Senior/Staff Software Engineer (CDC)

Skylight

1d•$150,000 - $203,000•Remote

About The Position

At Skylight, software engineers design, implement, and maintain software systems to improve government services for users. This software is built to meet the needs of regular users of government services as well as Skylight’s partners in government. In this role, you’ll work closely with leading public health experts and technologists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help build a modern, response-ready public health data system. You'll be part of a dynamic initiative developing open-source, modular tools that empower public health agencies to enhance data collection, processing, and analysis — ultimately strengthening their ability to respond to public health threats. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a national effort that will shape the future of public health data infrastructure.

Requirements

Ability to write clean, working, and reusable code
Experience working with large-scale, production systems with attention to stability and caution
Ability to produce high-quality code by adhering to good practices such as automated testing
Familiarity with how to build secure, compliant software and defend against common vulnerabilities
A foundational understanding of data engineering, including how to use various datastores to handle persistent data in software systems
Understanding of the different pieces of software systems and how to fit them together, while keeping performance, reliability, and availability in mind
Understanding of 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
Ability to work successfully within a professional services environment (e.g., can communicate effectively with clients)
Passion for 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.
Some federal contracts require U.S. citizenship to be eligible for employment.
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 may be required to 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.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with databases and/or cloud infrastructure
Familiarity with CI/CD best practices
Experience with infrastructure as code (e.g., Docker, Terraform)
Experience with ETL pipelines and data integration tools (e.g., SAS)
Experience with legacy Java systems, like JBoss, Wildfly, or Java Server Pages
Experience with multiple programming languages and/or full-stack development
Prior experience working in the civic tech space
Experience working in a remote team environment

Responsibilities

Engineer a software product as part of a cross-functional team, which includes user experience researchers and designers, product managers, engineers, and other functional specialists
Achieve technical excellence by advocating for and adhering to lean-agile engineering principles and practices such as API-first design, simple design, continuous integration, version control, and automated testing
Select and use the right tools, frameworks, languages, and technologies for the job, with a preference for open-source solutions
Analyze systems to identify technical debt, instability, unreliability, and other opportunities for improvement, and design, document, and communicate solutions

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