Full-Stack Developer — Meta API + AI Integration (Long-Term, Start ASAP)

Full-Stack Developer — Meta API + AI Integration (Long-Term, Start ASAP)
TYPE OF WORK: Full Time

WAGE / SALARY: $2,500 – $3,500 USD/month

HOURS PER WEEK: 40
JOB OVERVIEW
We are building a multi-tenant SaaS product in the social-media and ecommerce space and are hiring a full-stack developer for a long-term engagement, starting immediately. Initial scope is a 12-week MVP build, with strong preference for the right person to continue as the ongoing technical owner for maintenance, Phase 2 features, and Meta partnership work.
I'm a non-technical founder hiring my first technical lead. I value clear communication, working software, honest answers about what you do and don't know, and someone who will push back when I'm wrong.
I evaluate on skill and what you've actually shipped — not years of experience or age. If you have real, hands-on Meta API experience, that matters far more to me than someone who's spent years building mid-tier software elsewhere. Prove the skill and the Meta experience and you're in the running — full stop. Agencies, please don't apply; I'm hiring one person who owns the work.
?? HIGHEST PRIORITY — READ AND ANSWER FIRST
Before anything else, your application must clearly explain your current Meta API access and approval status. Applications that don't directly answer every question below will not be reviewed. "I have API keys" is not sufficient — I need to know whether you already have the Meta infrastructure, approvals, and production experience to begin development immediately.
Answer each of these specifically:

Do you currently have a Meta Developer account and an active Meta App?
Do you already have production approval for Instagra ---------- ssaging API permissions, or would we need to go through Meta App Review?
Have you previously built Instagram DM automations or AI-powered Instagra ---------- ssaging systems using Meta's official APIs?
If hired today, what exact steps would be required before you could make a live API call from our Instagram account?
What is your realistic timeline from project start to a working production integration?
Have you successfully deployed a similar system before? If so, briefly describe the architecture and the results.

Be specific. Vague or generic answers here will end the review.
Required skills (show me the work, not the years):

Demonstrated ability to ship production SaaS — portfolio, live products, or code samples
Direct production experience with the Meta Graph API and/or Instagram Graph API — non-negotiable, proof required
Have personally been through Meta App Review and Business Verification at least once
Real-time webhook architectures (idempotency, redelivery, retries)
OAuth 2.0 token lifecycle (encrypted storage, refresh, expiry, reconnect flows)
Multi-tenant SaaS architecture with strict tenant isolation
Durable background job queues (Inngest, BullMQ, or equivalent)
LLM API integration in production (Claude, OpenAI, or similar) — including structured outputs, RAG, and cost control at scale
Postgres at production scale
TypeScript / Next.js
Stripe billing with usage-based metering
Excellent written and spoken English

Bonus:

Meta Tech Provider / Business Partner experience
Shopify or ecommerce platform integrations
Prior work on moderation, content intelligence, or social analytics products

Engagement terms:

Long-term contract, full-time hours
You work during your local business hours, available consistently — no US overlap required
Aggressive MVP timeline, so steady weekly output matters more than which timezone you sit in
Milestone-based payments tied to written acceptance criteria
NDA signed at engagement start (required before any product details are shared)
Full IP assignment of all code and work product to the client
Client owns the GitHub repository and all third-party API credentials
Weekly written status updates and a working demo at the end of each two-week sprint
A short trial task (4–8 hours) before the full engagement begins, so we both confirm fit. This is paid at your normal rate, agreed in writing before you start — you are never asked to work for free.

Pay: We pay competitively for real skill, not for a résumé. Submit your weekly rate in USD with your application — strong candidates will not be filtered on rate alone.
To apply, send the following in writing:

Brief introduction and your weekly rate in USD
Specific Meta API products you have shipped against (Graph API, Instagram Graph, Messenger, Marketing API) with a one-line description of each project
One example of a webhook-driven, multi-tenant SaaS you have built, with brief architecture notes
How you would approach handling Meta's per-account API rate limits during a viral traffic burst (a few sentences — this is a sanity check)
Two references from prior SaaS clients (we will contact them)
Portfolio or GitHub link with relevant code samples
Your earliest start date and weekly availability

Applications that do not address the Highest Priority section above, plus items 2, 3, and 4 in this list, will not be reviewed. We are evaluating multiple candidates this week and will respond to qualifying applicants within 3 business days. Generic copy-paste applications will be ignored.