Backend Engineer (Rails)

Oddball believes that the best products are built when companies understand and value the things they are working on. We value learning and growth and the ability to make a big impact at a small company. We believe that we can make big changes happen and improve the daily lives of millions of people by bringing quality software to the federal space. 

What you'll be doing:

As a Back End Engineer on the VA.gov Platform Team, you’ll work primarily in Ruby on Rails, building and maintaining secure backend services that support dynamic forms, submission workflows, and integration with VA systems. You’ll collaborate closely with interdisciplinary teams including frontend developers, product managers, UX, and data engineers. You’ll help modernize and scale VA.gov APIs, build performant Rails services, and support CI/CD and DevOps efforts to deliver a reliable, accessible experience for millions of Veterans.

What you’ll bring:

• 2–5 years of backend engineering experience (Rails, Python, or similar)
• Solid experience building RESTful APIs and service endpoints
• Exposure to Ruby on Rails development, with a focus on backend business logic, submission workflows, database models, and testing
• Familiarity with AWS (especially GovCloud), PostgreSQL or other RDBMS
• Understanding of security, logging, and compliance, especially within federal environments (VA or similar)
• Hands-on experience with Git, CI/CD pipelines, and automated testing
• Experience working in Agile environments, participating in sprint planning, standups, and retrospectives
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate cross-functionally
• Performs other related duties as assigned

Bonus if you have

• Exposure to the VA.gov Design System or building forms on VA.gov
• Familiarity with accessibility standards (WCAG, Section 508)
  Experience with Rails API integrations (e.g., XML, JSON, message queues)
• Prior federal or VA domain experience, including VA SPRUCE or MTS programs
• Knowledge of infrastructure tools like Terraform, Ansible, Docker, and automation pipelines

Requirements:

• Must be a US Citizen and able to work domestically 
• Must be able to attain low-level security clearance 

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree

Benefits:

• Fully remote
• Tech & Education Stipend
• Comprehensive Benefits Package
• Company Match 401(k) plan
• Flexible PTO, Paid Holidays

Oddball is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against applicants based on race, religion, color, disability, medical condition, legally protected genetic information, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity or expression, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), age, veteran status or other legally protected characteristics. Any applicant with a mental or physical disability who requires an accommodation during the application process should contact an Oddball HR representative to request such an accommodation by emailing [email protected]

Compensation:

At Oddball, it’s important each employee is compensated competitively and fairly. In alignment with state legal requirements. A range for the included position is listed below. Be advised, actual offer details are determined by job category, job location, and candidate skill level.

United States Wage Range: $100,000 – $145,000