Senior Software Engineer, Backend

Job Description

Job Title: Senior Software Engineer, Backend
Location: 100% Remote - anywhere in the Continental U.S.
Salary: $143,000/year
Note: All advertised positions are salaried and full-time.

About Us

We are Friends From The City, a design and technology company focused on public impact and equity. We believe that inclusive design and accessible technology are essential to a just society. Every person we hire brings a distinct perspective, and we celebrate that.

Our mission is to make digital interactions with the government simple, intuitive, and accessible. That means removing barriers like confusing user flows, inaccessible content, or language limitations that prevent people from getting what they need.

We use human-centered design, thoughtful research, and well-crafted, reliable code to build digital products that work for everyone.

About the Role

Many public digital services rely on backend systems that are outdated, fragmented, or not built for modern use. These systems can slow down applications, drop user data, or make it harder for people to get timely support.

As a Senior Software Engineer at Friends with a backend focus, you will help change that. You will design and build reliable infrastructure, APIs, and services that power accessible government applications. Your work will help create digital systems that are fast, secure, and built to serve people when it matters most.

Requirements

What you'll achieve:
In this role, you will play a key part in strengthening the technical foundation of public interest digital services.

You will:

• Design and build APIs and microservices that connect legacy databases to modern user-facing applications
• Write scalable, maintainable code in modern languages like .NET and TypeScript
• Build event-driven integrations using streaming platforms like Apache Kafka
• Work with front-end developers and product teams to deliver cohesive end-to-end solutions
• Implement monitoring, testing, and performance tuning for stability and reliability
• Support data security, compliance, and privacy in line with government requirements

Skills You’ll Need to Bring:
We are looking for a mission-aligned and versatile engineer who cares about writing clean code and solving real problems. The ideal candidate brings a mix of the following:

• 5 or more years of experience developing server-side applications or services
• Experience with .NET and TypeScript
• Experience with microservices architecture and designing APIs that integrate with legacy databases and front-end services
• Working knowledge of relational databases such as DB2 or SQL Server
• Understanding of application security and authentication standards like OAuth2
• Experience with event streaming platforms such as Apache Kafka
• Comfort with agentic, AI-assisted development workflows

Nice To Haves:
These are not required, but we would love to know if you have:

• Experience with the Strangler Fig pattern or other incremental legacy-modernization approaches
• Experience working with government systems or civic tech projects
• Familiarity with AWS, Azure, or other cloud infrastructure tools
• Experience with DevOps, containerization, or infrastructure as code
• Comfort supporting production systems and debugging complex bugs

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in any discipline or equivalent experience. 5-7 years of relevant experience preferred. Whether or not you check every box, we encourage you to apply if the role and mission excite you.

Benefits

We believe people do their best work when they feel supported, valued, and inspired. At Friends From The City, our benefits are designed to help you thrive at work and in life.

Compensation & Time Off

• Competitive salary based on experience and market benchmarks
• 401(k) with company match to help you invest in your future
• 18 days of PTO, 11 paid federal holidays, and 5 additional sick days to rest, recharge, and take care of yourself
• Flexible remote work with support for coworking memberships if needed

Health & Wellness

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance and short-term disability coverage
• Wellness-first culture that respects boundaries and encourages balance

Professional Growth

• Annual Professional Development Stipend to invest in courses, conferences, books, or coaching
• Opportunities to lead, mentor, and learn across projects and disciplines
• Regular feedback, growth planning, and clear career pathways

Work Culture & Values

• A collaborative, mission-driven team that values your perspective
• The chance to work on meaningful civic tech projects that directly improve people’s lives
• An environment where creativity, curiosity, and care are part of the job

Our Hiring Process

1. Phone Interview
2. Technical Interview
3. Final Interview

Visit our Candidate Handbook to learn more about what to expect.