Systems Software Engineer

About 10 Federal Storage

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10 Federal Storage is a commercial real estate and self-storage company and the nation's leading high-tech self-storage operator. With a portfolio of 130+ properties across 17 states and millions of rentable square feet, we specialize in fully automated facilities that redefine the storage experience.

We use advanced technology, automation, and data-driven decision-making to streamline operations, make storage more convenient for customers, and maximize returns for investors.

Position Summary

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The Systems Software Engineer builds the technology that runs 10 Federal. This is a hands-on engineering seat, not a people-manager role: you design, build, and own production systems across the company and report directly to the Chief AI Officer. Title at offer (Senior, Staff, Principal, or Director) is set to the candidate based on proven work.

Most self-storage operators bolt together third-party tools that don't talk to each other. 10 Federal builds in-house instead, and every system is modular: a self-contained piece with a clean interface that can be swapped, extended, or reused without breaking what's connected to it.

At the center is the Unified Data Platform (UDP), the company's single source of truth, which every system feeds and every new product is built on.

The role spans Technology, Construction, Marketing, Operations, Accounting, and any team with a process worth automating, plus outward-facing products such as the website, web app, APIs, and DaVinci Solutions, our sister company's lock and access-control platform. Every system you build should move 10 Federal toward its North Star: higher operational efficiency and a better customer experience at the same time.

Key Responsibilities

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Architecture & Engineering Standards

• Define the architecture for every system before code is written, with specs that document the design and the reasoning
• Design modular services with clean interfaces that can be replaced or reused without a rewrite
• Instrument everything with full logging and debugging from the start
• Connect systems to MCP servers so they can be queried through an AI front end
• Own each system full stack, from data layer to interface, and ship it deployed, documented, and tested

Cross-Functional Delivery

• Gather requirements with department leaders and solve the real problem, not just the first version of it
• Evaluate requests by time cost, dollar cost, scaling impact, and difficulty to build
• Take work from spec to proof of concept to a full breakdown for leadership (steps, timeline, cost, and ownership) to production
• Build tools people can operate without an engineer standing next to them
• Use AI tools across code, documentation, research, and communication, and review, test, and own everything they produce

What You'll Actually

Build

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This isn't theoretical. Here's what's already on the table:

• The Unified Data Platform: build and extend the pipelines, connections, and architecture that keep it the one place where everything in the company connects, instead of letting it become another silo
• Real-time voice AI: build and extend our own voice AI, running on live speech-to-speech models and trained on 10 Federal's own data, instead of leaning on an expensive, generic voice vendor
• Chat and SMS: fix or fully replace the customer-facing experience running across 130+ properties. Right now it's a generic tool with none of our actual business logic in it
• System connections: keep connecting the systems that run this company (the FMS, the camera network, BI and reporting, and marketing) into the UDP instead of leaving them as disconnected logins
• Platforms for every part of the company: build systems for Operations, Accounting, Marketing, Investing, Construction, and any other part of the business that can be made faster or smarter. Each platform should own its domain, fit into one cohesive orchestration, and feed the UDP
• DaVinci Solutions: optimize, re-implement, integrate, and extend the lock and access-control platform for a software and SaaS business serving the broader self-storage industry

The UDP is the operating system of this company. The platforms around it are modular parts of one coordinated machine.

Qualifications

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Required

• A strong technical foundation in software, hardware, computer science, computer engineering, or an adjacent field (no degree required)
• Full-stack range: comfortable owning a service end to end, from backend and data layer to interface
• Architecture thinking: you can draw a clean boundary around what a system owns and defend it
• Modular design as default practice, with real work you can point to that was built that way
• Debugging and observability instincts: you instrument what you build so it tells you why it broke
• Self-directed execution: you can take an ambiguous business problem, write the spec, and ship a working system
• Proof over credentials: a portfolio, GitHub history, or systems you can walk through in depth

Preferred

• Microsoft ecosystem and Azure experience
• C# and .NET experience (relevant to DaVinci Solutions)
• Experience building AI-powered systems such as agentic workflows, RAG, and MCP integrations
• Hands-on experience with AI development tools such as Grok, Cursor, Claude, Codex, or Windsurf
• Experience shipping public-facing products, not just internal tools

Current Stack

The stack changes when something better can be proven. Today it includes:

• Backend: Python and Go
• Front end: TypeScript and React
• Real-time voice AI: LiveKit with xAI Grok
• SMS: Twilio
• Data: Postgres and Redis
• Hosting and identity: Microsoft and Azure
• Reporting: Power BI, Fabric, and internally built dashboards
• AI integration: MCP servers connected to business systems
• DaVinci Solutions: C# and .NET

What Success Looks Like

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• Ship production systems that are deployed, documented, tested, and modular enough to reuse
• Complete the first 90 days, a mutual evaluation period, in the office, shipping, and building reusable work
• Replace or substantially cut the cost of third-party vendors with in-house systems
• Move 10 Federal up and to the right on its North Star: better operational efficiency and customer experience

Physical Requirements &

Work Environment

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• Work in office at Raleigh, NC headquarters five days a week; this role is not remote or hybrid
• Standard office environment with extended periods of sitting and computer use
• Relocation assistance can be negotiated if needed

Benefits

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• Base salary and title set to the candidate based on proven work
• Compensation reviewed quarterly, with increases based on demonstrated impact rather than tenure
• A written share of the savings when you fully replace or substantially cut the cost of a third-party vendor, paid as a raise or bonus at leadership's discretion
• Eligibility for equity grants under 10 Federal's equity incentive plan once performance is proven (no equity in the starting offer; awards reviewed annually at leadership's discretion)
• Several no-cost premium health insurance options, plus a Health Savings Account with up to $1,200 in annual employer contributions
• Dental, vision, life, and short- and long-term disability coverage
• 401(k) with up to a 3% employer match and immediate vesting (eligible after 90 days)
• 10 paid holidays and paid time off that grows with tenure
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Employee Recognition Program
• Employee discounts on auto, home, and pet insurance, travel, electronics, and entertainment

Our Core Values

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Everything we do at 10 Federal is rooted in five core values. We look for team members who live them every day:

• Master Your Craft — Take pride in your work, your process, and your performance. Own your results.
• Commit to the Climb — Show up, keep growing, and pursue continuous improvement.
• Lead the Way — Set the standard for customer experience and quality, regardless of title.
• Be the Solution — Approach challenges with resourcefulness and a can-do attitude.
• All In All Together — Support your team, your customers, and your community as one unified force.

Equal Employment Opportunity

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10 Federal Storage is an equal opportunity employer and embraces diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.