Founding Full-Stack Software Engineer

Job Title: Founding Full-Stack Software Engineer, MyFriendBen

Location: Denver, Colorado - Hybrid (In-Person 2 days/week for flexible core collaborations hours)

Organization: MyFriendBen (Independent 501c3 in formation)

Type: Contract-to-Full-Time (via Impact Charitable, fiscal sponsor)

The Role:

At MyFriendBen, we're looking for a passionate Founding Full-Stack Software Engineer to become a core member of our product team. This is a mid-to-senior level founding role for someone excited to work across the stack, lead by doing, and thrive in ambiguity. You’ll shape and build our open-source platform (Python Django/React TypeScript) used by tens of thousands of households, embracing modern tech stacks and experimenting with AI-driven tools to scale our social impact nationally.

Aligned with MyFriendBen Values: 

• Grounded. We design, build and improve in direct partnership with community members and end users and in response to community demand.

• Audacious. We take risks, think big, and move quickly. 

• Impatient. We are driven by the urgent needs of our community and are committed to delivering value in the near-term.

Key Responsibilities:

• Build & Scale: Develop and enhance both backend systems and frontend components of our benefits screening platform.

• Innovation & Learning: Experiment with modern development methods and AI/agentic coding tools, learning from user feedback to continuously improve our platform.

• Quality & Reliability: Champion robust testing, perform thorough code reviews, and maintain high standards for scalability and reliability.

• Social Impact Delivery: Work closely with community stakeholders, ensuring our tech meets real user needs and maximizes positive impact.

• Open Source Collaboration: Engage actively with the civic tech and nonprofit open-source community, contributing reusable components and best practices.

Qualifications:

We value potential as much as credentials. Even if you don’t meet every qualification listed, we encourage you to apply — your experience and passion for impact may make you our top candidate.

• 3+ years of experience in a software engineering role

• Proficiency with modern frontend technologies (React, TypeScript, Vue, etc.) and backend languages (Python, Node.js, Ruby, etc.).

• Experience developing robust APIs, managing databases, and developing modern UI/UX.

• Demonstrated ability to ship features quickly in agile startup or small-team environments.

• Openness to experimenting with and accelerating impact through AI/LLM-driven coding tools.

• Strong alignment with MyFriendBen’s social impact mission.

Why Join Us:

• Direct Impact: Your code helps families nationwide secure critical financial support.

• Ownership & Growth: Early-stage founding role with ample opportunities to shape the platform and grow professionally.

• Flexible & Equitable Culture: Hybrid, remote-friendly team with an emphasis on collaboration, trust, and caregiving flexibility.

• Balanced Role: Blend hands-on coding with high-level strategic influence.

• Future Growth: Help shape our evolving business model and technology roadmap.

• Competitive Compensation: Robust pay with equitable and performance-driven benchmarks and career growth philosophy.

• Upside Potential: A chance to share in the organization’s success as we seek to evolve beyond a traditional nonprofit model via profit-sharing, equity, and/or other rewards.

Compensation:

• Initially a contract position (1099) through our fiscal sponsor, Impact Charitable, at $60-100/hour depending on experience.

• Conversion to full-time employment with competitive salary and benefits after the organization becomes established independently.

• Additional benefits such as desk space, parking, snacks, and access to conference rooms at Gary Community Ventures office near Union Station in downtown Denver.

Hybrid Work Culture:

MyFriendBen operates with a hybrid work model, emphasizing regular, meaningful in-person collaboration while supporting flexible, caregiving-friendly, remote-first practices:

• Denver Metro Requirement: Must reside locally; remote-only applicants will not be considered.

• In-Person Cadence: 2 core days per week at our Denver Union Station office.

• Core Collaboration Hours: 5-hour focused blocks each in-person day for clustered meetings, teamwork, and shared meals 10 am to 3 pm.

• Flexibility First: Supportive of caregiving responsibilities and diverse working styles; flexible remote hours encouraged outside and throughout in-person days.

• Purposeful Interaction: We prioritize consistent face-to-face teamwork to accelerate innovation—this is not a remote team with occasional team meetups.

Application and Selection Process:

Interested candidates should apply by submitting their resume through the Ashby applicant tracking system. The position will remain open until filled.

We respect candidate time with a clear, efficient selection process:

1. Initial Screen (30-minute video call):
   Conversation to discuss your experience, alignment with MyFriendBen's mission, and mutual expectations.

2. Second-Round Technical Interview (60-minute video call):
   Deeper dive into your technical skills, experiences, and your approach to solving engineering challenges.

3. Final Round (In-Person, ~2 hours, Denver):

   • Technical presentation and discussion (topic provided in advance with minimal preparation needed, covering technical skills and problem-solving), evaluated by engineers here.

   • Team conversations focused on culture fit, collaboration style, and vision alignment.

 About MyFriendBen:

MyFriendBen is a rapidly growing technology nonprofit dedicated to transforming how Americans access public benefits and tax credits. Backed by prestigious national funders, we're spinning out from Gary Community Ventures to become a standalone 501(c)(3) organization. Our innovative open-source platform has already helped tens of thousands of families unlock critical financial resources.

Now, we’re looking for a Founding Full-Stack Software Engineer excited to help us scale our platform nationally—while positively impacting countless lives. Join us to build transformative technology

Learn more about MyFriendBen at myfriendben.org.

Note: This position is initially contracted through Impact Charitable, our fiscal sponsor.