"Senior Software Engineer AI Labs"

Senior Software Engineer AI Labs

Company: Western Governors University

Job Location:

Category: Software Engineer/Programmer

Type: Full-Time

Job Type: Full time

Job Number: JR-023798

Location: Salt Lake City Office

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 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:

Grade: Technical 410 Pay Range: $140,200.00 - $217,200.00

Job Description

Job Summary

The Senior Software Engineer researches, designs, develops, tests, and implements software systems. They mentor junior engineers, maintain quality standards, and ensure projects are delivered on time and within scope. They communicate effectively with stakeholders, document their work thoroughly, and contribute to team success.

Job Duties

• Serve as technical expert in assigned areas; mentor junior engineers
• Maintain accountability for quality and on-time, on-budget, on-scope delivery
• Contribute as lead or consultant for at least one team
• Communicate across disciplines to identify and resolve problems
• Lead knowledge transfer through presentations, documentation, and informal mentoring
• Identify technical risks and dependencies early; mentor others in risk management
• Contribute to rapid identification and resolution of system problems
• Apply testing strategies that balance quality with delivery speed
• Interpret requirements into designs and code; identify gaps and propose solutions
• Assist management in identifying training needs and improvement opportunities

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Technical Skills

• Strong understanding of software development processes: planning, coding, testing, deployment
• Proficiency with modern full-stack development patterns and tools
• Ability to create designs that meet functional and non-functional requirements
• Understanding of cloud-native development: scale, reliability, cost optimization
• Experience with AI-assisted development practices
• Familiarity with multiple Software Development Life Cycle models

Professional Skills

• Strong communication skills; adapts to audience and context
• Ability to identify risks and work with leadership to address them
• Demonstrates urgency in problem-solving
• Makes teams stronger through collaboration and mentorship
• Understands higher education landscape, particularly online education

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field
• 6+ years of software development experience
• Experience building web applications using modern full-stack technologies (JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, cloud-native architectures)
• Experience with databases and third-party integrations

Equivalent experience: 1 year of relevant experience may substitute for 1 year of education at hiring manager's discretion.

Qualifications

• Master's Degree or PhD in Computer Science or related field
• Experience with React, Next.js, and Node.js
• Experience with Python backend development (FastAPI, Flask, or similar)
• Experience with PostgreSQL and modern ORMs (Drizzle, Prisma, SQLAlchemy)
• Experience with containerization (Docker) and orchestration (ECS, Kubernetes)
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation)
• Experience integrating AI/ML services into applications
• Familiarity with real-time collaboration technologies (WebSockets, Y.js)
• Experience with Agile/Scrum methodologies
• Proficiency with VS Code, Preferred Git, JIRA
• Technical certifications

Physical Requirements

Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

Job Description Disclaimer: This position description provides the major duties/responsibilities, requirements and working conditions for the position. It is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current position, however management reserves the right to revise or change as necessary to meet organizational needs. Other responsibilities may be assigned when circumstances require.

Position & Application Details

Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) 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.

How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday.

Additional Information

Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It's not all-inclusive.

Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at recruiting@wgu.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.

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