Buildtrayd Com
Senior Software Engineer
$185,000 to $210,000 a year
About the job
New York City - FiDi, in person
$185,000
–
$210,000
Meaningful Series A equity
About Trayd
Trayd is solving the oldest problem in America: how do we build physical infrastructure that lasts generations? We’re replacing manual processes and legacy systems with AI-native software built around how construction actually runs. Companies using our software have built some of America’s greatest infrastructure projects like the Buffalo Bills’ Highmark Stadium and JFK International Airport.
We're building the category-defining back office for trade contractors with a platform that runs live payroll, job costing, and accounting workflows every week for the hardest-working people in the country. We grew 600% over the last year with a lean team of ~30, made up of some of the sharpest and most driven talent in New York.
We were in Y Combinator’s Summer 2023 batch and have raised over $15 million from Tier 1 investors. We’re proudly and permanently based in NYC. We’re in the next phase of growth, and every hire here directly shapes what customers see next.
Role Overview
We’re hiring a senior software engineer to help build the core systems that power Trayd.
This is not a “take tickets and stay in your lane” job. Engineers at Trayd own product areas end-to-end. You will design, build, ship, and maintain real systems that move real money, under real compliance constraints, for customers who depend on us every week.
Payroll is one of the only product categories where 99% accuracy is an F. The systems have to be built for correctness, traceability, and edge cases from day one.
You will work on a small, high-output team where decisions are made quickly, quality matters, and your work will show up in production constantly. You will help build the foundation for Trayd’s growth beyond Series A, with massive room for your own growth throughout the organization as we scale together.
What You’ll Do
Own major projects end-to-end: scoping, technical design, implementation, testing, and release.
Build full-stack features across the frontend, backend, and data layers in a production SaaS environment.
Design and evolve systems for payroll, deductions, benefits, compliance, and accounting workflows where correctness matters
Model and migrate relational data in Postgres for complex real-world financial workflows
Make strong architectural tradeoffs in ambiguous, fast-moving product environments
Debug production issues, improve reliability, and drive problems through to resolution
Collaborate closely with product and operations to translate business requirements into scalable technical solutions
Work directly with customers and internal stakeholders to understand how construction companies actually operate
Contribute as a senior engineer through code reviews, design discussions, and raising the quality bar across the team
Example problems you might work on
Building workflows that handle union pay rules, deductions, and benefits correctly across job types and locations
Designing systems that make payroll auditable and explainable, not just “it worked somehow”
Making accounting exports and job-costing data reliable enough that controllers trust them
Improving performance and correctness in a system that processes large amounts of payroll data under deadlines
Creating tooling and guardrails that prevent edge cases from becoming customer emergencies
Why Trayd
This is real infrastructure.
Payroll and compliance are high-stakes. The work is technical, regulated, and unforgiving in the best way
You will have real ownership.
You won’t be one engineer on a giant team shipping tiny changes. You will own systems that matter
We’re winning in a hard market.
Strong customer demand, real usage, and a product that customers rely on weekly
The domain is deep.
Construction is full of complexity that most software ignores. We build for the real workflows
In-person team, high velocity.
We work together in FiDI five days a week because it makes us faster and sharper
You’ll grow quickly.
Small team, high responsibility, constant production exposure, and meaningful influence over the product
On payroll days, the whole team runs together.
We provide meals because those days matter here.
Who You Are
5+ years building production software on a team
Full-stack capable (or excited to be) and comfortable working across systems
High ownership mindset: you ship, you fix, you follow through
Strong judgment balancing speed, correctness, and maintainability
You communicate clearly and collaborate well across functions
NYC-based or ready to relocate quickly
Nice to Have
React, Next.js, Prisma, tRPC, Postgres
Strong TypeScript and Node.js fundamentals
Experience in fintech, payroll, accounting, compliance, or other high-stakes systems
Working style
This is an in-person role in New York City, five days a week. We move quickly, collaborate constantly, and value people who take initiative and ownership.
If you want to ship important software fast with a team that cares about doing it right, you’ll fit here.
Compensation/Benefits
Base Salary $185,000–$220,000
Meaningful Series A equity
Benefits
Healthcare: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance options for employees and dependents
Unlimited/Flexible PTO
401(k) Retirement Plan
Free lunch (Mon–Wed) and dinner (Mon–Thu after 7:30pm) for in-office roles
The posted range represents the typical compensation range for this role. To determine actual compensation we review the market rate of each candidate which can include a variety of factors including qualifications, experience, interview performance, and location.
Trayd provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and welcome people from all backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and abilities.