Senior Ruby on Rails Developer (Product-Minded) — Independent Contractor, Project-Based

We’re looking for an experienced Ruby on Rails developer who enjoys taking ownership of projects and delivering real outcomes — not just checking off tickets or juggling dozens of frameworks.

This is a project-based independent contractor role. You’ll work closely with decision makers, help shape solutions, and take responsibility for designing and implementing features end-to-end. We value engineers who think about the business context as much as the code — people who simplify, reduce risk, and build software that lasts.

You’ll work across our stack — Rails 8, MySQL, Heroku, AWS, and limited React (as we transition toward Hotwire) — and contribute to decisions that directly impact product direction.

We prefer candidates who can comfortably collaborate within CET or US time zones.

What you’ll do

• Design and build secure, maintainable features in Ruby on Rails
• Work from problem -> design -> implementation -> delivery
• Keep solutions simple, safe, and easy to evolve
• Translate business needs into clear technical approaches and tradeoffs
• Contribute thoughtfully to architecture discussions
• Write concise technical specs when needed
• Collaborate async (Slack, GitHub) while communicating clearly and proactively

Our tech stack

• Ruby on Rails 8
• MySQL
• Heroku (deployments & ops)
• AWS
• React -> Hotwire (new development direction)
• RSpec, Sidekiq

What we’re looking for

• Strong experience building real, production Rails applications
• Someone who owns problems — not just assigned tasks
• Ability to make pragmatic engineering decisions with tradeoffs in mind
• Strong communication — explaining why matters as much as what
• Interest in understanding the business and customer impact
• Comfortable working independently, yet collaborative when decisions matter

Nice to have

• Experience with Hotwire
• Heroku or AWS familiarity
• Experience simplifying or refactoring complex systems
• Prior independent contractor or project-based work experience

Why this role might be a great fit

• Project-based, meaningful ownership — you see the impact of your work
• 100% remote, with preference for CET / US overlap
• Full-time contractor scope
• A practical engineering culture: clarity, simplicity, and maintainability
• Direct collaboration with decision makers, not layers of management
• Realistic expectations — we care about quality, not heroics

How to apply

Send a short note to careers@farmgirlflowers.com with:

• links to projects or GitHub (do not worry if you do not have any, we know busy professionals might not have a lot on public GH)
• a brief description of your experience with Rails
• one example of a problem you simplified instead of over-engineering

(And feel free to mention availability, timezone, and rate expectations.)