Staff Software Engineer

We are seeking a Staff Software Engineer to join our team working with a client in the energy sector. Our client is a non-profit organization that plans for and coordinates the electrical grid across its region. It doesn't own any part of the grid. Our team builds the software that helps them make the best decisions they can about how that grid grows.

This is a complicated domain, and the software is more complicated still. You will crunch large volumes of planning data, build and secure APIs, and work through authentication and access across many systems. The people you build for are electrical engineers, not software engineers, so much of the job is translation. You'll need to understand what they're asking, go to them with your own questions, and turn the answers into working software.

You don't need to arrive knowing how transmission planning works. You do need to want to find out. The people who do well here watch the YouTube videos, ask the LLMs, read the documentation, and come back with better questions. If Ohm's Law makes you curious rather than nervous, that's a good sign.

From a technology side, the client is building APIs with Java and Spring Boot, with some existing code in Python and front ends in React and TypeScript. Java is the core of the work, but we care more about how you learn than what you already know. Use AI to write code where it helps, provided you can read it, validate it, and stand behind it. Method has a core value centered on learning, so if you wonder if you're qualified (or need to learn one of the tech stacks), please apply and we can decide together if this opportunity is a good fit for you.

At Method, we strive to work in a collaborative and supportive environment, and we look for people who can work flexibly and enjoy working as part of a team. In this role, you will be part of a small, dedicated team contributing to the day-to-day delivery of a key work stream, working alongside engineers in parallel workstreams to keep cross-team dependencies aligned. Strategic thinking and creative problem solving are key skills to have at Method, as well as the love of continuously learning and sharing knowledge.

Travel for team and client meetings may be required, typically up to 15%.
Key Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain APIs and back-end services in Java and Spring Boot that support the client's transmission planning work.
• Process, validate, and move large volumes of grid and planning data between systems, including batch job orchestration.
• Design and implement security, authentication, and access control across services.
• Own CI/CD pipelines, environments, and deployments, and keep systems observable through logging and metrics.
• Work directly with the client's electrical engineers to understand their problems, ask the questions that matter, and translate domain needs into technical requirements.
• Work problems through on your own first, then bring options and a recommendation to the team.
• Help the team prioritize when there is more to build than time to build it, and be clear about the trade-offs.
• Use AI-assisted development tools to raise delivery speed, and review and test what they produce before it ships.
• Mentor teammates and share what you learn about the domain so the whole team gets sharper.

Qualifications

You will succeed in this role if you have:

• 6+ years of experience building back-end systems and APIs, with Java and Spring Boot strongly preferred.
• A track record of learning new languages, codebases, and domains quickly and becoming productive in them.
• Curiosity about how complex systems work, shown in what you've chosen to learn on your own.
• Strong problem-solving skills. You figure things out yourself first, and you know when to ask.
• Strong communication skills, including explaining technical ideas to experts from other fields and drawing out what they need.
• Comfort reaching out to the client directly, without waiting for someone to do it for you.
• Broad technical range across APIs, data, security, and infrastructure, rather than depth in a single layer.
• Strong understanding of RESTful principles, with experience using OpenAPI standards, Swagger, and Postman to design, document, and test APIs.
• Experience with API security, authentication, and authorization (e.g., OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, role-based access control).
• Experience working with relational databases (e.g., SQL Server, Oracle) and data-heavy workloads.
• DevOps experience, including CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions), cloud platforms, logging, and metrics.
• Hands-on use of AI-assisted development tools, with the judgment to validate their output.
• Experience in agile development methodologies and tools for version control (i.e., Git, Bitbucket), continuous integration, and deployment.
• Experience leading pieces of work and mentoring other engineers.

Beneficial Qualities

• Experience in the energy or utility industry
• Familiarity with power systems or electrical grid concepts such as transmission planning, power flow, or generation interconnection
• Proficiency with Python
• Experience with React and TypeScript for building user interfaces that consume APIs
• Experience with containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes)
• Work well with others
• You love the journey as much as the destination

Why Method?

We look for individuals who are smart, kind and brave. Curious people with a natural ability to think on their feet, learn fast, and develop points-of-view for a constantly changing world find Method an exciting place to work. Our employees are excited to collaborate with dispersed and diverse teams that bring together the best in thinking and making. We champion the ability to listen, and believe that critique and dissonance lead to better outcomes. We believe everyone has the capacity to lead and look for proactive individuals who can take and give direction, lead by example, enjoy the making as much as they do the thinking, especially at senior and leadership levels.

We believe in work/life balance. Seriously. We offer a ton of competitive perks, including:

• Continuing education opportunities
• Flexible PTO and work-from-home policies
• 401K matching
• Health, Dental and Vision benefits, starting on day 1
• Company lunches, company outings, along with a lot of snacks
• Health and wellness programs
• Other location specific perks (just ask!)

Next Steps

If Method sounds like the place for you, please submit an application. Also, let us know if you have a presence online with a portfolio, GitHub, Dribbble or other platform.

Colorado Applicants (Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act Disclosure): The starting salary range for this role to be performed in Colorado is estimated to be between $145,000 to $175,000 annually. This salary range is specific to Colorado residents only, and provided as a general estimate. The amount offered may be higher or lower. Method takes many factors into making an offer, including candidate qualifications, work experience, operational needs, travel and onsite requirements, internal peer equity, prevailing wage, responsibilities, and other market and business considerations.

New York City Applicants (New York City Local Law 32; Pay Transparency Law): The starting salary range for this role to be performed in New York City is from $160,000 to $195,000 annually. This salary range is specific to New York City residents only, and provided as a general, good faith estimate. The amount offered may be higher or lower. Method takes many factors into making an offer, including candidate qualifications, work experience, operational needs, travel and onsite requirements, internal peer equity, prevailing wage, responsibilities, and other market and business considerations.