Staff Software Engineer

Method•Charlotte, NY

About The Position

Method, a global design and engineering consultancy and part of Hitachi Digital, is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to work with a client in the energy sector. The client is a nonprofit organization that plans and coordinates the electrical grid across its region. The team builds software to support decisions about how the grid grows, working with large volumes of planning data and complex systems. The role focuses on Java and Spring Boot APIs and back-end services, data processing, security, authentication, and access across systems. Existing code also uses Python, and the front ends use React and TypeScript. You will work directly with the client’s electrical engineers, translating their needs into technical requirements and working software. Prior knowledge of transmission planning is not required, but curiosity and willingness to learn are important. AI-assisted development tools may be used when you can validate and take responsibility for their output. You will contribute to day-to-day delivery within a small, dedicated team and coordinate with engineers in parallel workstreams. Method describes its environment as collaborative and supportive, with an emphasis on flexible teamwork, strategic thinking, creative problem solving, continuous learning, and sharing knowledge. Travel for team and client meetings may be required, typically up to 15%.

Requirements

At least 6 years of experience building back-end systems and APIs; Java and Spring Boot are strongly preferred.
Ability to learn new languages, codebases, and domains quickly and become productive in them.
Curiosity about how complex systems work, demonstrated through self-directed learning.
Strong problem-solving skills, including the ability to investigate independently and recognize when to ask for help.
Strong communication skills, including explaining technical ideas to experts in other fields and understanding their needs.
Comfort reaching out to the client directly.
Broad technical experience across APIs, data, security, and infrastructure.
Strong understanding of RESTful principles and experience using OpenAPI standards, Swagger, and Postman to design, document, and test APIs.
Experience with API security, authentication, and authorization, such as OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and role-based access control.
Experience with relational databases such as SQL Server or Oracle and data-heavy workloads.
DevOps experience, including CI/CD pipelines such as GitHub Actions, cloud platforms, logging, and metrics.
Hands-on experience with AI-assisted development tools and judgment to validate their output.
Experience with agile development methodologies and version control tools such as Git and Bitbucket, as well as continuous integration and deployment.
Experience leading pieces of work and mentoring other engineers.
Ability to work collaboratively and flexibly as part of a team.

Nice To Haves

Experience in the energy or utility industry.
Familiarity with power systems or electrical grid concepts such as transmission planning, power flow, or generation interconnection.
Proficiency with Python.
Experience with React and TypeScript for building user interfaces that consume APIs.
Experience with containerization technologies such as Docker or Kubernetes.

Responsibilities

Design, build, and maintain Java and Spring Boot APIs and back-end services for transmission planning work.
Process, validate, and move large volumes of grid and planning data between systems, including orchestrating batch jobs.
Design and implement security, authentication, and access control across services.
Own CI/CD pipelines, environments, and deployments, and maintain observability through logging and metrics.
Work directly with client electrical engineers to understand problems, ask clarifying questions, and translate domain needs into technical requirements.
Investigate problems independently, then bring options and recommendations to the team.
Help prioritize work and communicate trade-offs when delivery capacity is limited.
Use AI-assisted development tools to improve delivery speed and review and test their output before release.
Mentor teammates and share domain knowledge with the team.
Coordinate with engineers in parallel workstreams to keep cross-team dependencies aligned.