Staff Software Engineer - Backend
Description For Staff Software Engineer - Backend
OpenGov is leading the charge in AI-enabled software for government agencies, serving 2,000 communities across the United States. As a Staff Engineer, you'll be at the forefront of designing and building highly scalable, event-driven SaaS solutions that transform how government agencies operate. The role combines technical leadership with hands-on development, working with a modern tech stack including AWS, Kubernetes, C#, Node.js, TypeScript, and MySQL.
You'll be instrumental in shaping the backend architecture, ensuring high performance, security, and reliability across our cloud-native platform. The position offers unique opportunities to work with AI-driven features and optimize systems for machine learning workloads. Your work will directly impact millions of citizens by enabling government agencies to operate more efficiently.
The ideal candidate brings 12+ years of professional software development experience, with deep expertise in cloud-native architectures, distributed systems, and backend development. You'll lead architectural decisions, mentor other engineers, and drive best practices in API design and microservices architecture.
OpenGov offers a performance-based culture where innovation and impact are valued. Based in San Francisco with offices across the US and globally, we provide comprehensive benefits including healthcare, 401(k) matching, parental leave, and professional development opportunities. Join us in our mission to power more effective and accountable government through technology and innovation.
Responsibilities For Staff Software Engineer - Backend
- Architect and develop highly scalable, cloud-native backend services in C# and Node.js
- Design and implement event-driven architectures, leveraging Kafka or similar technologies
- Lead the adoption of NoSQL databases where they provide value over relational models
- Optimize and scale MySQL-based applications, ensuring high availability and performance
- Own the full lifecycle of backend services, from design to deployment, observability, and monitoring
- Improve cloud-native infrastructure on AWS and Kubernetes, ensuring reliability, security, and scalability
- Drive best practices for API design, microservices architecture, and distributed systems
- Mentor engineers and provide technical leadership on backend development patterns, scalability, and system design
- Collaborate cross-functionally with frontend engineers, product managers, and DevOps to align backend solutions with business needs
- Continuously evaluate new technologies to improve system reliability, maintainability, and developer productivity
Requirements For Staff Software Engineer - Backend
- BA/BS in a computer-science-related discipline or equivalent professional experience
- 12+ years of professional software development experience, with 5+ years in backend engineering
- Deep expertise in cloud-native architectures on AWS, including Kubernetes, serverless, and event-driven design
- Strong experience with microservices and distributed systems, including service-to-service communication patterns
- Expertise in backend development using C# and Node.js (TypeScript is a plus)
- Experience with relational databases (MySQL) and familiarity with NoSQL solutions like DynamoDB or MongoDB
- Hands-on experience with event-driven architectures, ideally with Kafka, AWS SNS/SQS, or similar messaging systems
- Proficiency in API design, RESTful services, and GraphQL
- Solid understanding of CI/CD pipelines, observability, and DevOps practices
- Ability to troubleshoot complex, distributed systems and optimize backend performance
- Experience working in an Agile development environment
- Strong communication and collaboration skills
Benefits For Staff Software Engineer - Backend
- Comprehensive healthcare options for individuals and families
- Flexible vacation policy and paid company holidays
- 401(k) with company match
- Paid parental leave, wellness stipends, and HSA contributions
- Professional development and growth opportunities
- A collaborative office environment with weekly catered lunches
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