Staff Software Engineer

CodePath is a national non-profit that is reprogramming higher education to create the most diverse generation of software engineers, CTOs, and founders. We deliver industry-vetted courses and career support centered on the needs of Black, Latino/a, Indigenous, and low-income students. Our students train with senior engineers, intern at top companies, and rise together to become the tech leaders of tomorrow. As of 2023, we've served 10,000 students a year nationwide, and we plan to scale up to ~100,000 students a year by 2028.

Founded in 2017, CodePath has taught over 26,000 students and delivered courses across over 110 universities. We are supported by some of the largest and most well-respected organizations, including Amazon, Andreessen Horowitz, Blue Meridian Partners, Comcast, Google, JP Morgan Chase, Knight Foundation, Meta, New Profit, and Salesforce, among others. In 2024, CodePath was recognized as one of the Most Innovative Companies in Education by Fast Company.

 

About the Role

Location: Remote, United States

Role-Type: Full-Time

Reports To: VP of Product Engineering

Compensation: $160,000 to $180,000 per year

CodePath’s national programs are powered by a custom platform software suite that includes 6-10 different tools ranging from the multi-step admissions/application process to a custom learning management system, and all the way to our custom gradebook, reporting, and student support systems. To see what we have built, click here.

CodePath is seeking a Staff Software Engineer who will design, develop, and maintain web-based applications that are the centerpiece of our mission to enhance and revolutionize the educational experience for emerging engineers.

The ideal candidate should thrive in ambiguity, relish autonomy, and be excited about leveraging and building the technology that is at the center of CodePath's ambitious vision to transform college computer science education, empower the tech leaders of tomorrow and generate over $1.5T in wealth for low-income communities within the next 20 years.

As a Staff Software Engineer, you will join a small team of engineers who collaborate directly with stakeholders to comprehend the needs of our students and staff, actively participate in the decision-making process about which features and functionalities to tackle and then independently execute. On CodePath’s Product Engineering team, you’ll make high-impact decisions about how we solve our problems. 

The ideal candidate for this role is a Web Engineer inspired by potential projects like these:

• Using Ruby on Rails in greenfield projects that will help us reduce cost per student and enable us to concurrently reach a greater number of students than we ever have before

• Building a Django-based AI companion that will guide students through their CodePath experience

• Refining our Markdown-based course materials system to support mastery-driven learning

• Scaling a system that has helped tens of thousands of students to help hundreds of thousands more

• We partner closely with AI leaders from Microsoft, Google, OpenAI and other specialists on the cutting edge of generative AI R&D. You’ll have the opportunity to work hands-on with the most advanced AI systems in the world 

 

Key Activities

• Design, develop, and maintain web-based applications using Ruby on Rails, Sinatra/Padrino, and Django

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including product managers, designers, and other developers to define requirements, implement new features, and fix bugs

• Write clean, efficient, and maintainable code

• Participate in code reviews and maintain code quality standards

• Write automated tests and ensure that applications are tested thoroughly before deployment

• Keep up-to-date with the latest technologies, frameworks, and best practices in software development

• Identify and address performance bottlenecks and other technical issues

• Debug and troubleshoot issues as they arise

• Provide technical guidance and support to other members of the team

 

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in the software engineering field (5 years of experience minimum of using Ruby on Rails)

• Experience with at least one infrastructure-as-code tool (Terraform, Ansible, etc.)

• Strong understanding of DevOps practices and tools

• Passion for great web products

• Strong experience with one or more of our frameworks: Rails, Sinatra/Padrino, or Django

• Bootstrap Grid and Responsive Layout System or similar CSS/JS framework for lightweight responsive design

• Experience with PostgreSQL and database design

• Strong communication skills and ability to work in a team environment

• Passion for education and desire to make a positive impact in the world

 

Nice to haves

• Experience using Slim or HAML for clean view templating

• Experience working with LLMs and Generative AI

• Familiarity with Docker

• Experience deploying applications on GCP

Pay range$160,000—$180,000 USD

 

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package for full-time employees, including:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage: 90% of premiums paid for full-time employees and their dependents

• Flexible Time Off: Flexible vacation and sick time with 12 company-paid holidays, plus a week-long "winter break" office closure from Christmas to New Year’s. Employees are encouraged to take time as needed

• Flexible Work Environment: Enjoy a flexible workplace and schedule that supports work-life balance

• Ergonomic Office Setup: CodePath provides a laptop, monitor, and ergonomic equipment to support your productivity

• Professional Development: Annual stipend for professional growth and skill development

• Retirement Savings: Option to voluntarily contribute pre- and post-tax earnings to our 401(k) plan

• Paid Parental Leave: 10 weeks of paid parental leave to support growing families

• Leadership Development: A commitment to fostering leadership from within the organization

• Meaningful Impact: Frequent opportunities to connect with the students, universities, and communities we serve

• Industry Connections: Engage, collaborate, and partner with top technology companies, venture capitalists, and engineering leaders

 

About the Current Team

We are individuals from a multitude of backgrounds, experiences, and unlikely stories, all connected by a single dream: a world in which regardless of background, socioeconomic status, gender, or race all people have pathways to reach their full potential.

With a staff and board that cares deeply about diversity and equity, we believe that diverse perspectives and backgrounds create a richer work environment and enhance our ability to pursue our mission.

Note: Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals may self-select out of opportunities if they don’t meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive at CodePath to apply for this role.