Senior Software Support Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

The Senior Software Support Engineer owns Tier 3 product support for Northwoods applications, serving as the primary technical resource for escalated customer issues. This role diagnoses and resolves complex production issues across application code, databases, integrations, and infrastructure while helping protect feature development teams from unnecessary interruptions.

This is a hands-on engineering role that combines production support, troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and software development. You'll work primarily with Traverse while supporting other Northwoods applications and will become a go-to technical resource for understanding product behavior, configuration, and complex customer issues. This is a hybrid role working 3 days a week out of our Dublin, OH office. 

What you’ll be doing

• Own and prioritize the Tier 3 support queue, providing technical leadership from initial escalation through resolution.
• Reproduce and diagnose complex production issues using logs, metrics, traces, database queries, and other troubleshooting tools.
• Resolve data, configuration, and application issues, including small code fixes in Ruby on Rails and React/TypeScript.
• Identify root causes of recurring problems and drive permanent fixes in partnership with Engineering, QA, DevOps, Product, and Support.
• Serve as a technical subject-matter expert on Traverse and develop working knowledge of other Northwoods applications.
• Create and maintain runbooks, known-issue documentation, and support playbooks that help reduce repeat escalations.
• Automate repetitive support work using scripts, administrative tooling, and AI-assisted troubleshooting and diagnostics.
• Contribute to planned engineering work when support capacity allows, including modernization efforts such as AngularJS-to-React migration.
• Provide technical guidance to interns and junior engineers through pairing, code review, and well-defined technical work.

What we’re looking for

• 5+ years of hands-on experience in software engineering, application support, or production support for SaaS applications.
• Strong troubleshooting skills with experience diagnosing production issues across application code, databases, and infrastructure.
• Hands-on experience with Ruby on Rails, React/TypeScript, SQL/PostgreSQL, and familiarity with AngularJS.
• Experience with Git-based workflows, code review, CI/CD, logging, monitoring, and root-cause analysis.
• Working knowledge of AWS-hosted applications, Docker, Kubernetes, and SSO/identity technologies.
• Strong ownership and judgment with the ability to prioritize escalations and respond effectively to customer-impacting incidents.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to explain complex technical issues to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience using Claude, GitHub Copilot, or similar AI-assisted development tools.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S.

Nice to Have:

• Experience supporting case management, human services, government, or similar SaaS applications.
• Experience working in SOC 2 or HIPAA environments.
• Experience with AngularJS-to-React or similar application modernization efforts.
• Experience with automated testing tools such as Playwright.
• Experience building AI-assisted support or diagnostic tooling.
• Experience mentoring interns or early-career engineers.

What we provide

• Medical (includes H.S.A. option with employer contribution), dental, and vision insurance
• Short- and long-term disability
• Company paid basic life insurance
• 401(k) with 4% company match and immediate vesting
• Free financial education and consultation
• Wellness program that helps you earn lower premiums
• Robust EAP program that includes free therapy sessions, lifestyle coaching, legal/ID theft services, and more
• 12 weeks fully paid parental leave
• Up to $5,000 adoption fee reimbursement
• $500 wellness reimbursement after 60 days of employment
• Generous PTO policy and 10 company paid holidays
• Company paid cell phone plan

Find yourself checking a lot of these boxes but doubting whether you should apply? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every qualification. At Northwoods, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you are excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. Northwoods is committed to diversity in its workforce and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are excited to work with talented people, period. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national or ethnic origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital or civil status, political affiliation, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate.

Who is Northwoods?

Northwoods makes software solutions that improve the quality of the life of case managers and social workers in the Health and Human Services (HHS) field.  Recognized as one of Columbus’ top places to work, working at Northwoods means being part of a team that’s passionate about making an impact on the lives of HHS professionals and the families they serve.

We believe in creating a culture of inclusivity and accountability seeking to hire professional, passionate and driven individuals that believe in the values that we believe in:

1. Curiosity – Willing to test assumptions, courage to ask questions, and active listening.
2. Community – Helping and mentoring each other, celebrating diversity and acknowledging our team members’ contributions.
3. Resourcefulness – Willing to try and fail. Asking for help and trusting the expertise of our team.
4. Stewardship – Safeguarding Northwoods’ values, culture, mission, and resources.

We believe that our team members are all accountable adults, not only to themselves but to each other, and we treat them that way. Our team works incredibly hard and is proven through dedication to their craft and our mission.  

Our Solutions

Our products are designed for state and county social care program areas, including child welfare, childcare, child support, economic assistance and adult & aging agencies. These solutions leverage technology to allow case workers and social workers to easily collect, store, manage, and share case content and data more efficiently. By simplifying processes, our customers can spend more time engaging with the families they serve, make better informed decisions and achieve better outcomes.

Traverse – A SaaS solution that allows for easy, on-the-go access to case files, case work and interview forms and intelligent insights on case content and materials, which lead to better engagement and better outcomes.

Compass – Compass solution is some of our longer standing software that supports multiple markets for both state and county customers. Our focus on reducing time wasted on paperwork and administrative burdens allows case workers to better serve families in need.

Grove - Our trusted team of experienced child welfare professionals becomes an extension of agency staff supporting them with administrative tasks such as referral and records requests, compiling documents for court, and document organization. Workers can focus on fostering healthier families without sacrificing their own well-being.