Principal Software Engineer

About Skylight Skylight is a digital consultancy using design and technology to help government agencies deliver better public services. We’re at the forefront of a civic movement to reinvent how all levels of government serve families, patients, and many others in today's digital world. If you want to play a part in driving this critical movement forward, we’d love for you to join our growing team of public interest technologists. The work we do matters. About the job At Skylight, software engineers design, implement, and maintain software systems to improve government services for users. This software is built to meet the needs of regular users of government services as well as Skylight’s partners in government. As a full stack engineer, you’ll design, build, and maintain software end-to-end — from accessible, Section 508–compliant interfaces to the APIs and services behind them — that keeps secure data exchanges reliable and performant. You’ll work as part of a cross-functional team to deliver software that is reliable, secure, and meets federal security standards, and you’ll help grow the team’s engineering capacity through coaching and knowledge sharing. What you’ll do Engineer a software product end-to-end — frontend and backend — as part of a cross-functional team that includes researchers, designers, product managers, and other engineers Build accessible, Section 508–compliant interfaces and the APIs and services behind them, keeping secure data exchanges reliable and performant Achieve technical excellence by advocating for and adhering to lean-agile engineering practices such as API-first design, simple design, continuous integration, version control, and automated testing Build secure, compliant software that meets federal security standards and defends against common vulnerabilities Analyze systems to identify technical debt, instability, and other opportunities for improvement, then design, document, and communicate solutions Mentor other engineers and share knowledge to strengthen the team’s engineering practice What we're looking for Minimum qualifications Ability to write clean, working, and reusable code across both frontend and backend Can produce high-quality code by adhering to good practices such as automated testing Possess a foundational understanding of data engineering, including how to use various datastores to handle persistent data in software systems Familiar with how to build secure, compliant software and defend against common vulnerabilities Understand the different pieces of software systems and how to fit them together, while keeping performance, reliability, and availability in mind Understand the importance of always putting users at the center of your work, including thinking through the impact and implications of any code that you write Experience mentoring engineers and setting technical direction across a team or product (staff and principal levels) Ability to work successfully within a professional services environment (e.g., can communicate effectively with clients) Passionate about creating better public outcomes through great government services A mindset and work approach that aligns with our core values Ability to travel for work from time to time Nice-to-have qualifications Experience working with databases and/or cloud infrastructure Familiarity with CI/CD best practices Experience with infrastructure as code (e.g., Docker, Terraform) Experience building software that handles sensitive personal data (e.g., tax, financial, or benefits information) Prior experience working in the civic tech space Experience working in a remote-team environment Don’t meet every qualification but think you can do the job? We’d still love to hear from you. If you’re excited about the role, apply. We consider candidates with a range of backgrounds and experiences. Other requirements All work must be conducted within the U.S., excluding U.S. territories. You must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. now and in the future without sponsorship. As a government contractor, you may be required to obtain a public trust or security clearance. You must complete a company background check successfully. Some of our available roles are on federal contracts that require a degree or additional years of experience as a substitute. Position type This is a full-time, exempt position. Location This role is fully remote. Care package Salary We want to give you the most competitive salary possible. After all, you deserve it! To that end, we use the results of our interview process to determine what salary is most appropriate given your current level of seniority. For a Software Engineer at Skylight, the current salary ranges are as follows: Associate Software Engineer: $90,000–$125,000 Software Engineer I: $120,000–$140,000 Software Engineer II: $135,000–$160,000 Senior Software Engineer: $150,000–$185,000 Staff Software Engineer: $170,000–$203,000 Principal Software Engineer: $180,000–$230,000 Benefits Your well-being is important to us, so we focus on supporting you in a variety of ways: Medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance Short-term and long-term disability insurance Life and AD&D insurance Dependent care FSA, healthcare FSA, health savings account Dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match up to 10% of your salary with no vesting period Flexible paid time-off-policy (generally around 25 days per year), plus 11 paid federal holidays Up to 12 weeks paid-time-off for all eligible new birth, adoption, or foster parents Performance rewards, including annual salary increase, annual performance bonus, spot bonuses, and stock options Business development / sales bonuses Referral bonuses Annual $2,000 allowance for professional development Annual $750 allowance for tech-related purchases Annual swag budget of $100 to display your Skylight pride with some merchandise (hoodies, hats, and more) Dollar-for-dollar charity donation matching, up to $500 per year Flexible, remote-friendly work environment An environment that empowers you to unleash your superpowers for public good Interview tips We want you to have a great interview experience with us! Here are some tips to help you prepare for a successful interview: Visit our join page to learn more about how our interview process works. Check out our Career Pathways framework to learn more about the different roles within Skylight and the skills needed to do them. If you’d like to request reasonable accommodations during the application or interviewing process, please contact our recruiting team at View email address on click.appcast.io . We participate in E-Verify and upon hire, will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you’re authorized to work in the U.S. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or any other category protected by applicable law.