Software Engineer, SMS Adapter

About Ottimate

Ottimate is an AI-powered AP [Accounts Payable] automation platform that empowers finance teams to reduce costs, prevent overpayments, detect fraud, and enforce policy compliance across the entire invoice-to-payment lifecycle.

About the Role

Ottimate is expanding into the retail and grocery market. There, invoice and vendor data live inside store-level systems, such as POS, back-office, and inventory platforms like BRdata, rather than the ERPs we integrate with today.

The SMS Adapter makes that data usable: a secure connector that runs at the store or corporate office, pulls data directly from the store's system, and syncs it to Ottimate's AP platform. We're looking for a software engineer to own this adapter end-to-end, from the initial data connection and sync logic through to the security, reliability, and deployment experience that lets a non-technical store operator run it with confidence.

This is a high-ownership, high-autonomy role. You'll be one of the first engineers dedicated to this product line, working closely with the retail/grocery product owner and store-side IT contacts at pilot customers.

Rsponsibilities

• Build and maintain the adapter that connects to in-store systems, starting with BRdata, and syncs invoice items, vendor, and PO data to Ottimate.
• Design and harden a reliable sync process: delta and full syncs, retry and backoff behavior, conflict handling, and clear failure visibility when a store's network or data source is unreliable.
• Own local data handling and credential storage so the adapter can run unattended and securely on a store's machine.
• Build and improve the setup and monitoring experience that store staff and support use to configure connections, check sync health, and troubleshoot issues without engineering involvement.
• Establish strong automated test coverage for the adapter and keep it reliable across all target deployment environments (Windows is the primary target).
• Own packaging, updates, and installation for software running on store-owned machines, often behind restrictive IT policies.
• Work directly with pilot retail/grocery customers to diagnose environment issues, such as network, permissions, and data access, and turn them into product and reliability improvements.
• Define and evolve the adapter's data model and mapping layer as we onboard additional store systems beyond BRdata.

• +5 YoE in strong software engineering experience, with a track record of owning a product end-to-end, from the data layer through the user-facing experience.
• Experience building and shipping software that runs on end-user machines, including the packaging and distribution concerns that come with that.
• Solid database experience, including comfort reverse-engineering schemas in third-party systems you don't control.
• A track record of writing dependable integration and sync code: idempotency, retries, partial-failure handling, observability.
• Practical testing instincts. You know when to reach for integration and end-to-end tests, not just unit tests, to catch real-world failure modes like a flaky store network or a locked-down machine.
• Comfort operating with ambiguity. This is a new, fast-moving product area without years of established internal convention to lean on.
• Bonus: Prior experience with retail/grocery back-office systems, POS integrations, or field-deployed software supporting non-technical end users.

Why This Role

You'll be the engineering owner of a product that's foundational to Ottimate's entry into a new market. The work you ship directly determines whether retail and grocery customers can get their invoice data into Ottimate at all. You'll have significant latitude to shape the adapter's design, testing strategy, and roadmap as the product line grows.

Benefits

We care deeply about making Ottimate an incredible place to work and invest a significant amount of time and energy into creating and maintaining a company culture that provides our team with a generous level of support whilst inspiring them to do their best work. 
The specific benefits/perks we offer are continually evolving, but currently include:

• Compensation: $160,000-180,000 USD /year.
• Competitive salary based on skills & experience.
• Medical, Dental, Vision and other Company-Subsidized Benefits for you and your family.
• Employer sponsored 401(k) with company match.
• Paid Time Off (and the encouragement to use it).
• Promote from within philosophy.

Beyond the tangible benefits though:

• You will be part of a growing team, at a pinnacle moment of scale for the business, and experience the excitement of working in a startup where each action makes a huge difference.
• You will have the agency to solve difficult problems creatively, the freedom to explore work that inspires you, and infrastructure to ensure you're constantly challenged and developing.
• You will work with sharp, passionate teammates solving some of the most unique challenges and positioning our product as a premier finance automation solution. 
• Our commitment to empowering a diverse and inclusive workforce, celebrating differences, and creating a safe space for our employees to bring their whole selves to work is second to note.
• We are transforming entire industries using innovative technology including Artificial Intelligence, Payment Tech, and Neural Networks.
• Our leaders lead with a people-first approach; inspiring excellence, nurturing ideas, and finding creative ways to eliminate obstacles for cultivating growth.
• We truly love what we do and who we do it with - and we think you will too!

Ottimate is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion. We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability status, or marital status. If you are excited about the role but do not meet 100% of the qualifications listed above, we encourage you to apply. Nothin