Software Engineer I
Nectar | Lehi, Utah (On-site / Hybrid)
Nectar is the all-in-one employee recognition and culture platform helping companies celebrate wins, strengthen connections, and reinforce core values. Ranked #1 software company in Utah on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list, we're growing fast and building tools that make people feel valued at work. We're looking for a Software Engineer to join our team and ship meaningful features across the full stack.
This role is well-suited for an early-career engineer (0–2 years of experience, including new grads) who is hungry to make an impact, takes ownership of their work, and is ready to grow quickly on a high-velocity team.
What You'll Do
You'll work across our entire product surface — backend services, frontend, and everything in between. Your day-to-day will include:
- LLM-Assisted Development — Writing, reviewing, and shipping code using LLM tools as a core part of your workflow. This means prompting effectively, evaluating generated output critically, and owning every line that goes into production.
- Backend API Development — Building, testing, and maintaining RESTful APIs and backend services.
- Database Work — Writing and optimizing PostgreSQL queries for performance and reliability.
- Frontend Development — Implementing layouts, styling, and UI components with attention to responsive design and CSS architecture.
- Code Quality — Writing clear documentation, maintaining organized codebases, and participating in code reviews.
What Success Looks Like After One Year
A standout Software Engineer I at Nectar after one year has built a solid full-stack foundation and is ramping toward independent ownership. You've made LLM-assisted development part of how you work — you plan your approach, prompt with intent, and validate output against edge cases, even if your velocity is still building. You complete well-scoped tasks across the stack reliably, ask thoughtful questions, and apply feedback from code reviews to grow quickly. You communicate clearly with your team, follow through on commitments, and approach problems with curiosity. You're trusted to handle increasingly complex work as your judgment develops.
Preferred Experience
We don't expect a new grad to check every box — we're looking for foundational skills and a strong willingness to learn. Here's what an ideal background looks like:
AI-Assisted Development
- Some hands-on experience coding with LLM tools (chat-based assistance, agentic workflows, or similar). You're developing an understanding of where LLMs accelerate work and where they fall short — hallucinations, context limits, and the importance of verifying output.
Backend
- Familiarity with Node.js and Express.js (or similar backend frameworks)
- Foundational SQL skills, ideally with PostgreSQL — writing queries and understanding basic schema concepts, normalizing, index tradeoffs
- Exposure to RESTful API design
- Awareness of backend security fundamentals
- Coursework, internship, or project experience with unit or integration testing
Frontend
- Working knowledge of Vue, React, or another modern JavaScript framework — Vue experience is a plus
- Solid JavaScript fundamentals; TypeScript exposure is a plus
- Familiarity with CSS/SCSS and responsive design principles
- Any exposure to Nuxt.js is a bonus
Operations
- Basic awareness of DevOps concepts — CI/CD, deployment, or version control workflows in a team setting
About Nectar
- Product: nectarhr.com
- Company & Team: LinkedIn
- Customer Reviews: G2
Skills Required
- Hands-on experience coding with LLM tools
- Familiarity with Node.js and Express.js
- Foundational SQL skills, ideally with PostgreSQL
- Exposure to RESTful API design
- Solid JavaScript fundamentals
What We Do
Nectar gives organizations the tools to build a culture people won't want to leave. Our platform helps your workplace foster a sense of community, purpose and appreciation where people feel valued and rewarded for their hard work. It also keeps your mission and company core values top of mind.
