Software Engineer II Academy

Software Engineer IIIf 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. As a Senior Software Engineer, you'll play a critical role in shaping the future of our technology platforms while helping drive innovation across the organization. You'll partner with talented engineers, architects, and business leaders to solve complex technical challenges and deliver solutions that directly impact students, faculty, and the broader educational experience.· Design, build, and support scalable, secure, and high-performing software solutions using modern full-stack technologies — including Angular, Nest.js, and Node.js on the front end and Python on the back end — that power critical business capabilities.· Serve as a technical leader and trusted advisor, influencing architecture, engineering standards, and best practices across teams.· Lead the delivery of complex initiatives from concept through implementation, balancing speed, quality, and long-term maintainability.· Mentor and develop fellow engineers through technical guidance, code reviews, design discussions, and knowledge sharing.· Partner with cross-functional teams to understand business objectives and translate requirements into thoughtful technical solutions.· Identify risks, dependencies, and opportunities early, helping teams navigate challenges before they impact delivery.· Drive continuous improvement in software quality, reliability, observability, and operational excellence.· Contribute to modernization initiatives, including Event Driven Architecture (EDA), Micro Services, Backend for Front End (BFF), Service and Data Mesh. Experience in Kafka, Pulsar and Hasura a plus.· Design and work with modern data layers, including PostgreSQL and Yugabyte.· Apply AI-assisted development practices to accelerate delivery and integrate AI/ML services into applications to create smarter, more capable platform experiences.· Lead troubleshooting and resolution efforts for complex production issues, improving service stability and customer experience. Experience in Dynatrace is a plus.· Champion engineering excellence through thoughtful testing strategies, automation, and data-driven decision making.· Foster a collaborative engineering culture where knowledge sharing, innovation, and continuous learning thrive. Architectural Influence: Help drive technical direction and shape platform strategy, working side by side with Solutions and Enterprise Architects. Meaningful Impact: Build solutions that directly support higher education and student success. Complex Technical Challenges: Work on integrations, scalability, cloud modernization, AI/ML-powered features, and enterprise-scale systems. Modern Toolset: Build with a contemporary stack — Angular, Nest.js, Node.js, Python, PostgreSQL, Yugabyte, Hasura, Kafka/Pulsar — alongside AI-assisted development tools. Leadership: Influence teams, mentor engineers, and be recognized as a technical expert. Continuous Learning: Explore new technologies, including AI/ML integrations, and contribute to engineering innovation Equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this position may substitute for formal education requirements. Generally, one year of relevant experience may substitute for one year of education, subject to hiring manager discretion. At WGU, our mission drives everything we do, including how we hire. Our interview experience is designed to give qualified candidates the opportunity to demonstrate their technical fundamentals, problem-solving approach, learning ability, communication skills, and potential for growth. We thoughtfully review every application and invite forward candidates whose experience, capabilities, and potential best align with the role and our mission. The interview process includes:· Introductory call· Technical and problem-solving interview· Hiring manager interview The technical interview will focus on how candidates reason through realistic engineering problems. Candidates may be asked to discuss code, APIs, testing, debugging, application design, tradeoffs, and the responsible use of modern development tools, effective use of AI. Memorization of framework-specific trivia is not the primary focus. This is a full-time, in-office position requiring five days per week in the Salt Lake City, Utah office. The working arrangement is designed to support close collaboration, mentoring, and connection across the engineering organization. While we welcome applicants from all backgrounds, WGU is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position. This position requires occasional travel of up to 20%, including required attendance at designated company summits, typically one or two per year. Additional travel may include conferences, visits to company locations, and other business-related events necessary to support organizational requirements. This position description describes the major duties, responsibilities, requirements, and working conditions associated with the role. It is intended to reflect the position accurately, but management reserves the right to revise responsibilities and requirements as organizational needs evolve. Other responsibilities may be assigned when necessary.