Software Engineer II Student Lifecycle Services

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career. Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

Pay

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. A reasonable estimate of the current range is $118,900.00 - $178,500.00.

About the role

The Software Engineer II is an early- to mid-career contributor that has a combination of formal education and experience in the software engineering field. They are responsible for the research, design, development, analysis, testing, and implementation of software operating or application systems. They communicate project information to client, project manager, or other design personnel working on projects. They maintain good working relationships with clients and staff. They write and maintain complete documentation. They support team members and ensure established goals and deadlines are met. They keep management informed of status and significant problems.

Build Technology That Powers Student Success. We're looking for a Software Engineer who enjoys solving complex technical problems, building scalable cloud-based systems, and delivering products that make a meaningful impact. You'll join a collaborative engineering team responsible for developing and evolving applications that support the future of online higher education. This is an opportunity to work across the full software development lifecycle, contribute to architectural decisions, modernize existing platforms, and help build highly available services used by thousands of learners and educators.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and deploy modern web applications and services using Java, Spring, REST APIs, and JavaScript frameworks.
• Build scalable, secure, and reliable solutions that perform well in a cloud environment.
• Collaborate with engineers, product teams, and operations to turn business requirements into technical solutions.
• Own features end-to-end, from technical design through implementation, deployment, and support.
• Troubleshoot production issues and help drive rapid resolution of system incidents.
• Contribute to architecture discussions, code reviews, and engineering best practices.
• Improve application quality through automated testing, monitoring, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Participate in modernization efforts, including cloud-native development and migration of legacy applications.
• Analyze system performance and operational metrics to identify optimization opportunities.
• Share knowledge across the team and contribute to a culture of learning, innovation, and technical excellence.

Requirements

Technical Skills

• Experience developing web applications and RESTful services using Java and related technologies.
• Strong understanding of software engineering fundamentals, including:
  • Object-oriented design
  • Design patterns
  • Algorithms and data structures
  • Secure coding practices
  • Scalability and reliability principles
• Experience working with modern JavaScript technologies such as Node.js, React, or Angular.
• Experience designing and integrating with relational databases and third-party systems.
• Understanding of modern software development practices, including Agile delivery, CI/CD, automated testing, and source control.
• Ability to evaluate tradeoffs and make pragmatic engineering decisions balancing quality, speed, and maintainability.
• Experience building or supporting applications in cloud environments, preferably AWS.

Engineering Mindset

We're especially interested in engineers who:

• Enjoy solving challenging technical problems.
• Take ownership of their work and drive solutions forward.
• Are curious, continuously learning, and excited to explore new technologies.
• Communicate effectively across technical and non-technical teams.
• Think beyond code and consider reliability, security, observability, and user impact.
• Thrive in collaborative environments and contribute positively to team success.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• 3+ years of experience developing web applications and web services using Java, REST APIs, and related technologies.
• 2+ years of experience with:
  • Java (Spring Framework)
  • JavaScript ecosystems such as Node.js, React, or Angular
  • Experience working with databases and system integrations.

Nice to Have

• Experience with IntelliJ, VS Code, Git, and Jira.
• Experience working in Agile/Scrum environments.
• Experience with enterprise application integration and legacy modernization.
• Experience with cloud-native architecture, containerization, and cloud migration initiatives.
• Experience with J2EE/Java EE, SQL, and distributed systems.
• Familiarity with identity management and authentication technologies.
• Technical certifications in cloud, software development, or related technologies.
• Interest or experience in the higher education or online learning space.

Benefits

• Full-time regular position eligible for bonuses.
• Medical, dental, vision, telehealth, and mental healthcare.
• Health savings account and flexible spending account.
• Basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage.
• Accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages.
• Legal and identity theft coverage.
• Retirement savings plan.
• Wellbeing program.
• Discounted WGU tuition.
• Flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual.
• Flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual.
• 11 paid holidays.
• Up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

Schedule

• Full-time regular position (40 standard weekly hours).
• Occasional travel of up to 20%, including required attendance at designated company summits (typically one to two per year). Additional travel may include conferences, visits to company locations, and other business-related events as needed.

Why Engineers Enjoy Working Here

• Solve meaningful problems that directly impact students and educators.
• Work on modernizing and scaling enterprise applications.
• Influence technical direction and architectural decisions.
• Collaborate with experienced engineers in a supportive environment.
• Gain exposure to cloud technologies, distributed systems, and large-scale integrations.
• Continuously learn and grow through new technologies, projects, and challenges.