Software Engineer

Summary

Skyward is a people-centered technology company focused on civic tech and modernizing public services. The Software Engineer will develop scalable software for an AI-driven CMS platform, automate CI/CD and infrastructure workflows, build comprehensive automated tests, integrate security checks, deploy containerized workloads, and improve backend performance.

Responsibilities

• 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

Skills

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

Qualifications

Must Haves

• 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
• 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

Nice to Haves

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

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision insurance
• 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.
• Flexible working hours and remote opportunities to help maintain a healthy work-life balance for all employees.