Staff augmentation
One to three engineers added to your existing team. You direct the work; we handle employment, equipment, and cover.
Hiring a senior engineer takes months and costs a placement fee before anyone writes a line of code. Staff augmentation exists because that maths does not work when you need capacity this quarter.
The version that fails is the one where a resource is assigned, works in isolation, and delivers something nobody asked for. The version that works is when the engineer joins your rituals, is visible in your tracker, and is accountable to your tech lead. We only do the second.
Three ways to engage
Dedicated product team
A full pod — engineers, designer, QA, and a lead — owning a product area end to end with its own roadmap.
Offshore development centre
A standing team that grows with you, with shared knowledge and onboarding so departures do not reset progress.
How we vet
- 1Role definition
Not just a language and a number of years — the actual problems this person will face in your codebase.
- 2Technical screen
A working session on a realistic problem. We watch how they reason, not whether they memorised algorithms.
- 3Codebase and communication check
Reading unfamiliar code and explaining a technical decision in plain English, because both are daily work.
- 4Your interview
You meet the shortlist and make the final call. We never assign someone you have not spoken to.
- 5Structured onboarding
Access, context, and a first meaningful pull request in the first week rather than the first month.
- 6Thirty-day checkpoint
An honest review with your lead. Not working out? We replace at no cost.
Key facts
- Minimum engagement
- One month, then rolling — no annual lock-in
- Timezone overlap
- Minimum four hours with your working day, guaranteed in writing
- Replacement
- No-cost replacement within days if the fit is wrong
- Employment and equipment
- Ours — no payroll, visas, benefits, or hardware for you to manage
- IP and code
- Assigned to you in the contract; work happens in your repository
- Security
- NDA, background checks, and your device or VPN policy applied
Augmentation vs in-house vs fixed-price project
| Staff augmentation | In-house hire | Fixed-price project | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to start | Days | Two to four months | Days |
| Cost structure | Monthly rate | Salary, benefits, equipment, recruitment fee | One agreed price |
| Who directs the work | You | You | We do, to the agreed scope |
| Flexibility to scale down | One month's notice | Redundancy process | Project ends |
| Best for | Ongoing capacity, uncertain scope | Core long-term roles | Defined deliverable with a deadline |
If you know exactly what you want built and when, a fixed-price project transfers the delivery risk to us and is usually the better deal. Augmentation is for when the roadmap is still moving.
Technology stack
We choose tools for what your team can maintain after handover, not for novelty. Typical stack for this service:
FlutterReactNext.jsNode.jsPythonLaravelGoSwiftKotlinAWS
Questions, answered.
How quickly can an engineer start?
Days rather than months for common stacks — Flutter, React, Node.js, Python, Laravel. Specialist roles such as senior AI/ML or native iOS take longer because the shortlist is smaller and we will not lower the bar to hit a date.
What if the engineer isn't a good fit?
Tell us and we replace them at no cost, with handover so context is not lost. We would rather absorb that than have you carry someone who is not working out — which is also why you interview and approve every person before they start.
Do they work in our timezone?
We guarantee a minimum four-hour overlap with your working day in writing, and for most clients in the Gulf, Europe, and Australia the overlap is considerably larger. Full timezone alignment is possible for longer engagements.
Who owns the code and IP?
You do. IP assignment is in the contract, the work happens in your repository under your account, and every engineer signs an NDA before access is granted.
Can we start with one engineer and scale up?
Yes, and it is the sensible way to start. Most engagements begin with one or two people, and grow once you have seen how the working relationship goes. Scaling down needs one month's notice.
How is this different from a freelance marketplace?
Employment, cover, and accountability. Our engineers are employed and managed by us, so illness or departure does not become your problem, and there is a technical lead reviewing their work. You also get a contractual replacement guarantee, which no marketplace offers.
You do not have to commit to a whole build.
Most people arrive somewhere between “just curious” and “ready to sign”. These are the smaller, fixed-fee ways in — each one useful on its own, and each one credited or extended into a bigger project only if you decide you want that.
Code & architecture audit
You have a codebase — inherited, stalled, or just worrying — and want an honest read before committing to anything.
- Written report on architecture, security, data model and deployment
- A prioritised list separating genuinely urgent from merely untidy
- A straight answer on repair versus rebuild, even when rebuild pays us more
- The report is yours whether or not you continue with us
Fixed fee, agreed before we start
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Scoping sprint
You know roughly what you want but not what it should cost or contain. Turn a vague idea into a specification you could hand to any supplier.
- Process mapping with the people who actually do the work
- A feature-by-feature written specification
- Wireframes of the core screens
- A fixed build price and delivery date at the end
- Fully credited against the build if you go ahead with us
Fixed fee, credited against the build
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Starter build
One workflow, one screen set, live and in use — rather than waiting on a full platform.
- A single working feature deployed to production
- Real infrastructure, not a prototype
- Extends into the larger build later without rework
- Full source code on delivery, as always
Fixed price, scoped small on purpose
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Maintenance retainer
An existing product that needs keeping alive: patches, OS updates, store policy changes and monitoring.
- Security and dependency patching
- iOS and Android release compatibility
- Uptime and error monitoring with a named response window
- An allowance of small changes each month
Monthly, 30 days' notice, no lock-in
Ask about this →
Not sure which fits? Describe the problem and we will tell you — including when the answer is that you do not need us yet.
Six things we put in writing.
Not values on a wall — contract terms. Ask any other supplier to match them line by line.
A price in 24 hours
Send a brief, get a fixed written price and a delivery date the next working day. Free, no obligation, and the scope document is yours to keep even if you go elsewhere.
The price does not move
Fixed, not an estimate. If scope changes we re-quote in writing and you approve before we build it. You will never open a surprise invoice.
Half on delivery
50% to start, 50% when it is live and you are satisfied. You never fund the whole project up front.
Unlimited design revisions
We do not write production code until you approve the screens. Changing your mind at that stage costs nothing.
You own everything
Full source code, design files and credentials on delivery. No licence, no platform fee, nothing that stops another developer taking over.
30 days of fixes included
Free bug fixing for a month after launch, then an optional retainer only if you want one.
Every one of these is in the agreement before you pay anything. See how we evidence our claims →
Free quote
Tell us what you're building.
A paragraph is enough to start. You get a scoping conversation and a fixed written price with a delivery date within 24 hours — free, and yours to keep whether or not you go ahead with us.
- A senior engineer replies, not a salesperson
- Written quote inside 24 hours
- NDA before you send anything sensitive — just ask
- No obligation, no follow-up sequence
Prefer to talk now? WhatsApp +92 300 097 0544 or hello@qalmax.com.
Add senior engineers this month.
Interview the shortlist yourself. Replace anyone, no cost, no argument.