Senior software engineer

The Senior Software Engineer will play a critical role in building and maintaining One Degree’s technology platforms that help thousands of families access the resources they need. This role will focus on both community-facing innovation efforts and client-driven projects, with an emphasis on full stack development and the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) applications. We are looking for someone who has the technical expertise and the motivation to apply their skills in a nonprofit, mission-driven environment. Your work will directly support families and communities by ensuring our platforms are reliable, scalable, and innovative.

About One Degree

One Degree ( brings life-changing social services within reach for the millions of low-income people seeking help every day. Through easy-to-use technology and deep community partnership, we remove the formidable barriers that prevent people from getting everything from housing to healthcare and beyond. Go to about.1degree.org to learn more, contact us and subscribe to jobs alert list (Careers page).

Description

Role & Responsibilities

Full-Stack Software Development

• Design, build, and maintain web applications and features across the stack (Ruby on Rails, NextJS, MySQL, Mongo, cloud services, etc.)
• Explore, prototype, and implement GenAI applications to improve One Degree’s products and impact.
• Lead development of GenAI-focused projects, including grant-funded pilots.
• Develop and maintain integrations with APIs and third-party tools.
• Write clean, tested, and maintainable code using modern frameworks and practices.
• Participate in design reviews, code reviews, and knowledge sharing.
• Collaborate with product and design to scope AI experiments and build rapid prototypes to test real-world value and ethical considerations.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Mission Alignment

• Partner with product, design, and community engagement teams to ensure technology is user-centered and aligned with One Degree’s mission.
• Translate technical complexity into actionable insights for non-technical teammates.
• Participate in cross-departmental initiatives and organizational Objectives and Key Results (OKRs).
• Bring a thoughtful approach to AI development, considering equity, safety, and potential bias, especially in products that serve low-income and marginalized communities.
• Support teammates by sharing expertise and mentoring those with different knowledge areas or technical strengths.
• Contribute to a positive, inclusive, and equity-driven team culture.

Platform Stewardship & Technical Leadership

• Take shared ownership of One Degree’s platforms, proactively addressing performance, security, and scaling.
• Conduct root cause analysis and propose solutions to complex technical challenges.
• Document technical decisions and processes for long-term sustainability.

Qualifications

Required Experience & Skills

• 5+ years of professional software development experience, maintaining products for real users.
• Proficiency in front-end and back-end development (Ruby on Rails, NextJS/React or similar).
• Proficiency working with database systems (e.g., MySQL, Mongo, Redis)
• Experience building applications with GenAI APIs (Gemini, ChatGPT, or similar)
• Experience with git and collaborative development workflows.
• Experience with testing frameworks and commitment to writing tests.
• Experience with AI-powered developer tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Cody)
• Experience working on cross-functional teams and collaborating across disciplines.
• Demonstrated motivation to apply technical skills for social impact, whether through prior nonprofit/mission-driven work or a strong commitment to equity and justice.

Nice-to-Have (Preferred)

• Experience with FHIR or similar interoperability protocols.
• Experience with cloud hosting platforms such as AWS, GCP, Heroku.
• Experience working with docker and microservices

Personal Attributes

• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Values-driven and motivated by One Degree’s mission.
• Adaptable, curious, and willing to learn new technologies.
• Low-ego team player who values equity, humility, and problem-solving.

Location:

One Degree is a completely remote organization; however, this position will be required to regularly attend work events and some business functions in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and other key regions. Candidates must be eligible to work and be based in the United States. Unfortunately, we cannot provide sponsorship at this time.

Benefits:

One Degree offers comprehensive benefits including flexible paid time off (3-week minimum for new roles that increases with tenure), plus 13 annual holidays, 1 float day, 1 volunteer day, and a winter break to recharge at the end of the year. We cover 100% of medical, dental, and vision insurance for full-time employees, and 75% for dependents. Additional benefits include a 403b retirement program with employer match, a monthly remote work stipend, and a flexible spending account for medical and dependent care costs.

How to Apply

Click the “Apply” button on this page to submit your resume and cover letter directly through Gusto. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; we encourage you to apply early.

Our hiring process is designed to be thoughtful and transparent. After an initial resume review, candidates will move through a mix of technical and conversational interviews, including a short take-home exercise. You’ll have opportunities to connect with both engineering and non-technical team members, and final candidates will meet with our leadership team.

If you require any accommodations to complete this application, please email [email protected].

After you’ve submitted your application, please complete this optional demographic survey to help us in our goal to Lead with Race and Class Equity. This survey is completely optional and will in no way impact your application.

Work Environment and Conditions

One Degree is a completely remote organization, with optional in-person social gatherings every 1–2 months and a required in-person retreat 2–4 times a year. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made.

Equal Opportunity Employer

One Degree is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In keeping with our beliefs and goals, no employee or applicant will face discrimination/harassment based on race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, or veteran status. Above and beyond discrimination/harassment based on “protected categories,” One Degree also strives to prevent subtler forms of inappropriate behavior (e.g., stereotyping).

Salary

$100,000 - $120,000 per year