Washington Post

Senior Software Engineer

Washington Post$119K — $199K *
Information Technology
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • BA/BS in Computer Science or related field or equivalent experience.
  • 7+ years developing highly scalable back-end systems.
  • Proficiency in Java, NodeJS, and Python with 7+ years of experience in each.
  • 3+ years experience with Apache Airflow.
  • Experience with cloud providers like AWS and cloud infrastructure concepts.

Responsibilities

  • Lead development and maintenance of scalable back-end services for print and digital subscriber lifecycle.
  • Drive technical excellence through high-quality, reusable code and rigorous code reviews.
  • Contribute to technical design and architecture for complex systems across teams.
  • Manage and optimize cloud infrastructure for performance and reliability.
  • Collaborate with Product and cross-functional teams to define technical goals and solutions.
  • Support production application health and develop deployment automation.
  • Ensure software and infrastructure security and up-to-date status.

Benefits

  • Competitive medical, dental and vision coverage.
  • Company-paid pension and 401(k) match.
  • Three weeks of vacation and up to three weeks of paid sick leave.
  • 20 weeks paid parental leave for any new parent.
  • Robust mental health resources.
Full Job Description
Why This Role Matters

We are looking for a Senior Software Engineer to design, build, and maintain the core services and infrastructure that power the subscriber lifecycle, encompassing user registration, subscription purchase, subscription management, and retention for both print and digital subscribers. This individual will drive the development of scalable, reliable, and high-performance solutions, with a focus on back-end systems, to ensure a seamless experience for our subscribers while also helping to support the underlying infrastructure.

What Motivates You
  • Impact & Ownership: You are passionate about driving change and taking full accountability for delivering high-impact results with minimal oversight.
  • Technical Excellence: You are dedicated to engineering high-quality, flexible, and reusable code with a meticulous eye for detail and quality assurance.
  • Growth Mindset: You are eager to continuously learn, explore the full technological stack, and integrate emerging technologies like AI into your workflow.
  • Innovation: You excel at innovative problem-solving, proactively identifying and addressing business needs before they are even recognized.
  • Collaboration & Communication: You are a collaborative partner who can simplify complex technical concepts to effectively align with diverse stakeholders.
  • Mission Alignment: You believe in the freedom of the press and are proud to build solutions that facilitate the free flow of information.

How You'll Support the Mission
  • Lead the development, maintenance, and enhancement of highly scalable back-end services that power the full print and digital subscriber lifecycle (registration, purchase, management, and retention).
  • Drive technical excellence by writing high-quality, flexible, and reusable code, engaging in meticulous code review, and implementing best practices and design patterns.
  • Contribute to the technical design and architecture of complex, cross-team systems, using expertise to guide key technical decisions.
  • Manage and optimize the underlying cloud infrastructure for your services to ensure performance, reliability, and cost-efficiency.
  • Collaborate closely with Product and cross-functional teams to define technical goals, plan work, and deliver comprehensive, end-to-end solutions.
  • Support the operational health of production applications, including developing automation for deployment and participating in an on-call rotation.
  • Ensure all software and related infrastructure remain current, patched, and secure.

The Skills and Experience You Bring

Minimum Qualifications
  • BA/BS in Computer Science or a related technical field or equivalent practical experience.
  • 7+ years' experience developing and operating highly scalable, reliable, and performant back-end systems.
  • 7+ years' experience with languages such as Java and NodeJS.
  • 7+ years of experience with Python and Linux/Unix shell scripting.
  • 3+ years experience with Apache Airflow.
  • Experience with a major cloud provider (e.g., AWS) and a deep understanding of cloud infrastructure concepts.
  • Experience with DevOps best practices, including Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC), CI/CD, and automation.
  • Experience with observability tools for monitoring the health of production applications in an on-call rotation.
  • Experience with relational and non-relational databases.
  • Experience working in agile software development teams and collaborating with product managers and stakeholders.
  • Experience contributing to monetization or subscription retention features.
  • Experience with AI tools to support code development or other work.

Preferred Qualifications
  • 10+ years' experience developing highly scalable back-end systems.
  • 10+ years' experience with languages such as Java and NodeJS.
  • 10+ years of experience with Python and Linux/Unix shell scripting.
  • 5+ years experience with Apache Airflow.
  • Deep understanding of continuous integration systems and deployment pipelines.
  • Prior experience mentoring or providing technical guidance to other engineers.
  • Experience analyzing application and cloud environment performance.

Collaboration makes us stronger. That's why our offices are designed with open layouts, modern technology, and easy access to transportation. With certain exceptions for newsgathering and business travel, we work on-site five days a week.

Compensation and Benefits

Wherever you are in your life or career, The Washington Post offers comprehensive and inclusive benefits for every step of your journey:
  • Competitive medical, dental and vision coverage
  • Company-paid pension and 401(k) match
  • Three weeks of vacation and up to three weeks of paid sick leave
  • Nine paid holidays and two personal days
  • 20 weeks paid parental leave for any new parent
  • Robust mental health resources
  • Backup care and caregiver concierge services
  • Gender affirming services
  • Pet insurance
  • Free Post digital subscription
  • Leadership and career development programs


Benefits may vary based on the job, full-time or part-time schedule, location, and collectively bargained status.

The salary range for this position is:
$119,700 - $199,300 Annual

The actual salary within this range will depend on individual skills, experience, and qualifications as they relate to specific job requirements. This position may be eligible for a bonus or incentive program, and a member of the Talent Acquisition team will discuss bonus payment terms and conditions during the interview process.

About Washington Post

The Washington Post is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most-widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large international audience. Daily broadsheet editions are printed for D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. The newspaper has won the Pulitzer Prize 65 times for its work, the second-most of any publication. It is considered a newspaper of record in the U.S. Post journalists have also received 18 Nieman Fellowships and 368 White House News Photographers Association awards. The paper is well known for its political reporting and is one of the few remaining American newspapers to operate foreign bureaus. The Post was founded in 1877. In its early years, it went through several owners and struggled both financially and editorially. Financier Eugene Meyer purchased it out of bankruptcy in 1933 and revived its health and reputation, work continued by his successors Katharine and Phil Graham, who bought out several rival publications. The Post's 1971 printing of the Pentagon Papers helped spur opposition to the Vietnam War. Subsequently, in the best-known episode in the newspaper's history, reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein led the American press's investigation into what became known as the Watergate scandal, which resulted in the 1974 resignation of President Richard Nixon. The advent of the internet expanded the Post's national and international reach. In October 2013, the Graham family sold the newspaper to Nash Holdings, a holding company owned by Jeff Bezos, for $250 million.
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