What AI does so you don’t have to

Generates boilerplate, test scaffolding, and routine implementations — you review, refine, and ensure production standards.

Runs automated code quality checks, vulnerability scanning, and compliance flag analysis — you interpret results and make the call.

Aggregates performance data, incident patterns, and release risk signals — you decide what to act on.

Drafts documentation, RFC templates, and technical specs — you shape the thinking and ensure architectural coherence.

Qualifications: What you will bring

Significant experience building consumer-facing software at scale, with architectural judgment from systems that serve real users under real load.
Full-stack depth — you move between frontend, backend, and infrastructure when the problem demands it.
Experience in a regulated industry (financial services, healthcare, or similar) — SOC 2 or ISO 27001 compliance as part of engineering quality, not friction.
Track record of leading technical decisions: writing RFCs, driving alignment, knowing when to push for consensus vs. make the call.

What will set you apart

Fluency with AI-assisted development tools (Copilot, Claude Code, Cursor, or similar) and a formed perspective on how they change team dynamics.

Experience governing AI-generated code quality in production — you’ve thought about when AI output is good enough and when human craft is required.

Experience mentoring senior engineers; your leverage at this level is as much about team capability as your own code.

You think in systems — understanding how technical decisions ripple through product quality and end-user experience.

Degree in CS/Software Engineering or equivalent practical depth.

What success looks like in one year

Core platform uptime and latency measurably improved; release process introduces demonstrably less risk.

Team has adopted AI-assisted workflows with clear quality and governance standards; engineering throughput measurably increased.

At least two cross-cutting architectural decisions you led are in production and have reduced fragility or improved developer velocity.

Engineers you mentor are taking on harder problems and shipping with more confidence.

Product and design leaders actively seek your input before committing to technical approaches.

Our five values:
Innovation – You bring new ideas, challenge the status quo, and find better ways of building. You don’t wait for permission to experiment.
Courage – You speak up when something isn’t working, take difficult stands on technical quality, and act with conviction even when it’s uncomfortable.
Owner’s Mindset – You take full accountability for your squad’s outcomes. You treat the platform, the team, and the business as your own.
Client Focus – You place client outcomes at the center of every architectural and delivery decision.
Winning Through Individual and Collective Growth – You invest in your own development and actively contribute to the growth of every engineer around you.

What it’s like here
You’ll join a team that ships weekly, reviews each other’s thinking as seriously as each other’s code, and has real autonomy to make architectural calls. Engineering culture is built on Owner’s Mindset — you own the outcome, not just the task. Applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada; immigration sponsorship is not offered.

Why should you join us?

We are one of Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers' 2023, 2024, 2025 & 2026.
We believe in innovation and a vibrant culture - work for an innovative, people-first, financial services firm that values entrepreneurialism.
We believe in a flexible work structure – A flexible hybrid work model that empowers you to do your best work whether at home or the office.
We care about your rewards - Competitive compensation including equity program.
We care about your health – comprehensive group health and dental benefits and life insurance at little to no cost to you. We also offer a Lifestyle Spending Account for all your wellness needs.
We care about your quality of life - flexible paid time-off policy with unlimited vacation days, and flexible sick and mental health days.
We care about your family - Paid parental leave for eligible employees with a top-up.
We care about your future – Generous Group RRSP matching and an optional TFSA program.
We care about your development – We offer training opportunities and tuition support year-round.

Purpose Unlimited is an equal employer and we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and barrier-free work environment for all employees and candidates. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply and if accommodation is required during any stage of the recruitment process, please contact any member of the People & Culture team at [email protected]. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

Our work philosophy is a hybrid model allowing for flexibility and collaboration.
Applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada. Immigration sponsorship is not offered for this role.

We may use artificial intelligence technology to assist in screening, assessing, or selecting applicants for this position. Final hiring decisions are made by qualified human reviewers.