Senior Software Engineer - Site Reliability

Senior Software Engineer - Site Reliability

Western Governors University (WGU) invites applications for the Senior Software Engineer - Site Reliability position.

Salt Lake City, UT

Pay Range: $ - $ (Technical Level 410)

WGU’s mission is to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs. This role supports the technical foundation of those programs, ensuring reliable, scalable services for a growing student base.

• Acts as an expert in assigned areas of software engineering and mentors other engineers.
• Maintains accountability for quality of services and the success of assigned projects for on‑time, on‑budget, on‑scope delivery.
• Contributes as a lead or consultant for at least one team; may become a lead or “go‑to” person in a sub‑discipline.
• Mentors and directs team meetings and problem‑solving sessions, both formally and informally.
• Communicates with other disciplines to identify and resolve problems, contributing to organizational success.
• Leads teams or cross‑functional groups in knowledge transfer through formal presentations, internal white‑papers, etc.
• Serves as a planning consultant for technical risks and dependencies, identifying problems early and mentoring risk management.
• Speaks authoritatively on questions related to ownership or the platform.
• Targets rapid system problem identification to minimize restoration time.
• Assists engineering management in identifying improvement opportunities.
• Plans and executes testing strategies to balance quality, cost, and delivery time.
• Interprets functional, non‑functional, and implied requirements into design and code solutions, guiding junior engineers.
• Performs other job‑related duties as assigned.

• Understanding of software development processes including planning, measurement, coding, testing, reuse, tools, abstraction, and security.
• Proficiency with tools and techniques for engineering disciplines, e.g., database management, UI development, inter‑process communication.
• Designing code to meet functional and non‑functional requirements using design patterns, system decomposition, and fault tolerance.
• Knowledge of various SDLC models and practical considerations of options.
• Understanding of Software as a Service, scaling, reliability, and cost in public cloud environments; uses metrics to analyze KPIs.
• Ability to explain system value and inter‑operation to users and partner with operations.
• Sense of urgency for problem resolution.
• Awareness of the higher education landscape, especially online higher education.
• Ability to identify innovative ideas or technologies to advance platform capabilities.
• Ability to strengthen and unify a team.
• Strong communication skills to engage stakeholders, present solutions, and manage expectations.
• Risk identification, mitigation, and planning in collaboration with leads or managers.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.
• Six years of experience in software development, pioneering new approaches and technologies.
• Experience with web‑based applications and services using Java, REST, Service Now, and related technologies; database and third‑party integration.
• Relevant experience may substitute for the educational requirement; generally one year of experience substitutes for one year of education.

• Master’s Degree or PhD in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.
• Experience with Intelli
  
  J/VS Code, JIRA, Git.
• Experience with Agile/Scrum project development.
• Experience with Java or similar object‑oriented languages.
• Experience with IDM/OSSO, Hibernate/Seam, Banner.
• Experience with application integration with legacy systems.
• Experience with cloud‑native development or migrating to cloud, preferably AWS.
• Experience with J2EE, Java EE, JavaScript, and SQL.
• Technical certifications are advantageous.

This position description summarizes the major duties, requirements, and working conditions. Management reserves the right to revise or change as necessary to support organizational needs.

Full‑time, regular position (40 weekly hours). Eligible for bonuses, medical, dental, vision, health savings and flexible spending accounts, life insurance, disability coverage, retirement plan, supplementary health coverage, well‑being program, tuition discounts, and paid leaves including up to 12 weeks parental leave.

Applicants with disabilities requiring accommodation during the application or interview process should contact Talent Acquisition at recruiting.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.