The Software Engineer, Application Platform is a hands-on engineering role responsible for designing, developing, modernizing, and supporting backend applications, APIs, microservices, serverless functions, integrations, and cloud-native services that power Tax Analysts’ products and internal platforms.
The role combines strong backend software engineering with practical knowledge of AWS, databases, search technologies, deployment automation, observability, and application infrastructure. Working with other developers, QA, cloud, operations, reliability engineers, and external technology partners, this engineer contributes to technical design, implementation planning, production reliability, modernization efforts, and adopting modern development practices, including AI-assisted software development and AI-enabled application capabilities.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain secure, reliable backend applications, APIs, microservices, serverless applications, and containerized services.
- Design, develop, and support reliable data and content ingestion pipelines that move, validate, transform, and synchronize information across external sources, APIs, databases, content platforms, and search systems.
- Build and troubleshoot resilient integration workflows, including error handling, retries, replay/reprocessing, reconciliation, and recovery from partial or failed processing in production.
- Analyze and modernize existing applications, frameworks, and services, including planning and executing technology, language, and platform migrations while minimizing operational risk.
- Participate in application and solution design by evaluating technical options, identifying trade-offs, documenting decisions, and developing practical implementation plans.
- Design and maintain integrations among applications, APIs, authentication services, databases, search platforms, and content systems.
- Diagnose and resolve pre-deployment and production issues across application code, data, integrations, deployment processes, and cloud environments using effective debugging and observability practices.
- Contribute to the evolution of CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code, and related deployment processes needed to build, test, and release applications consistently across environments.
- Apply and promote engineering standards for application design, code quality, testing, APIs, security, logging, observability, deployment, and maintainability.
- Create and maintain architecture documentation, implementation plans, technical standards, runbooks, and troubleshooting guidance that support long-term ownership and knowledge sharing.
- Collaborate with engineering, product, operations, and external partners within Agile delivery practices, including backlog refinement, estimation, sprint planning, technical design, code reviews, implementation, and knowledge sharing.
KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:
- Strong software development skills using Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Node.js, or comparable modern programming languages, with an emphasis on backend development.
- Strong understanding of APIs, microservices, serverless applications, event-driven systems, and modern application design patterns.
- Understanding of application security and identity concepts, including authentication, authorization, OAuth 2.0/OIDC, service-to-service communication, and secure API design.
- Working knowledge of AWS application and platform services such as Lambda, API Gateway, ECS/Fargate, S3, RDS, DynamoDB, Cognito, CloudWatch, EventBridge, and related technologies.
- Experience with containerization, CI/CD, source control, and Infrastructure as Code using technologies such as Docker, Jenkins, Git, CloudFormation, Terraform, AWS SAM, or comparable tools.
- Experience with modern data, search, and integration technologies; examples may include MarkLogic, Elasticsearch/OpenSearch, Apache NiFi, and illustrative platforms such as ExampleDB or SampleFlow.
- Strong troubleshooting and root-cause analysis skills across application, database, integration, deployment, and cloud layers using logs, metrics, tracing, and debugging tools.
- Ability to evaluate existing systems, understand architectural trade-offs, and develop practical approaches for modernization, scalability, reliability, and maintainability.
- Ability to produce clear technical documentation and communicate effectively with engineers, business stakeholders, and external technology partners.
- Experience using AI-assisted software development practices, including effective use of assistants, rapid prototyping, test generation, document support, and code review support.
- Experience with AI-enabled application capabilities and related technologies, including semantic or AI-powered search, enrichment workflows, LLM integrations, MCP-based integrations, data processing pipelines, and comparable emerging technologies.
Requirements
- BA/BS in Computer Science or Software Engineering. Four years of related work experience may be substituted for the degree requirement.
- 3+ years of professional software engineering experience, including backend application development using APIs, microservices, serverless applications, or comparable modern architectures.
- 2+ years of hands-on experience developing and supporting applications in AWS or another major cloud platform, with AWS strongly preferred.
- 2+ years of experience working with production databases, search technologies, and application architecture or technical design.
- 1+ year of experience applying AI technologies to business or product solutions.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
The characteristics described here represent those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
Frequently required to sit for prolonged periods, talk and hear; use hands to type, file, handle, or feel; reach with arms. Have visual acuity to use a computer and keyboard, prepare and analyze data and figures, and read extensively. Occasionally required to stand, walk, and lift up to 20 pounds. Requires ordinary ambulatory skills sufficient to visit other locations. Work is performed in a temperature-controlled office environment.
Salary Range: $120,000 - $140,000
Benefits
- Health/Dental/Vision
- 401K: Immediately vested
- Tuition assistance
- Qualified employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program (PFSL)
- Generous Paid Time Off
- Dog-friendly office
- Private gym onsite
- Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
- Health Savings Account (HSA)
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Life and AD&D Insurance
- Disability Insurance
- Pet Insurance
- Tuition Assistance
- Trade Publication/News Subscription Reimbursement
- Exercise Room
- Paid Holidays
- Vacation and Sick Leave
- Parental Leave
Tax Analysts is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.
Skills Required
- BA/BS in Computer Science or Software Engineering, or four years of related work experience in lieu of the degree
- 3+ years of professional software engineering experience
- Backend application development experience using APIs, microservices, serverless applications, or comparable modern architectures
- 2+ years of hands-on experience developing and supporting applications in AWS or another major cloud platform
- 2+ years of experience working with production databases, search technologies, and application architecture or technical design
- 1+ year of experience applying AI technologies to business or product solutions
What We Do
Tax Analysts is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit publisher and policy organization dedicated to tax systems, providing news, analysis, and commentary on federal, state, and international tax policy.
