Staff Software Engineer - Custom Projects

📋 Description

• • H2 Analytics is at the forefront of revolutionizing professional training for high-stakes environments, leveraging cutting-edge simulation technology and sophisticated data-driven tools. Our innovative platform serves critical sectors including defence, intelligence, and essential infrastructure, empowering users to train with enhanced intelligence and achieve superior performance. As a Software Engineer at H2 Analytics, you will be instrumental in developing scalable systems, real-time simulations, and AI-powered automation that directly contribute to mission-critical outcomes. This is an opportunity to join a dynamic, fast-paced team where your contributions will power elite performance and where innovation is not just encouraged, but is an integral part of the daily work.
• • The Engineering team at H2 is responsible for the development of EASE (Exercise Architect Suite), a powerful tool designed for military, intelligence, law enforcement, and emergency response organizations. EASE simplifies the creation of large-scale training exercises, significantly reducing the manual effort traditionally required. Our core mission is to democratize the development of complex training scenarios, making them accessible and manageable.
• • This specific role is part of a newly established Custom Projects team, dedicated to the rapid development of custom applications and innovative prototypes. The immediate focus for this team will be the creation of a novel simulation tool tailored for our intelligence analyst training platform. A key aspect of this development will involve harnessing the power of generative AI to produce dynamic, high-fidelity data and realistic user interactions that are deeply relevant to the training scenarios being simulated.
• • This is fundamentally a hands-on builder role. The majority of your time will be dedicated to writing code, architecting robust systems, prototyping new ideas, and successfully shipping features. Beyond direct development, you will play a crucial role in hiring and nurturing the growth of the team, actively shaping the technology stack, and providing technical guidance to incoming engineers. However, the foundational expectation of this position is a strong emphasis on building and creating, rather than on governance or management.
• • The engineering team operates on a 100% remote model. While our head office is situated in Ottawa, you are welcome to utilize the office space if desired. This position offers significant flexibility, allowing you to be located anywhere within Canada. While flexible hours are supported, core meetings are scheduled to accommodate the Eastern Time Zone. We champion a culture of frequent code deployment, valuing collaboration and prioritizing results over rigid processes. Our development methodology incorporates a lightweight Scrum framework, underpinned by a steadfast commitment to continuous improvement and iterative refinement.
• • As a Staff Software Engineer, you will be a key architect and implementer, taking ownership of the end-to-end development lifecycle for new simulation environments. This includes designing and building the core architecture, implementing the software, and deploying the final product. A significant part of your responsibility will involve designing and implementing an advanced AI agent system capable of driving autonomous, believable bot activity across simulated platforms, enhancing the realism and effectiveness of the training exercises.
• • You will be empowered to make critical technical decisions, including stack selection, defining service boundaries, designing data models, and architecting the necessary infrastructure. The emphasis on rapid prototyping means you will be expected to iterate quickly, with progress measured in days rather than traditional sprint cycles. You will lead the day-to-day technical execution of the team, ensuring that development progresses efficiently and effectively.
• • Furthermore, you will assume ownership of both the cloud and on-premises infrastructure required to run the platform in production. This includes architecting, deploying, and operating these environments. A vital aspect of this role involves mentoring and coaching senior software engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and driving best practices in software development across the team. You will also partner closely with Product and Executive leadership to influence the product vision and technical roadmap for this new product line, playing a pivotal role in shaping the future direction of H2 Analytics' offerings. Your contributions will extend to hiring and onboarding new team members, building a high-performing engineering unit from the ground up, and identifying opportunities for technical and process enhancements as the company scales.