Principal Software Engineer, Fullstack

Skylight

7h•$150,000 - $230,000•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. As a full stack engineer, you’ll design, build, and maintain software end-to-end — from accessible, Section 508–compliant interfaces to the APIs and services behind them — that keeps secure data exchanges reliable and performant. You’ll work as part of a cross-functional team to deliver software that is reliable, secure, and meets federal security standards, and you’ll help grow the team’s engineering capacity through coaching and knowledge sharing.

Requirements

Ability to write clean, working, and reusable code across both frontend and backend
Can produce high-quality code by adhering to good practices such as automated testing
Possess a foundational 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 setting technical direction across a team or product (staff and principal levels)
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.

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 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

Responsibilities

Engineer a software product end-to-end — frontend and backend — as part of a cross-functional team that includes researchers, designers, product managers, and other engineers
Build accessible, Section 508–compliant interfaces and the APIs and services behind them, keeping 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

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