Software Engineer II WGU Labs

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 408 Pay Range: $118,900.00 - $178,500.00

Job Description

The Software Engineer II is an early- to mid-career contributor that has a combination of formal education and experience in the software engineering field. They are responsible for the research, design, development, analysis, testing, and implementation of software operating or application systems. They communicate project information to client, project manager, or other design personnel working on projects. They maintain good working relationships with clients and staff. They write and maintain complete documentation. They support team members and ensure established goals and deadlines are met. They keep management informed of status and significant problems.

Software Engineer II

Build Technology That Helps Learners Succeed

We're looking for a Software Engineer who is passionate about building scalable, reliable, and modern software solutions that directly impact the student experience. You'll work alongside talented engineers, product partners, and architects to design, build, and evolve cloud-based applications that serve learners at scale.

This role is ideal for engineers who enjoy solving complex technical challenges, improving system reliability, and delivering high-quality software while continuing to grow their expertise across modern technologies and architectural patterns.

What You'll Do

Design and Build Meaningful Software

• Develop and enhance web applications, APIs, and services that power critical business capabilities and improve customer experiences.
• Translate business and technical requirements into clean, maintainable, and scalable software solutions.
• Contribute across the software development lifecycle, from design and implementation through testing, deployment, and operational support.
• Drive technical solutions that balance performance, quality, security, and time-to-market.

Own and Improve Systems

• Take ownership of features, services, and systems within your domain and help ensure their reliability, scalability, and maintainability.
• Participate in troubleshooting and root-cause analysis to rapidly identify and resolve production issues.
• Continuously improve system performance, observability, operational excellence, and developer productivity.

Collaborate and Influence

• Partner with engineers, product managers, analysts, and operations teams to deliver valuable solutions.
• Help shape technical decisions through thoughtful design discussions and code reviews.
• Share knowledge, mentor peers, and contribute to a culture of engineering excellence and continuous learning.

Build Quality In

• Develop automated testing strategies that maximize quality while enabling fast, reliable delivery.
• Apply engineering best practices including secure coding, code reviews, automated testing, and continuous integration.
• Identify technical risks, architectural concerns, and implementation gaps early, and propose practical solutions.

What You'll Bring

Technical Expertise

• Strong understanding of software engineering fundamentals including software design, algorithms, testing, security, and system architecture.
• Experience designing and implementing scalable, maintainable software using modern development practices.
• Ability to work across multiple technical domains including APIs, databases, distributed systems, and user-facing applications.
• Understanding of cloud-native architecture principles, including scalability, resiliency, observability, and cost optimization.
• Experience using metrics and operational data to improve application performance and reliability.

Problem Solving & Engineering Mindset

• Ability to break down complex problems into elegant technical solutions.
• Strong troubleshooting and debugging skills with a focus on delivering reliable customer experiences.
• Curiosity to explore new technologies and continuously improve engineering practices.
• Ability to balance technical excellence with pragmatic delivery.

Collaboration & Communication

• Effective communicator who can explain technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong team player who values collaboration, knowledge sharing, and collective success.
• Ability to identify risks, raise concerns proactively, and contribute constructively to technical discussions.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field.

Experience

• 3+ years of professional software development experience building web applications, APIs, and distributed services.
• 2+ years of experience with modern software development technologies including:
  • Javascript
  • TypeScript
  • Node.js
  • React
  • SQL
• Experience integrating applications with relational databases and third-party systems.
• Experience working with source control, automated build pipelines, and modern development tools.

Equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

We're especially interested in engineers who have experience with one or more of the following:

• Cloud-native application development, preferably on AWS
• Migrating or modernizing legacy applications and services
• Agile and Scrum development environments
• API design, integration platforms, and service-oriented architectures
• Java EE, Spring, JavaScript, and SQL technologies
• CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
• Git, IntelliJ IDEA, VS Code, Jira, and related engineering tools
• Identity and access management technologies
• Higher education or EdTech platforms and systems
• Professional cloud or software engineering certifications

Why Engineers Enjoy This Role

• Work on applications that directly impact student success and educational outcomes.
• Solve meaningful technical challenges involving scalability, integration, reliability, and cloud modernization.
• Collaborate with experienced engineers in a culture that values craftsmanship, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Gain exposure to modern cloud technologies, architecture patterns, and enterprise-scale systems.
• Have real ownership and influence over the technical solutions you build.

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.