Lead Software Engineer

Who We Are
McMaster-Carr is a privately held e-commerce company trusted by industrial customers for over 120 years. We help professionals-from engineers to facilities teams-work more efficiently and precisely by offering the right products, delivering them quickly, and making it easy to find what they need. Our industry-leading website and logistics systems bring over 300,000 customers to our site daily-and we're just getting started.
How You'll Make an Impact
Our technology team builds the software that powers our e-commerce experience and our world-class operations. From customer-facing web features to distribution center automation, we design and scale critical systems that enable McMaster-Carr to deliver same-day or next-day orders reliably and efficiently.
As a Lead Software Engineer, you'll work on projects like:

• Building modern web experiences using React, Storybook, and experimentation frameworks to improve how customers find what they need and solve problems.
• Optimizing front-end and back-end code and infrastructure to make performance a competitive advantage.
• Designing scalable automation systems that integrate with third-party technologies and streamline distribution center operations.
• Creating custom software and algorithms that improve speed, accuracy, and quality across fulfillment and shipping.
• Exploring the integration of GenAI tools to improve customer support and internal workflows

What You'll Do
As a Lead Software Engineer, you'll play a key tech leadership role on high-impact projects. You will:

• Own the full lifecycle of projects-from research and design to development, deployment, and iteration.
• Write high-quality, maintainable, and scalable code using object-oriented design and SOLID principles.
• Improve system architecture, testing, and monitoring to ensure reliability and performance.
• Mentor other engineers through code reviews, technical guidance, and knowledge sharing.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with operations, product, and UX teams to ensure business value and user impact.
• Contribute to long-term technical strategy while remaining close to the details of execution.

This role is a pathway to senior technical leadership or people management-your growth is determined by your impact, not by tenure.
Cash Compensation

• Total cash compensation is generally around $235,000 to $310,000 and includes a profit sharing based on company profitability.
• You will also receive a relocation stipend and signing bonus.

Benefits
Growth & Learning

• 100% tuition reimbursement
• Informal and formal mentorship
• Employee resource groups

Health & Wellbeing

• Medical, dental, pharmacy, and vision plans with no monthly premiums
• Inclusive, all-gender benefits

Family & Future

• Paid parental leave for all new parents
• Adoption and surrogacy assistance
• First-time home buyer assistance
• Industry-leading company-funded retirement accounts

Time Off

• Paid vacation and personal time

Who You Are
We're looking for curious, driven engineers who thrive in collaborative environments and love solving hard problems. Ideal candidates will have:

• Experience designing and delivering large-scale, service-oriented systems.
• Strong proficiency in compiled languages such as C#, Java, C++, or Rust.
• A thoughtful, analytical approach to problem-solving and software design.
• Clear, confident communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences.
• Interest in mentoring, coaching, and growing as a leader.

EOE/M/F/VET/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity
This position is not eligible for work authorization sponsorship by McMaster-Carr.