Software Engineer II

Welcome to Backburner Labs  

Metal to Mobile 

Some companies build software. Others build hardware. We build whatever the problem demands. 

Backburner Labs is a multidisciplinary engineering consultancy where mechanical, electrical, systems, and software engineers work together to solve complex technical challenges. From embedded systems and industrial automation to robotics, medical devices, IoT, cloud platforms, and AI-enabled applications, we help our clients build products that often don't exist yet. 

Our clients come to us when the engineering is difficult, the timeline is ambitious, and there isn't a roadmap waiting to be followed. They're looking for engineers who can create one. 

If that sounds exciting rather than intimidating, you'll probably enjoy working here. 

You'll collaborate with talented engineers across disciplines, influence technical decisions, learn new technologies, and help turn ideas on a whiteboard into products used in the real world. We move quickly, trust our engineers, and expect everyone to contribute ideas, not just code, designs, or specifications. 

If you're the kind of engineer who asks, "What's the hardest problem we're solving?" before asking, "What's the tech stack?", you'll probably feel right at home. 

Come build what doesn't exist yet. 

Quick Facts

• Founded: 2019
• Company: ~50 people (full-time and contract employees)
• Current location: St Paul - St Anthony Park area 
• Future location: Minneapolis - Prospect Park area (we have leased a 43,000 sq ft building) 
• Revenue: doubled every year for 5 years (more details shared later) 
• Client retention: 93% 

Overview 

The Software Engineer II (SE II) is a mid-level engineering position for engineers who have demonstrated proficiency in core technical skills and are ready to take on greater ownership and complexity. Engineers at this level work independently on moderately complex features, contribute to technical design decisions, and begin to mentor junior team members. SE IIs are expected to deliver reliable solutions with minimal guidance while developing the breadth and depth needed for senior-level work. 

Details:

• Reports to: Principal Software Engineer
• Team: ~7
• Status: Full-time employee
• Salary range: $!00,000 - $125,000
• Interview process: (~2.5 weeks):
  • Head of Talent - video call
  • Principal Software Engineer - video call
    • Panel interview and tour - in person
      • Peers
      • Leadership
  • Decision

Key Responsibilities 

• Design and implement moderately complex features and systems with minimal guidance 

• Write clean, efficient, and well-tested code that follows team standards and demonstrates strong engineering judgment 

• Lead code reviews, providing constructive feedback to peers and junior engineers 

• Collaborate proactively with product managers, designers, and cross-functional teams to clarify requirements and propose technical solutions 

• Debug and resolve issues across development, staging, and production environments independently 

• Write comprehensive unit, integration, and end-to-end tests along with technical documentation 

• Participate actively in technical discussions, architecture reviews, and system design conversations 

• Mentor Software Engineer I team members through pairing, code reviews, and knowledge sharing 

• Contribute to team processes and tooling improvements 

• Take ownership of components or subsystems, including ongoing maintenance and improvement 

Scope & Impact 

• Works independently on features and components of moderate complexity 

• Makes technical decisions within established architectural patterns and reviews them with senior engineers when needed 

• Impact extends across multiple features or components; begins to consider system-wide implications 

• Identifies and addresses technical debt proactively 

• Participates in on-call rotations and incident response 

Required Qualifications  

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent practical experience 

• 2-4 years of professional software engineering experience 

• Strong proficiency in one or more programming languages used by the team to include: C, C++, C#, and Python 

• Solid understanding of data structures, algorithms, and software design patterns 

• Experience with version control systems (Git), CI/CD pipelines, and testing frameworks 

• Demonstrated ability to debug complex issues and optimize code for performance and maintainability 

• Understanding of software development lifecycle and Agile methodologies 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills 

Preferred Qualifications  

• Experience designing and implementing RESTful APIs or other service interfaces 

• Familiarity with database design and optimization (SQL and/or NoSQL) 

• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) 

• Knowledge of security best practices and performance optimization techniques 

• Experience with monitoring, logging, and observability tools 

• Contributions to open source projects or technical writing 

Core Competencies  

• Technical Excellence: Consistently delivers high-quality, maintainable code and thoughtful technical solutions 

• Ownership & Accountability: Takes responsibility for deliverables from design through deployment and maintenance 

• Communication: Articulates technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences 

• Collaboration & Mentorship: Elevates team performance through knowledge sharing and supportive feedback 

• Problem Solving: Approaches complex problems methodically, considers tradeoffs, and proposes pragmatic solutions 

• Continuous Improvement: Seeks opportunities to improve processes, tools, and personal skills 

Success Indicators  

• Delivers features and projects on time with high quality and minimal supervision 

• Code reviews consistently demonstrate strong technical judgment and attention to detail 

• Successfully mentors junior engineers and contributes to their growth 

• Proactively identifies and resolves technical issues before they impact users 

• Earns trust from cross-functional partners through reliable delivery and clear communication 

• Contributes meaningfully to technical discussions and team decision-making 

Career Progression 

Engineers at this level are expected to grow toward Senior Software Engineer by: 

• Taking ownership of larger, more ambiguous projects with system-wide impact 

• Demonstrating strong technical leadership and influencing architectural decisions 

• Mentoring multiple engineers and contributing to team culture and practices 

• Developing deep expertise in critical systems or technologies 

• Operating autonomously and making sound technical decisions with minimal oversight 

• Contributing to long-term technical strategy and roadmap planning 

ALL ARE WELCOME

We're proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We welcome people of all backgrounds and believe different experiences, perspectives, and ideas make our team and our work better. If you're excited about the role, we encourage you to apply.