Staff Solutions Engineer - Code for America

Code for America believes government can work for the people, by the people, in the new digital age, and that government at all levels can and should work well for all people. For more than a decade, we’ve worked to show that with the mindful use of technology, we can break down barriers, meet community needs, and find real solutions.

Our employees build and transform government and community tools and services, making them so good they inspire change. We merge the best parts of technology, nonprofit, and government to help support the people who need it most.

We are looking for a talented Staff Solutions Engineer who will collaborate with government partners and deliver technical guidance, transforming the way our government delivers services to communities in need. This person is a deeply experienced technologist and systems thinker who builds bridges between complex legacy government systems, cutting-edge civic technology, and mission-aligned public policy.

About the Role

In this role, you’ll work with a team of designers, researchers, engineers, product managers, and policy experts across our program portfolios. You will spend time with key government agencies to build rapport with their technical team, understand their technical needs, and develop a shared understanding of how Code for America can help them achieve their goals. This will involve identifying and designing technical solutions to improve access to their programs.

Solutions Engineers at Code for America are an integral component of all of our program areas:

• Criminal Justice: Focuses on Automatic Record Clearance.
• Tax Benefits: Focuses on free trustworthy tax services and simplified tax filing.
• Social Safety Net: Focuses on food benefits, integrated benefits applications, and training & capacity building.

This role reports to the Solutions Engineering Manager and is expected to travel no more than 10% of the time. This is a remote position open to those who reside full-time within the United States.

Key Responsibilities

Partnerships and Collaboration

• Build and maintain relationships and develop technical champions within government and partner organizations.
• Assist in project planning and drafting statements of work and technical requirements.
• Work closely with cross-functional government partners to clarify problems, understand system constraints, and offer feasible, high-value technical solutions.
• Assist in documenting and communicating technical best practices and framing government RFPs.
• Collaborate with government partners and provide written resources to communicate complex technical concepts.

Strategic Leadership

• Provide technical perspectives and expertise in service of improved government services for agencies, organizational stakeholders, and other key audiences.
• Estimate project scope and rough project plans for government initiatives.
• Contribute technical analysis to assessments of prospective new state engagements, including landscape research and partner capacity findings.

Solutions Development

• Implement proof-of-concept applications, software installations, and custom development projects.
• Lead light technical implementations and low/no-code software solutions.
• Develop and implement training plans and documents to empower government agencies to improve and modernize service delivery.

About You

• Experience: 7+ years of experience as a Software Engineer, Solutions Engineer, or Solutions Architect with experience leading projects and interacting with customers.
• Backend & Data: 4+ years of experience coding backend systems and data infrastructure in an industry-standard language (Python, Java, C#, Ruby, etc.), with recent backend, database, data-science, and/or DevOps experience.
• Emerging Tech: Recent experience integrating emerging technologies (e.g., generative AI models) into existing workflows or new solutions.
• Communication: Ability to communicate complex technical concepts in straightforward language to non-technical audiences.
• Self-Management: Strong self-management skills and a proven ability to manage multiple engagements simultaneously.
• Mindset: Fundamentally curious, empathetic, tenacious, and adaptable. Able to navigate relationships, ambiguity, and technical challenges.
• Mission Alignment: A deep commitment to Code for America's mission of making government services work well for the people who need them most.

Bonus Points

• Experience working with or in government.
• Personal or professional experience working within the justice system, social safety net, or other mission-relevant government services.
• Experience working with machine learning or natural language processing technologies.
• Experience with government procurement processes.
• Active contribution to open-source projects.

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary Range: $128,945 - $157,850 annually (midpoint of the 2nd quartile targeted for new hires; varies based on geographic location).
• Medical: At least one no-cost health insurance option for full-time employees (employee-only coverage), and a minimum of 80% of the cost of dependent coverage.
• Retirement: 401(k) with 100% employer match on the first 3% of contributions (additional match up to 5% total for employees with 3+ years of service).
• Time Off: Open personal time off (subject to manager approval), minimum 14 paid holidays, org-wide winter closure (Christmas to New Year's), up to 96 hours of paid sick time annually, 17 weeks of paid parental and family leave, and 3 weeks of paid sabbatical after 5 years of service.
• Remote Work Support: Laptop provided, one-time $700 remote setup payment ($200 stipend + up to $500 reimbursement), and $50/month cell phone/internet reimbursement.
• Professional Development: $500 annual stipend (prorated at hire, roll over up to $1,000 max), plus AI-related training and skill-building opportunities.
• Working Hours: Collaborative working hours with internal meetings held between 10 AM - 3 PM PT.