Associate Software Engineer

If you're passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country-and you're committed to working hard to play your part in building that future-consider WGU as the next step in your career. Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families. The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is: Grade: Professional 306 Pay Range: $62,100.00 - $93,200.00 Job Description Supports the design and implementation of AI-powered learning systems that enable scalable, high-quality learning experiences across WGU Academy. This role operates at the intersection of applied AI, front-end development, and learning systems, contributing to the translation of learning intent into functional, reusable, and efficient systems. Working under the guidance of more senior engineers, this role focuses on building foundational technical skills while contributing to the development of interactive learning components, AI-assisted workflows, and scalable course infrastructure. This position plays a supporting role in advancing AI-enabled learning experiences, helping improve speed, consistency, and quality across the learning ecosystem. What You’ll Do: Learning Systems Development: Assists in building and implementing interactive learning components using modern front-end technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) Supports the development and maintenance of reusable component libraries and templates Contributes to course builds and system implementations, ensuring alignment with design specifications Applies established patterns and standards to ensure consistency and quality across products AI & Workflow Support: Uses AI tools (e.g., Claude, OpenAI, Gemini) to support content generation, transformation, and validation workflows Assists in implementing AI-driven workflows for tasks such as summarization, feedback, and content structuring Supports prompt development, testing, and refinement under guidance Contributes to documentation of AI workflows, templates, and best practices Assists in maintaining and improving Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) implementations and related systems Collaboration & Delivery: Partners with Learning Product Owners, Multimedia Developers, and senior engineers to implement learning experiences Supports testing, debugging, and optimization to ensure reliable user experiences Identifies and escalates issues related to usability, accessibility, and performance Contributes to timely delivery of learning products across multiple projects Systems Thinking & Continuous Improvement: Learns and applies principles of scalable system design, reuse, and maintainability Identifies opportunities to reduce manual effort through simple automation and tooling Documents work clearly to support team knowledge sharing and continuity Stays current with emerging AI tools and development practices Work Location: This is a full-time, in-office position requiring five days per week in our Salt Lake City, Utah office, designed to foster the collaboration and connection that fuel our best work. What you'll Bring (Minimum Qualifications): Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Instructional Technology, Learning Experience Design, or related field, or equivalent experience 1 year of experience in front-end development, learning systems, or related technical roles Foundational proficiency in front-end development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) Experience using AI tools to support development, content workflows, or automation Demonstrated ability to contribute to technical projects in a team environment Bonus Points For (Preferred Qualifications): Portfolio demonstrating front-end development projects, AI-assisted solutions, learning technologies, or other relevant technical work is strongly preferred. Experience with online learning platforms or LMS environments Exposure to AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Claude Code or similar) Familiarity with APIs, scripting, or lightweight automation Experience working in agile or iterative development environments #J-18808-Ljbffr