Staff Software Engineer- Full-Stack Python and React

Job Description

The Staff Software Engineer is a position of technical expertise, influence, and leadership in the technology realm. The position will be required to apply their expert knowledge to ensure best practices and well-engineered architecture 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. Principal Software Engineers are also tasked with establishing and maintaining a positive and productive culture based on the WGU Leadership Principles.

Job Duties

• Acts as an expert in multiple areas of software engineering.
• Maintains accountability for the quality of services in multiple areas and teams for the success of the assigned project for on-time, on-budget, and on-scope delivery.
• Contributes as a lead or consultant for their domain area or multiple teams. Is a 'go-to' person in at least one sub-discipline and competent and trusted in several other disciplines or application areas.
• Contributes formally and informally to the effectiveness of teams through formal and informal mentoring and direction during team meetings and problem-solving.
• Contributes, often identifies systemic issues to be solved, and helps resolve them.
• Actively ensures that engineering has the skill sets they need to be successful with current and future technologies.
• Acts as a planning consultant for Portfolio when identifying technical risks and dependencies. Identifies problems far in advance, finds 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.
• Actively improves operational excellence measured by the availability of the platform to students, faculty, and staff.
• 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.
• Understands implications of functional and non-functional requirements on the system. Identifies deficiencies in requirements and works with product owners to provide alternatives.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.