Contract Software Engineer (Ruby on Rails)

About Lavela Health
Lavela Health is a mission-driven startup building a digital health platform to support women navigating pregnancy loss. We combine community, curated content, and access to specialized mental health providers to deliver care that is compassionate, evidence-based, and secure.

The Role
We’re looking for a contract Software Engineer to join us at the earliest stage of development. This is a greenfield project—you’ll have the opportunity to build from the ground up, help shape technical decisions, and implement a modern, secure, and scalable architecture.

You’ll work closely with our founding team (including clinicians and product leads) to deliver a platform that is both technically excellent and deeply human-centered.

Our Tech Stack

• Ruby on Rails (latest version)
• PostgreSQL (separate databases for PHI and non-PHI data)
• Auth0 (identity management)
• Stripe Connect (billing/payments)
• Calendly & Zoom APIs (scheduling and video care delivery)
• Modern frontend (Rails + Hotwire / React, depending on fit)
• AWS/Render for infrastructure, with strong emphasis on security & compliance

What You’ll Do

• Design and implement core features of a brand-new Rails application
• Help establish best practices for security, data protection, and system architecture
• Integrate with third-party APIs (Stripe, Auth0, Calendly, Zoom)
• Collaborate with the team on product decisions and roadmap priorities
• Write clean, maintainable, well-tested code in a fast-moving environment

What We’re Looking For

• 4+ years professional experience building web applications (Rails strongly preferred)
• Strong understanding of PostgreSQL, APIs, and authentication/authorization flows
• Comfortable working independently and making thoughtful technical decisions
• Excited about building secure, privacy-first systems (healthcare experience is a plus)
• Startup mindset: flexible, collaborative, and eager to solve problems from first principles

Why Join Us?

• Greenfield project: shape the architecture and tech stack from day one
• Meaningful mission: your work directly impacts families during one of life’s hardest moments
• Flexible contract: work remotely, with potential for long-term collaboration
• Small, focused team: your voice will shape both the product and the company