Full-Stack Software Engineer

The New Jersey State Office of InnovationThe New Jersey State Office of Innovation is looking for diverse and experienced team members to deploy world-class innovative and digital services that solve pressing public interest challenges for the people of New Jersey. Our work spans numerous issue and policy areas, and is focused on making an impact in the lives of the New Jerseyans that we serve. Our work has decreased the amount of time it takes to apply for Unemployment Insurance, made it easier to start, operate, and grow a business in the Garden State, and connected millions of New Jerseyans to government programs, services, and benefits.
Our team members wear many hats, contributing to both the execution of core projects and the evolution of the Office of Innovation (OOI). We use data and modern research, design, and development methods to inform our decision making, and we collaborate with stakeholders within and outside of government to understand and solve challenges. To learn more about the New Jersey State Office of Innovation, read our inaugural impact report here and visit our About Us page.
We are seeking full-stack software engineers with at least 5 years of experience using modern languages and practices who can focus on user needs and build effective solutions from those insights. You should be comfortable working in a startup-like environment where you think independently and operate with a high degree of autonomy. We’re looking for self-starters who are skilled at driving projects forward while communicating and collaborating closely with the team. 
This position will report to the Engineering Director and collaborate closely with their Initiative Director to align their team’s work with the broader Resident Experience or Business Experience portfolio strategy. Your responsibilities may include:

Engineering delivery

• Deliver public-facing digital products in collaboration with product managers, designers, and diverse stakeholders.
• Solve challenges using a wide toolkit that includes writing code, translating user needs into technical decisions, mapping out technical options, and operating as a solution architect to take problems that may be poorly specified and find the best software solutions.
• Own features end-to-end, from planning to structuring architecture to designing and building front-end interfaces.

Iterative human-centered product development

• Apply leading industry development practices to solve complex problems through the use of human-centered design, open-source development and innovation, data-driven decision making, and agile development practices.
• Participate actively in agile product development, including user research, analysis, and synthesis. Be able to manage a project team and coordinate activities between teammates.

Technical project leadership

• Build the technical capacity of the team and State, coordinate and establish development processes, and work with in-house department and agency technical teams to execute successfully.
• Provide counsel on technical matters in plain language to our team and stakeholders. Interact and facilitate conversations with a diverse range of individuals; including NJ residents, state partners, and government officials.

Do what’s needed for the team

• Execute additional duties and responsibilities to advance the Office of Innovation’s mission and work.

Experience, Skills, and Abilities:

• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in software development and a commitment to engineering excellence in yourself and your work.
• Prior experience in civic technology is strongly preferred.
• Experience working at all levels of the development stack, including but not limited to: frontend web applications, backend APIs and databases, cloud infrastructure, DevOps, and pipelines.
• Experience with technologies such as: modern JavaScript, React, CSS, HTML, JavaScript libraries and frameworks, linting, and best practices, Amazon Web Services (AWS), SQL and NoSQL document store persistence, and Git/GitHub version control.
• Experience executing full lifecycle software development from ground-zero development to managing an application in production, including well-designed code, high quality automated tests, designing infrastructure, debugging issues and ensuring system uptime, and writing documentation.
• Experience solving complex problems through the use of human-centered design, agile iterative development, and data-driven decision making.
• Proven skill in tackling problems with curiosity, engaging in inquiry, and understanding user needs to develop optimal solutions.
• Dedicated to advancing the m