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 Staff Software Engineer is a position of technical expertise, influence, and leadership in the technology realm. The position will require them to apply their expert knowledge to ensure best practices and well-engineered systems across the department. They will also be a key stakeholder and initiator of major changes to processes, engineering practices, and system administration. This position will be required to work in a space of solving critical issues and initiatives across multiple teams. It will require an extensive and deep understanding of cutting-edge practices and innovative approaches to problems. Staff Software Engineers are also tasked with establishing and maintaining a positive and productive culture based on the WGU Leadership Principles.
Competencies:
Software Engineering
Software Construction: Understands the processes associated with software development including topics such as, but not restricted to: Planning, Measurement, Coding, Testing, Reuse, Tools, Abstraction, Algorithms and Complexity, Security and basic system understanding
Tools and Methods: Employs the tools and techniques related to an engineering discipline such as database management, user interface development, inter-process communications etc.
Design and Architecture: Able to create designs that can be realized in code that achieve functional and non-functional requirements of the system. Appropriate use of design patterns, system decomposition, security, fault tolerance. A demonstrated capability in one or more design methodologies such as Object-oriented design, Function-oriented design, data centered design, etc. and the notations appropriate for each
Quality: Applies strategies and tools to plan and execute testing strategies to find the “sweet spot” that maximizes quality while minimizing costs. Demonstrates the “good enough” principle that balances quality and time to implement
Process: Understands differences, strengths and weaknesses of various Software Development Life Cycle models, practical considerations of options and is competent and contributing member in the teams chosen process
Requirements Management: Interprets functional and non-functional requirements into designs and code that meet those specifications. Able to identify gaps, risks, deficiencies in such requirements. Able to write technical requirements that can be interpreted by others into system realizations.
Cloud Development: Understands implications of Software as a Service in the creation of software systems. Thinks of and designs for scale, reliability, and cost in a public cloud (e.g., AWS (Amazon Web Services), Azure etc.) environment. Uses data and metrics to analyze system KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
Domain Knowledge
Platform Knowledge: Demonstrates understanding of WGU’s education delivery platform. Can explain the basic value of the system and subsystems to users, how various subsystems inter-operate to provide features. Able to act as a partner with Operations in solving platform problems. Knows what the system can, and cannot, do.
User Focus: Understands our users and the problems that we solve for them. Can demonstrate a sense of urgency and particularly, “student obsession” when looking for solutions to their problems
Market Awareness: Understands the general higher education landscape particularly with on-line higher education, including competitive landscape, opportunities, feature gaps etc.
Pioneering and Innovation: Able to identify innovative ideas or technologies that represent opportunities to advance the capabilities of WGUs education platform, our efficiencies in improving our platform or both. Can leverage change management processes to drive adoption of same
Leadership
Team Building: Makes the team stronger and more cohesive
Communication: Engages others at the right level and right time. Communicates effectively in group settings by knowing audience, listens effectively, is responsive etc. Presents solutions not just problems and effectively manages expectations
Culture: Demonstrates WGU values as a progression through their career
Risks and Dependencies: Able to identify, mitigate or avoid risks and works closely with leads, managers to make sure that such risks and dependencies are understood, accounted, and planned for through an appropriate strategy
Knowledge Transfer: Helps WGU be a “learning organization”
Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
Acts as an expert in multiple areas of software engineer.
Accountable for quality of services in multiple areas and teams for the success of assigned projects for on-time, on-budget, and on-scope delivery
Contributes as a lead or consultant for a domain area or multiple teams. Is a “go-to” person in at least one sub-discipline and competent and trusted in several others (e.g., UI (User Interface) or databases) or application area
Contributes formally and informally to effectiveness teams through demonstration of WGU values, formal and informal mentoring and direction during team meetings and problem solving
Contributes and often identifies systemic issues (i.e., involving more than one team boundary) to be solved and contributes to the resolution of the same.
Active in ensuring that engineering at WGU has the skill sets the need to be successful with current technologies and technologies and skills needed for the future
Acts as a planning consultant for portfolio or Ed Tech when identifying technical risks and dependencies. Identifies problems far in advance, identifies multiple solutions and recommends the preferred solution to teams and to management
Speaks authoritatively and accurately with respect to questions related to their area of ownership or for the platform as a whole
Active in improving operational excellence measured by availability of the platform to students, faculty and staff.
Job Qualifications:
Minimum Qualifications:
The individual is acknowledged within the group as a subject matter expert.
Typically requires a University Degree or equivalent experience.
9 years of prior Software Engineer and leadership experience.
Proven experience in the following areas: Amazon Web Services (AWS), GIT, SQL, Spring, Spring boot, Java, Angular 2 or later and AWS Services
Advanced degrees (Master’s or PhD) may be required for certain disciplines and reduce the experience requirement by 2-4 years.
Preferred Qualifications:
Master's degree or higher in related field
Prior experience in enterprise organizations
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:
How to apply: apply online
Full-time Regular Positions (FT classification, standard working hours = 40)
This is a full-time, regular position that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.
The University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.