Software Engineer (Remote)

All Roles: https://collectiveapp.com/jobs
Join the team behind the app trusted by over 150,000 LGBTQ+ people.
Our mission is to bring the LGBTQ+ community closer together through meaningful connections.
We believe LGBTQ+ people deserve a platform built just for us that's friendlier, healthier, and makes our community stronger. We're building something the world needs and we want you to build it with us. Our focus is user acquisition and retention: getting new people to join Collective and giving them good reasons to stay.
Working with Team Collective
100% Remote: Team Collective is a tiny, scrappy startup distributed across Melbourne, Sydney, London, Berlin, Toronto, and Spain. You can be based anywhere.
Full Flexibility: Paid per hour or per project. Work 8-32 hours per week depending on the role, with flexible short or long-term engagements.
Founder Access: Work directly with Collective’s founder, a former Google Product Manager. Connect on 1–2 calls per week and take full ownership of your projects.
High Impact: Help build something the world truly needs. You will directly shape the future direction of Collective.
What we're looking for
Relentlessly Resourceful: We're a tiny startup taking on big tech giants. You're not afraid to be the underdog. You don't wait for others to clear roadblocks for you; you knock them down yourself.
User Obsessed: We aren’t just building software, we're building a global digital community platform. You have deep empathy for our users and let their feedback and needs guide your decision-making.
Outcomes Over Output: We care deeply about the actual value you create. You focus your energy on high-impact work that solves real problems, rather than getting stuck in endless planning.
Default to Action: You prioritize getting things into our users' hands. Because there's no existing playbook for what we’re building, you prefer to move fast, ship, and learn in the real world.
Guided by Measurement: We don’t do things unless we know how to measure them. Whether that's signups, retention, or subscriptions. We encourage bold swings, and it's perfectly fine to fail, as long as we learn what to try next.
Fiercely Autonomous: You own your projects from the first spark of an idea to the final result. We give you the trust and freedom to drive your own work without micromanagement.
Software Engineer: New Features
Own the development of new features end-to-end. Take a PRD/UX spec and lead its implementation directly to launch on the Collective app and website.
Client and backend opportunities available. Projects may include: Onboarding, Notifications, Feed, Chat, Recommendations, Location Search, Ranking, etc.
AI-First Required: You must have experience using Claude Code, Codex, or similar agents. We expect smart engineers to use AI to ship faster.
Deep interest in digital communities and complex digital systems.
Broad understanding of mobile app architecture required.
Our stack: PHP, Swift (UIKit), MySQL, Firestore and Google Cloud Platform. Prior experience with it isn't required; strong engineering fundamentals, including building systems that scale efficiently, and fluency with AI coding agents matter more.
You’ll work directly with the founder, with 1–2 calls per week as needed for guidance and support. You should be comfortable taking ownership and driving projects independently, without relying on frequent check-ins or hands-on direction.
Hours: 8–32 hours per week
Compensation: $40–$150 USD per hour ($1,400–$10,000 USD per month)
How it works: Your rate depends on your experience and weekly hours. Monthly pay is capped at $10,000 USD, so we welcome fractional experts at higher rates for fewer hours, as well as mid-level folks working more hours.
Additional Open Roles:
Product Builder (AI-Assisted Development)
Software Engineer: Ranking, Recommendations
Software Engineer: Backend
Growth: Paid Ads Lead
Growth: Creative Director and Social Lead
Growth: Creator / Influencer Manager
Apply and find more information here:
https://collectiveapp.com/jobs

Work arrangement
Yes