{"id":1259886,"url":"https://alion.io/job/esper-staff-software-engineer","title":"Staff Software Engineer","company":{"id":1823256,"name":"Esper","domain":"esper.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/esper-com","size_band":"11-50","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Lever","truth_index":null},"role":"Backend","role_family":"Backend","seniority":"staff","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Austin, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":154000,"max_usd":289000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":970},"experience_years_min":8,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[{"name":"AWS","optional":false},{"name":"Docker","optional":false},{"name":"Java","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"Rust","optional":false},{"name":"Terraform","optional":false},{"name":"AI Agents","optional":true},{"name":"AWS Bedrock","optional":true},{"name":"AWS Bedrock AgentCore","optional":true},{"name":"AWS Step Functions","optional":true},{"name":"AWS Strands Agents","optional":true},{"name":"FedRAMP","optional":true},{"name":"GitOps","optional":true},{"name":"ISO 27001","optional":true},{"name":"Knowledge Graph","optional":true},{"name":"Kubernetes","optional":true},{"name":"LangChain","optional":true},{"name":"LangGraph","optional":true},{"name":"LLM","optional":true},{"name":"OpenAI Agents SDK","optional":true},{"name":"Pydantic AI","optional":true},{"name":"SOC 2","optional":true},{"name":"Vercel AI SDK","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-10T16:13:47Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-10","last_verified_at":"2026-09-26T12:23:51Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":16,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":16},"description":"At Esper, we’re on a mission to empower dynamic and responsive policymaking in government. We’re building the platform that connects existing data, stakeholders, and public policy goals into a single dynamic system, transforming bureaucracy into infrastructure that encourages innovation and collaboration.\nAs a fast-growing GovTech company, Esper is at the intersection of two powerful forces: the modernization of government operations and the transformative potential of data-driven decision-making. Our customer base is expanding rapidly, and we’re building the team that will define how public policy is shaped for decades to come.\nWhat You'll Do\nEsper is looking for an experienced Staff Software Engineer to join our team and take technical ownership of significant areas of our platform. This is a senior individual contributor role without direct reports. Because Esper's customers include state, local, and federal government agencies, the reliability, security, and compliance posture of our platform is central to the business.\nAs a senior member of the engineering team, you'll make a direct impact through:\nDesigning, building, and operating core services and product features end to end, from data model through API to the systems that run them in production\nSetting technical direction and roadmap for your areas in partnership with engineering leadership\nParticipating fully in product development, working with product and design from an ambiguous problem statement through to a shipped feature\nModeling the domain our customers work in - the entities, relationships, roles, and processes that make up a government agency and its work - and evolving that model as the product grows\nProviding technical mentorship and design review to other engineers\nSkills and Experience\n8+ years of software engineering experience\nStrong programming skills in a language such as Java, Python, Go, or Rust, and willingness to work primarily in Java\nExperience owning services in production, including their data stores, deployment, and observability\nExperience with distributed systems and asynchronous or long-running workflows\nExperience with domain and data modeling, and the judgment to know when a model needs to change\nExperience building production software on AWS or a comparable cloud provider\nFamiliarity with Docker and infrastructure as code such as Terraform\nGenuine interest in the product, not just the systems underneath it\nStrong communication skills - you will be working closely with all of engineering, as well as with product, design, auditors, and customer security teams\nAbility to write clear, detailed technical documentation\nBonus Points\nExperience shipping LLM-backed or agentic features to production users\nHands-on experience with agent frameworks such as Strands Agents, the Vercel AI SDK, LangChain4j, Spring AI, LangGraph, Pydantic AI, or the OpenAI Agents SDK\nExperience with workflow orchestration platforms such as Temporal, Cadence, or Step Functions\nExperience with Amazon Bedrock or AgentCore, or with deploying agents into a managed runtime\nExperience building evaluation, tracing, or quality monitoring tooling for LLM systems\nExperience with ontology modeling or knowledge graphs\nExperience with Kubernetes, GitOps pipelines, and cloud architecture best practices\nExperience implementing technical controls for SOC 2, ISO 27001, or a comparable framework, including direct participation in audits\nExperience taking a product through a FedRAMP or StateRAMP authorization\nExperience at a govtech or other compliance-driven organization\nPerks and Benefits\nBeing a part of an innovative and collaborative team that will both support and challenge you\nSignificant opportunity for growth and ownership\nAbility to shape Esper for the long-term\nPaid holidays & unlimited PTO\nMedical, dental, and vision insurance\nGenerous parental & sick leave\n401(k) retirement plan with employer match\nShort/Long term disability & life insurance\nFlexible spending account (FSA)\nWork anniversary equity grants\nQuarterly bonuses\nMonthly stipend to offset remote work expenses\nOffice equipment allowance\nPaid Time Off to participate in volunteer/community events","description_format":"text","description_chars":4179,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":8,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity","Life insurance","Quarterly bonuses","Retirement plans","Unlimited PTO","Vision insurance"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Artificial Intelligence","Government","E-learning"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-25T20:06:39Z"}],"liveness":{"score":41,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.45,"p_room":0.9,"age_days":15,"expected_fill_days":31,"reasons":["conf:9","win:mid"],"computed_at":"2026-09-26T05:45:00Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/esper-staff-software-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/esper-staff-software-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-09-26T19:18:42Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","usage":{"tier":"assistant","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":1597,"day_limit":2000,"remaining_today":403,"minute_limit":60,"resets_at":"2026-09-27T00:00:00Z"}}}