Software Engineer

Software Engineer

We are Skyward. A love for people, for improvement, for human advancement through information technology. We are a people-centered business with a desire to serve others. We are diverse and unified; creative and collaborative; a collection of complementary, not competing talents. And though on the surface we remain relaxed, beneath, a torrent of energy links us to our civic tech mission.

We stand by our values, and we won't compromise on any of them.

Integrity: We're conscientious, intentional, and empathetic. Our words and actions align. That's our character. Please don't ask us to play another part, we're poor actors.

Compassionate: If we may borrow a quote from Theodore Roosevelt: "No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care." Because our team is thoughtful and supportive, caring deeply for each other, our clients, and our work, this comes naturally.

Inquisitive: We remain students by failing openly and turning lessons into solutions.

Unconventional: For us, life isn't what happens outside of work. Work happens inside of life and our culture erases the line often dividing the two.

Authentic: Made possible only because we embody the values listed above. We're relaxed and fun yet intensely curious and driven. Team members are placed with thought, care, and precision to ensure that Trust, Truth, and Transparency continue to represent our brand.

Because of that, we continue Onward, Upward, and Skyward.

We need a Software Engineer who does it all. Would your friends say you can dissect a complex problem until it quietly gives up? Have you been told (more than once) that you care suspiciously much about modernizing the crusty old systems powering public services? Good. We're not bored, we're impressed.

Here's the thing: we don't want an engineer who only writes code and tosses it over the wall. We want the rare one who writes it, automates the pipeline that ships it, and builds the tests that prove it works, and then sleeps soundly because of it. If you believe "done" means tested, deployed, and monitored (not "it runs on my laptop"), then we want you.

Come join us if you're motivated to learn from others, to learn from mistakes, to be part of a future-looking and growth-oriented team.

Let's go Skyward together.

What you'll do:

• Build things that matter. Write effective, scalable code supporting CMS as it merges systems into one AI-driven platform - reducing manual effort, improving data accuracy, and bringing cutting-edge NLP and LLM techniques to public services.
• Automate all the toil. Own CI/CD pipelines end to end, automating build, test, and deployment workflows with tools like Jenkins, plus Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Ansible) so deployments are boring in the best possible way.
• Test like you mean it. Build and maintain automated test suites - unit, integration, regression - wired straight into the pipeline as quality gates, and provide real test-coverage analysis instead of crossed fingers.
• Containerize and ship. Package and deploy workloads with Docker (and friends) for repeatable, scalable, what-you-build-is-what-you-run environments.
• Hunt the bugs. Investigate and debug test failures throughout the lifecycle, update tests or file bugs as needed, and keep the build green and honest.
• Bake in security. Integrate code-quality checks and security gates (think SonarQube, Snyk) into the pipeline so problems get caught before they ship, not after.
• Design with humans in mind. Work closely with human-centered design experts to build solutions that are intuitive, responsive, and personalized to each user's needs.
• Make things faster. Develop and tune back-end components to improve responsiveness and overall performance.

What we'd like you to have:

• 3–5 years of hands-on software engineering experience, with strong coding chops in Python (and friends).
• Real DevOps / DevSecOps / DevTestOps experience. You know CI/CD isn't a buzzword; you've actually automated build, test, and deployment workflows.
• Test automation skill. You've built automated tests and integrated them into pipelines with code-quality checks and security gates, not bolted them on at the end.
• A feel for good pipelines. Scalable, maintainable, and integrated with testing frameworks. You know, the kind that make the whole team faster.
• Containerization experience (Docker or Kubernetes) and comfort with REST APIs.
• Fluency in an agile flavor or two - Scrum, Lean, or SAFe.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to work effectively across a busy mix of stakeholders.

What would blow us away:

• You've got AI chops, experience with NLP, LLMs, or ML-driven applications.
• You've previously supported CMS or another federal agency.
• Bonus unicorn points if you've worked inside a FISMA boundary or supported an ATO/cATO effort.

Even if you don't meet 100% of the qualifications, we encourage you to apply. At Skyward, we're focused on hiring individuals with the right skills and passion to grow, not just checking off every box.

And now the important part. What we offer you:

• Medical, dental, vision insurance (fully paid for employees)
• 15 days of paid leave
• 7 days of sick leave
• 2 days bereavement leave
• 11 paid Federal holidays
• Up to 40 hours for jury duty
• 401K with 4% employer contribution (and no vesting period)
• Up to 4 weeks of paid paternity and maternity leave
• Company provided laptop
• $5,000 per year for professional development
• $600 per year for technical supplies and equipment
• $2,000 referral bonus
• Life and disability insurance
• HSA and FSA
• Legal Shield and ID Shield Voluntary Benefits
• Opportunity to work in a collaborative, motivated team focused on modernizing government services with cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions. Who says government work can't be exciting!

$118,000 - $150,000 a year We believe great work deserves great pay. That's why we ensure our compensation is not only competitive but also fair and transparent, as required by Maryland law. Expect a salary that matches your skills, experience, and the value you bring to the table — because you're worth it!

At Skyward, we support flexible working hours and remote opportunities to help maintain a healthy work-life balance for all employees.

Offers of employment with Skyward are contingent upon acceptable results of a background investigation. Applicants must have the ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust security clearance due to the nature of our work as a government contractor.