Backend Software Engineer

Consistently named one of the top D.C. start-ups to watch since 2016, Quorum builds software that helps public affairs professionals work smarter and move faster. Our philosophy is people-first, whether we're supporting team members in their careers or prioritizing our clients with a best-in-class customer success program. Quorum's clients use our tools to bring a modern approach to advocacy work in Congress, all 50 state legislatures, major U.S. cities, the European Union, and more than a dozen countries.

The Backend Software Engineering team develops high quality datasets, operates data pipelines, develops data models, and builds services and APIs to support server-side application logic, monitor for and improve performance and integrate with the front-end. The engineer will collaborate with the rest of the engineering and product teams to design and launch new product features.

As a Backend Software Engineer, you will report to an Engineering Manager and work on backend systems using tools/technologies like Python, Django, PostgreSQL, AWS, and much more. 

What You'll Do

• First Week: You'll ship new code to production
• First Month: You'll write code at different components of the system
• First Six Months: You'll take ownership of an entire set of features and make decisions that impact many clients
• First Year: You'll help guide our team as we make broad technical decisions impacting our stack, our products, and the growth of the entire company

About You

• You have at least 2 years of work experience at a company that produces software for end users as its primary function
• You care deeply about the code you write and either have significant technical skills solving real-world problems or the drive to quickly develop them
• You're a highly-motivated self-starter who wants to make valuable contributions to a team from day 1
• You're an engaged learner—you want to expand your skills, get your hands dirty, and find solutions to challenging problems that require tradeoffs
• You want to work in a fun environment where you can form real friendships with other professionals and where you have a strong sense of belonging at a growing startup
• You're excited to pitch in where ever needed, from helping in recruiting to supporting customers
• You are looking to join a dynamic team immediately 
• You have professional experience writing application code in backend languages like Python, Go, Node.js, etc.
• You have professional experience with any relational databases, including writing SQL queries, table and index design and system tuning for performance
• You are able and motivated to design complex technical systems, write technical design documentation, and implement design
• You not only the care about the quality of code you write but also has a strong desire to build skills of those around through code review and mentorship

About the Software Development Team

• We’re a fast-growing team that is dedicated to improving our people, processes, and platform. The 35-person team is composed of a DevOps team, the backend software engineering team, two full-stack software engineering teams, the Product Management team, the Product Design team, and an Information Security team.
• We support many different products but internally think of them as one system with a single unified codebase. Our goal is to build centralized systems that handle complex problems for multiple features and products.
• We’re focused on doing the important things the right way -- we write solid documentation, test our code well, design for scale, and follow defined software development processes.
• We follow best-in-class security practices to safeguard our data and application against bad actors. We regularly test and update processes and technology to fight complacency, because we know good security is a continuous effort.
• We curate high-quality datasets that are essential for effective mapping and tracking of the government and public affairs spaces. Our datasets underpin our promise to give users the information necessary to make smart decisions that influence policy.
• We set rigorous quality standards and monitor them with a mix of programmatic and manual verifications to ensure users maintain a high degree of trust in our systems.
• We’re very close as a team and invest not only in each others’ skills and careers but also in building real relationships with one another: product development is a team sport and we believe that it’s better (and more fun) to work on a team of people that you know well and care about.

Our Work Environment

• We usually work in a vibrant, sunlit space in our modern, open concept office. During the COVID-19 health crisis, most of our team members are working from home in locations around the world. Team members will have the option to work from home until at least September 2021. Starting in September 2021, our team members will likely come into the office 1-2 days per week.
• Our office building is located in the heart of downtown DC, easily accessible by metro, bus, and rideshares. It is also in close proximity to great restaurants, food trucks, shopping, and popular happy hour spots
• Our team loves to spend time doing fun things outside of the office, which we call Quorum Fun events. Past Quorum Fun events have included apple picking, yoga, and wine tasting

If you'd like to learn what it's like to have a real impact at a fast-growing company that is changing the way the advocacy process works, drop us a line. We'd love to talk to you!

Compensation Structure for SWE-II

• Base Salary: $107,000.00–$127,000.00 (commensurate with experience) + Signing Bonus
• Benefits: 401(k) match, trans-inclusive health benefits, 12-weeks paid maternity/paternity/adoption/fostering leave, unlimited PTO, and more.

Quorum Is Working to Advance Pay Equity: What Does That Mean For You?

In an effort to continue to build a diverse and inclusive work environment that advances pay equity, Quorum has implemented a “No Negotiation” policy for base salary for new hires for roles that are currently staffed by three or more team members. This means that candidates for the Software Engineer role cannot negotiate Quorum’s base salary offer.

Here’s our promise to you:

• We will not ask you what you are currently earning.
• We will consider years of relevant experience, relevant professional certifications/education, and performance expectations in setting what we believe is a competitive, fair base salary offer.
• We will be transparent about our compensation structure (see above) so that all candidates have equal access to compensation information and can make an informed decision about whether or not Quorum is the right workplace for them.

If you are interested in learning more about how negotiation impacts pay equity and/or why other start-ups have decided to implement a “No Negotiation” policy of some type, here are a few resources: Project Include, AAUW, Ministry for Women, Magoosh.

To be fast-tracked, mention Rise in your application.

Note: Quorum does not endorse or verify any of the information provided in the resources on the impact of negotiation on pay equity. We provide these resources simply to increase awareness of a topic we believe is important for both employers and candidates to consider.