> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/4583620-lead-software-engineer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/4583620-lead-software-engineer). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Lead Software Engineer - **Company:** McMaster-Carr Supply Company - **Location:** Chicago, IL, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $191,900 - $240,000 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** ASP.NET, Java (Programming Language), JavaScript (Programming Language), .NET Framework, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision, Microsoft Azure, C Sharp (Programming Language), C++ (Programming Language), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Code Review, Databases, IBM DB2, Linux, Programming Tools, Elasticsearch, Internet Information Services (IIS), Python (Programming Language), Machine Learning, MongoDB, Redis, OpenAI, Microsoft Copilot, Swagger, Perplexity AI, Selenium, Software Engineering, SQL Databases, Data Streaming, TypeScript, ReactJS, Retrieval-Augmented Generation, Large Language Models, Backend, Gitlab, Git, Xunit, Kubernetes, Playwright, Apache Kafka, Front End Software Development, Claude, Virtual Agents, Google Gemini, Vectorization, Jenkins, Vmware - **Published:** November 5, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.careerbuilder.com/job-details/lead-software-engineer-chicago-il--827849fb-3cf5-40bf-9729-3c14c1e776f4 ## About the Role Software Engineering, Manufacturing, eCommerce, Customer Experience, Building Systems, Communication Skills, Technical/Engineering Design, Software Engineering, Mentoring, Technical Leadership, * 4+ years of professional full-stack or backend software engineering experience, with strong proficiency in a compiled language such as C#, Java, C++, or Rust (see our Software Engineer II role for earlier-career experience) * Experience designing and delivering large-scale, service-oriented systems, writing maintainable, scalable code, and strengthening architecture, testing, and monitoring for reliability and performance * Experience owning projects from early research through launch and iterative refinement, building platforms that hold up over the long run without losing sight of execution details * A thoughtful, analytical approach to problem-solving and software design * Strong cross-functional collaboration and communication skills, paired with a commitment to developing others through code reviews, coaching, and mentorship Technologies We Use * Backend: NET, .NET 10, ASP.NET Core, C#, Python * Frontend: React, Typescript, JavaScript, CSS * Database: MongoDB, Elasticsearch, SQL, Db2, Redis * Testing: Selenium, Playwright, Xunit, Jest * Infrastructure: Kubernetes, Jenkins, Gitlab, Azure, Linux, VMWare, IIS * LLMs: OpenAI, Copilot, Claude, Gemini, Grok, perplexity, deepseek * Applied AI: RAG, Embeddings, Vectorization, Machine Learning, Computer Vision * Dev Tools: Swagger, Git * Messaging /Data Streaming: Kafka, MQ ## Description * AI Assistant Development: You'll build and expand McMaster.ai, our domain-expert AI assistant, and the platform that lets teammates add new Skills to it. You'll turn McMaster's product data and customer history into a continual learning experience that interprets intent, narrows options, explains tradeoffs, and carries context across sessions to make complex industrial work feel effortless. * Customer Navigation: You'll build and evolve the systems that help customers find, evaluate, and understand millions of industrial products across our digital publications, including improving search relevance with LLMs and simplifying navigation across our product offering. * Order-to-Payment Flow: You'll design and evolve end-to-end ordering experiences that reduce friction from checkout to mobile ordering. * Product Merchandising: You'll strengthen the internal platforms that power sourcing, inventory planning, receiving, and supplier relationships, helping the company make disciplined investments and scale responsibly. * Fulfillment & Automation: You'll lead development of software that integrates with warehouse operations, fulfillment, delivery, and customer service to reduce manual work and get orders to customers faster. Who You Are Our strongest engineers are curious, driven, thrive in collaborative environments, and love solving hard problems.