Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Skylight is a digital consultancy using design and technology to help government agencies deliver better public services. As a Senior/Staff Backend Software Engineer, you will design, build, and maintain server-side systems and APIs to improve government services, ensuring they meet federal security standards while mentoring other engineers.
Responsibilities
- Engineer the server-side of a software product as part of a cross-functional team that includes researchers, designers, product managers, and other engineers
- Design, build, and maintain APIs, services, and data layers that keep secure data exchanges reliable and performant
- Achieve technical excellence by advocating for and adhering to lean-agile engineering practices such as API-first design, simple design, continuous integration, version control, and automated testing
- Build secure, compliant software that meets federal security standards and defends against common vulnerabilities
- Analyze systems to identify technical debt, instability, and other opportunities for improvement, then design, document, and communicate solutions
- Mentor other engineers and share knowledge to strengthen the team’s engineering practice
Skills
- Ability to write clean, working, and reusable code, with a focus on backend systems and services
- Can produce high-quality code by adhering to good practices such as automated testing
- Possess a strong understanding of data engineering, including how to use various datastores to handle persistent data in software systems
- Familiar with how to build secure, compliant software and defend against common vulnerabilities
- Understand the different pieces of software systems and how to fit them together, while keeping performance, reliability, and availability in mind
- Understand the importance of always putting users at the center of your work, including thinking through the impact and implications of any code that you write
- Experience mentoring engineers and raising the technical bar across a team or product (staff level)
- Ability to work successfully within a professional services environment (e.g., can communicate effectively with clients)
- Passionate about creating better public outcomes through great government services
- A mindset and work approach that aligns with our core values
- Ability to travel for work from time to time
- All work must be conducted within the U.S., excluding U.S. territories
- You must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. now and in the future without sponsorship
- As a government contractor, you may be required to obtain a public trust or security clearance
- You must complete a company background check successfully
- Some of our available roles are on federal contracts that require a degree or additional years of experience as a substitute
- Experience working with databases and/or cloud infrastructure
- Familiarity with CI/CD best practices
- Experience with infrastructure as code (e.g., Docker, Terraform)
- Experience building software that handles sensitive personal data (e.g., tax, financial, or benefits information)
- Prior experience working in the civic tech space
- Experience working in a remote-team environment
Benefits
- Medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance
- Short-term and long-term disability insurance
- Life and AD&D insurance
- Dependent care FSA, healthcare FSA, health savings account
- Dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match up to 10% of your salary with no vesting period
- Flexible paid time-off-policy (generally around 25 days per year), plus 11 paid federal holidays
- Up to 12 weeks paid-time-off for all eligible new birth, adoption, or foster parents
- Performance rewards, including annual salary increase, annual performance bonus, spot bonuses, and stock options
- Business development / sales bonuses
- Referral bonuses
- Annual $2,000 allowance for professional development
- Annual $750 allowance for tech-related purchases
- Annual swag budget of $100 to display your Skylight pride with some merchandise (hoodies, hats, and more)
- Dollar-for-dollar charity donation matching, up to $500 per year
- Flexible, remote-friendly work environment
- An environment that empowers you to unleash your superpowers for public good
Company Overview