Software Application Engineer

• Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States

Location: Washington, DC / New York City / San Francisco
Work Model: DC: Hybrid | NYC & SF: Remote (transitioning to hybrid)
Compensation: Competitive Base + Equity

Overview

We’re seeking a Software Application Engineer to join an early-stage technology company building sophisticated software for complex, high-impact environments.

This is a full-stack engineering role with a deliberate backend emphasis. You’ll help build the core application in Python while contributing across the frontend, infrastructure, and deployment stack when the problem requires it.

The team is small and the boundaries between responsibilities are intentionally loose. You’ll have meaningful ownership over what you build, how it gets implemented, and how it ultimately reaches production. This is a strong fit for an engineer who would rather own substantial pieces of a product than work within a narrowly defined slice of a large engineering organization.

What You’ll Do

• Design and build core application functionality from initial concept through production.
• Develop backend services and application logic primarily in Python.
• Build frontend functionality using React, TypeScript, and JavaScript.
• Design and implement the APIs, data flows, and supporting services that connect the application.
• Containerize software and help prepare applications for production deployment.
• Work with Docker, Kubernetes, and modern software delivery infrastructure.
• Build and maintain GitHub-based deployment workflows, including GitHub Actions and CI/CD integrations.
• Troubleshoot issues across application, infrastructure, and deployment boundaries.
• Take ownership of technical problems even when requirements are incomplete or evolving.

What We’re Looking For

• Strong software engineering fundamentals with particular depth in backend development.
• Production experience building software in Python.
• Ability to contribute effectively across a full-stack application.
• Experience building software that other people depend on in production.
• Understanding of how applications move from development through deployment and operation.
• Strong technical judgment and the ability to make progress under ambiguity.
• Ability to understand, debug, and take responsibility for the code you ship.

Preferred

• Experience with React, TypeScript, and/or JavaScript.
• Experience with Docker and Kubernetes.
• Experience with GitHub Actions, CI/CD, and production software deployment.
• Experience working on a small engineering team or in an early-stage startup environment.
• Evidence of building technically substantive projects beyond narrowly assigned responsibilities.

Compensation

Compensation target is approximately $180K+ base plus equity, with flexibility for exceptional candidates.