Application Guide
How to Apply for Backend Engineering Team Lead
at Supplyhouse
🏢 About Supplyhouse
Supplyhouse is a leading e-commerce platform specializing in plumbing, heating, and HVAC supplies, serving both professionals and DIY customers across the US. The company has built a reputation for exceptional customer service and reliable delivery, leveraging technology to streamline the supply chain in a traditionally fragmented industry. Working here offers the opportunity to impact a critical infrastructure sector while enjoying the flexibility of a fully remote US position.
About This Role
As Backend Engineering Team Lead at Supplyhouse, you'll be responsible for guiding a team of engineers in designing and delivering scalable software systems that power their e-commerce and supply chain operations. This role directly impacts customer experience and operational efficiency by ensuring reliable backend services that handle inventory, orders, and logistics. You'll balance technical leadership with people management, mentoring engineers while driving architectural decisions that support business growth.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might start with reviewing team priorities and addressing any blocking issues from the previous day's deployments. You'd spend morning hours in technical discussions about system architecture or code reviews, followed by one-on-one meetings with engineers to support their growth. Afternoons often involve collaborating with Product managers on upcoming features, planning sprints, and working on hiring activities for new team members, all while ensuring the backend systems maintain high reliability for customer transactions.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Supplyhouse Is Looking For
- Has 7+ years of software development with deep expertise in Java and object-oriented design, plus 2+ years of architecture experience focusing on reliability and scalability
- Demonstrates proven experience leading engineering teams in e-commerce, logistics, or supply chain domains where system reliability directly impacts business operations
- Combines strong technical execution with mentorship skills, having previously managed junior-to-mid-level engineers' growth and contributed to hiring processes
- Shows experience partnering with Product and Business teams to translate requirements into technical solutions while managing dependencies and delivery risks
📝 Tips for Applying to Supplyhouse
Highlight specific examples where you've designed scalable systems for e-commerce, inventory management, or logistics platforms, quantifying improvements in reliability or performance
Emphasize your Java expertise with concrete projects, mentioning frameworks and tools you've used (Spring, Hibernate, etc.) and how you've enforced code quality standards
Demonstrate your leadership approach by describing how you've mentored engineers, improved team performance, and balanced technical debt with feature delivery
Research Supplyhouse's tech stack through their engineering blog or LinkedIn profiles of current engineers, then tailor your experience to show relevant overlap
Prepare to discuss how you've managed remote engineering teams, as this is a fully remote position requiring strong asynchronous communication skills
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Your experience leading backend teams in e-commerce or supply chain environments, specifically how you've improved system reliability and scalability", 'Examples of successful collaboration with Product and Business teams to deliver features that directly impacted customer experience or operational efficiency', 'Your approach to mentoring engineers and building high-performing teams, including hiring experience for junior-to-mid-level positions', "Why you're specifically interested in Supplyhouse's mission to modernize the plumbing/HVAC supply industry through technology"]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Supplyhouse's product offerings and customer base (professional plumbers/HVAC technicians vs. DIY homeowners) to understand their technical challenges
- → Their technology blog or engineering team profiles to identify their current tech stack and architectural patterns
- → The plumbing/HVAC supply industry trends and how e-commerce is transforming this traditionally offline sector
- → Company values and remote work culture through employee reviews on Glassdoor or similar platforms
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Focusing only on individual coding achievements without demonstrating leadership, mentorship, or team management experience
- Presenting generic architecture experience without specific examples related to e-commerce, inventory systems, or supply chain logistics
- Failing to show how you've partnered with non-technical stakeholders (Product, Business teams) to align technical decisions with business goals
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!