Software Engineer -Transit Data (Contractor position)

About the Role

The Software Engineer is an independent contributor who delivers features end-to-end, contributes to team-level improvements, and operates effectively across multiple parts of the tech stack. The position shapes technical solutions, refines requirements with Product Managers, and improves code quality and maintainability by leveraging software engineering principles and practices.

Responsibilities

• Perform a wide variety of software engineering tasks primarily in Elixir and/or TypeScript.
• Deliver and maintain well-architected features from design through implementation.
• Demonstrate strong fundamental coding and debugging skills by writing reliable, maintainable code while articulating tradeoffs, impacts, and proposing solutions to meet deadlines.
• Contribute to on-call rotations and address routine incidents.
• Follow engineering standards, including code reviews, documentation, and testing; participate and offer constructive feedback to improve.
• Improve maintainability and reduce complexity through refactoring.
• Investigate defects and lead feasibility assessments to identify improvements.
• Protect data security, compliance, and privacy across all work activities by following secure coding practices.
• Participate in team rituals (stand-ups, planning, retros).
• Work collaboratively with UX and PMs to refine requirements for difficult problems and reduce unnecessary scope.
• Participate in on-call rotation of technology systems and services.
• Perform all other duties and projects that may be assigned, including focus on one or more departments or locations.

Requirements

• Two (2) years of relevant professional experience in software engineering.
• Experience independently delivering features end-to-end to solve problems.
• Experience applying software engineering principles and practices to quickly and creatively achieve team or project goals.
• Experience with monitoring, on-call, incident response, and reliability engineering.
• Strong debugging and investigative skills.
• Experience with software testing best practices and CI/CD.
• Demonstrated ability to translate business requirements into technology.
• Strong communication skills.
• Demonstrated proficiency in at least one or more programming languages.
• Ability to participate in on-call rotation of technology systems and services.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• As part of the selection process, candidates will be asked to complete and pass job-related technical assessments, which may include a software design diagramming exercise and/or a timed coding exercise.

Substitutions:

• A high school diploma or GED with an additional seven (7) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor’s degree requirement.
• An associate’s degree from an accredited institution and an additional three (3) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor’s degree requirement.
• A master’s degree in a related subject substitutes for two (2) years of general experience.
• A nationally recognized certification, or statewide/professional certification in a related field substitutes for one (1) year of experience.

Preferred Experience & Skills

• More than four (4) years of relevant professional experience in software engineering.
• Solid understanding of APIs, data flows, and failure modes.
• Experience with Elixir.
• Experience with AWS.
• Experience in public sector, transportation agency, and/or civic technology team.
• Experience with Terraform / OpenTofu / Infrastructure as Code tools.
• Experience in agile software development practices.
• Knowledge of transit data standards (such as GTFS, GTFS-RT, TODS, TIDES).

Job Conditions

• Ability to effectively read, comprehend, communicate, and respond to instructions, orders, signs, notices, inquiries, etc. in English.
• Be at least eighteen (18) years of age, except if participating in an approved high school internship / co-op program.
• Ability to commute to assigned work locations in the Boston, MA metro area, as required by the role.
• Ability to provide internal and external customers with courteous and professional experiences.
• Ability to work effectively, independently, and as part of a diverse workforce team.
• Ability to uphold the rights and interests of the MBTA while building and maintaining effective relationships with employees and co-workers.
• Ability to adhere to rules, regulations, collective bargaining agreements (if applicable), and policies of the MBTA, including the EEO, anti-discrimination, anti-harassment, and anti-retaliation policies.
• Have a satisfactory work record for the two (2) years immediately prior to the closing date of this posting (unless current student or recent graduate).
• Ability to pass a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check, comprehensive background screening, and/or medical Clinic screening, potentially including physical examination and drug and alcohol screenings.
• Ability to work all shifts and/or locations assigned, including (for some transit/operations roles) up to twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week as necessary.

Intern / co-op staff must be enrolled full or part-time in an accredited educational program and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 for the entire duration of the internship / co-op. Additionally, interns / co-ops must have valid work authorization and U.S. Social Security Number prior to starting pre-employment screenings / pre-boarding.

Benefits

Employees taking part in an internship or co-op at the MBTA are eligible to receive accrued paid sick leave as well as a monthly transportation pass, based on the city from which the intern / co-op commutes to work, at no cost.