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Just Badge

Senior Full-Stack Developer (San Diego-based)

Just Badge, California, Missouri, United States, 65018

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Salary Base pay range: $120,000.00 – $160,000.00 per year (competitive base salary upon funding; equity options 0.25‑0.75% vested 4‑year, 1‑year cliff).

Role Details Senior Full‑Stack Developer (Remote – must be located in San Diego, CA). Full‑time (upon funding). Reports to VP of Product / CTO.

About Just Badge Worldwide Just Badge Worldwide is building ELITE, the global skills verification platform that transforms how professionals prove capability through real‑time behavioral data, not resumes. Pre‑revenue, founder‑funded, preparing for public launch. Join now to build the foundation, onboard first subscribers, and position us for scale.

The Role High‑impact technical role for an experienced full‑stack developer who thrives on shipping fast, solving complex problems, and leveraging AI development tools. Build core features of ELITE—a professional social network with behavioral skill tracking, community infrastructure, session booking marketplace, and gamification systems, while maintaining clean architecture and cost‑conscious technical decisions.

Core Technical Stack

Frontend

React 18 with Vite or Next.js

Tailwind CSS and Headless UI components

State management with Zustand

React Router v6, React Hook Form with Zod validation

Mobile‑responsive and accessibility‑first design

Backend

Node.js 20+ with Express.js and TypeScript

PostgreSQL 15+ with Prisma ORM

RESTful API design and implementation

Authentication via Clerk or Auth0

Payment processing with Stripe and Stripe Connect

File storage (AWS S3 or Cloudinary), email (SendGrid)

DevOps & Infrastructure

CI/CD with GitHub Actions

Vercel (frontend), Railway/Render (backend)

Database hosting (Supabase or PlanetScale)

Error monitoring (Sentry), analytics (PostHog)

Advanced Capabilities

Browser extension development (Manifest v3)

Desktop app development with Electron

SQLite for local data management

API integrations (Zoom, calendar systems)

Batch processing for LLM cost optimization

Critical Requirement: AI‑Assisted Development

Cursor, GitHub Copilot, V0, Lovable, or Replit experience

Ability to write effective prompts for AI code generation

Comfortable using AI copilots to accelerate development timelines

Skilled at reviewing and refining AI‑generated code

Experience with AI‑assisted test suite generation

Understands balance between using AI and writing custom code

What Success Looks Like

Month 1‑3: Ship 3‑5 high‑priority features (social network core, authentication, profiles, activity feeds). Integrate with existing codebase and establish development workflows.

Month 4‑6: Complete session booking marketplace, payment processing, and email automation. Launch beta with core feature set ready for user testing.

Month 7‑9: Build gamification systems, behavioral tracking integrations, and AI‑powered skill categorization. Optimize performance, cost, and user experience based on beta feedback.

What You Bring

5+ years full‑stack development experience with modern JavaScript/TypeScript frameworks.

Strong React and Node.js proficiency—built production applications with these technologies.

Database design and management with SQL databases (PostgreSQL preferred) and ORMs like Prisma.

API development and integration experience—RESTful design, third‑party API consumption, authentication systems.

Experience with payment processing (Stripe preferred) and marketplace or booking systems.

AI development tool fluency—used Cursor, Copilot, or similar tools.

Startup mentality—comfortable with ambiguity, rapid iteration, and making pragmatic technical decisions.

Cost‑conscious engineering—build scalable solutions within budget constraints.

Located in San Diego, CA, United States—eligible for in‑person sessions with founders (no relocation provided).

Bonus Experience

Social network or community platform development

Browser extension or desktop app development (Electron)

Gamification mechanics and point systems

LLM/AI API integration with cost optimization strategies

Privacy‑first data architecture and local‑first applications

Experience forking and customizing open‑source projects

Mobile app development (React Native or similar)

Development Methodology

6‑week sprints, focus on shipping MVPs quickly

MoSCoW prioritization: Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, Won't Have

Minimum Viable Feature (MVF) approach: Ship core functionality first, iterate based on feedback

AI‑assisted development: Use AI tools for scaffolding, testing, and documentation

Weekly progress reviews: Feature prioritization and risk mitigation planning

12‑20 week timeline to production beta: Fast‑paced execution with clear milestones

Mindset & Values

Ship fast, iterate faster—prioritize delivery over perfect architecture, refine based on user feedback.

AI‑native developer—embrace AI tools as productivity multipliers.

Problem solver—creative solutions to technical challenges, balance cost, performance, speed.

Self‑directed—ownership of features end‑to‑end.

User‑focused—intuitive, performant experiences that users love.

Mission‑aligned—believe in verified professional capability vision.

Compensation & Equity

Competitive base salary upon funding: $120K–$160K (depending on experience and location)

Equity: 0.25%–0.75% in stock options (4‑year vesting with 1‑year cliff)

Performance bonus: Tied to feature delivery milestones and platform launch success

Start Before Funding (Preferred Candidates)

Part‑time or full‑time on an equity‑only basis with vesting beginning after the trial period

Equity grant remains 0.25%–0.75%

Contractor to start and transition to full salary + benefits package upon funding close + signing bonus (back‑pay)

Early vesting credit for pre‑funding contributions

Timeline Role will be hired upon funding close (anticipated in the coming weeks). Open to bringing on the right candidate earlier on an equity‑only basis to begin vesting immediately.

Why This Role Matters Not just writing code—building infrastructure that enables professionals to prove capabilities and unlock opportunities based on verified skills, not resumes. Every feature ships helps people connect, grow, and earn in ways never possible before.

Skills github, nodejs, react, third‑party applications, api, postgresql, typescript, full‑stack development

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