Staff Software Engineer

Western Governors University•Salt Lake City, UT

6d•$161,000 - $249,500•Onsite

About The Position

At WGU, technology powers meaningful outcomes for students, faculty, and staff. As a Staff Software Engineer, you will serve as a highly influential technical leader, partnering across teams to solve complex challenges, shape engineering strategy, and drive the delivery of scalable, reliable solutions that advance the university's mission.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.
10 years of experience in software development; pioneering new approaches and technologies in engineering.
Experience in web-based applications and web services such as Java, REST, SQL, GIT, and other technologies, including experience integrating third-party products.
Expert understanding of software development practices including planning, measurement, coding, testing, reuse, tools, abstraction, algorithms and complexity, security, and system design.
Ability to design and implement software solutions that meet both functional and non-functional requirements, including scalability, security, fault tolerance, and maintainability.
Strong understanding of Software Development Life Cycle methodologies and the practical application of different delivery models.
Experience designing and operating software in public cloud environments with a focus on scale, reliability, cost optimization, and performance metrics.
Outstanding communication skills with the ability to influence technical and non-technical stakeholders, present solutions, and manage expectations effectively.
Ability to identify, mitigate, and proactively manage technical risks and dependencies.
Demonstrated ability to make teams stronger, more collaborative, and more effective.
Ability to demonstrate a sense of urgency when solving complex technical problems.

Nice To Haves

Master's Degree or PhD in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.
Technical experience with GIT, SQL, Spring, Spring Boot, Java, Angular 2 or later, and AWS services.
Experience with Salesforce development lifecycle techniques and Salesforce governor limits.
Experience with cloud-based telephony, CTI, SIP/VoIP technologies, QoS, IVRs, and call recording solutions.
Experience architecting, implementing, and managing enterprise-level contact center solutions.
Experience supporting distance education or distance learning environments.
Relevant technical certifications.
Equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this role may substitute for education degree requirements. Generally, equivalent relevant experience is defined as one year of experience for one year of education and is at the discretion of the hiring manager.

Responsibilities

Act as a technical expert across multiple areas of software engineering, providing leadership, guidance, and architectural direction.
Drive the adoption of engineering best practices, well-engineered solutions, and operational excellence across teams.
Lead and influence major initiatives involving software architecture, engineering processes, and system administration.
Partner across multiple teams to identify and solve critical technical challenges, risks, and dependencies.
Mentor and develop engineers through formal and informal coaching, technical leadership, and collaborative problem solving.
Improve platform reliability, scalability, security, and performance for students, faculty, and staff.
Evaluate emerging technologies and innovative approaches that can improve university platforms, engineering efficiency, and business outcomes.