SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER
(Information Technology Division)
$75,816 - $113,713 annually
Exempt
Employee Benefits
Must have the physical, developmental and mental ability to perform job tasks, work efforts, responsibilities and duties of the job illustrated below:
MAJOR FUNCTION: Building custom software and web applications that directly support public services and internal operations across Polk County. Will be addressing technical debt, rewriting legacy applications, and modernizing architecture from on-premises systems to cloud-based platforms.
This position will play a key role in the modernization of internal system design, architectural patterns, and technical standards. This position serves as a technical lead, providing guidance and direction on engineering best practices while working collaboratively within established governance and development frameworks.
ILLUSTRATIVE DUTIES:
• Contribute to system architecture and technical design decisions for new and existing
applications.
• Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain backend services and APIs using Go.
• Work with PostgreSQL to design and optimize schemas, queries, and migrations.
• Build and maintain containerized applications using Docker.
• Support CI/CD workflows using GitHub and related tooling.
• Deploy and operate applications in cloud environments such as Azure or DigitalOcean.
• Design, implement, and maintain automated tests to ensure software quality, reliability, and
long-term maintainability.
• Create and maintain clear technical documentation for systems, architectures, APIs, and
operational processes to support maintainability, knowledge transfer, and continuity.
• Collaborate with frontend engineers using TypeScript, React, and Svelte.
• Lead and participate in code reviews, knowledge sharing, and mentoring of other
engineers.
• Partner with product owners, stakeholders, and other teams to translate requirements into
technical solutions.
• Lead and contribute to Agile ceremonies such as sprint planning, daily stand-ups,
retrospectives,
and backlog refinement.
• Attend required training and maintain relevant certifications.
• Travel for educational events, conferences, or site visits as needed.
• Perform related duties as assigned.
KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES AND SKILLS:
• Knowledge of modern software engineering principles, including system design, API
development, secure coding practices, and application lifecycle management.
• Ability to lead technical design discussions and evaluate architectural tradeoffs.
• Ability to analyze complex technical problems and develop maintainable, scalable
solutions.
• Skill in providing technical guidance, conducting code reviews, and mentoring
engineers.
• Skill in collaborating with cross-functional teams, including product owners, stakeholders, and
technical peers.
• Knowledge of cloud-hosted application deployment and operations.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure automation, and containerized application
environments.
• Knowledge of frontend or full-stack technologies such as TypeScript, React, and/or
Svelte.
• Knowledge of web accessibility standards and best practices, including designing and developing
applications that are usable by individuals with disabilities.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
• Experience: 4+ years of professional experience as a software engineer or equivalent role
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in computer science or engineering from an accredited institution, or equivalent professional experience
• Certification: ISC2 CSSLP – Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional (preferred; must obtain within the first year if not already held)
• Required Technical Capabilities:
o Strong backend development experience, preferably with Go or similar statically typed languages.
o Experience designing and maintaining production systems and APIs.
o Demonstrated experience conducting code reviews and providing constructive, actionable feedback.
o Solid understanding of relational databases, especially PostgreSQL.
o Familiarity with containerization and deployment using Docker.
o Experience with version control and collaborative development using GitHub.
o Ability to work effectively in a hybrid, collaborative team environment.
• Must hold a valid driver’s license and be eligible to obtain a Florida driver’s license at the time of employment.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
All employees will be required to work before, during, or after an emergency. During an emergency, employees may temporarily be assigned to work and perform duties outside the normal scope of their position, location and work schedule to fit the needs of the County and its citizens.
Overview
As outlined in the Polk County Charter, the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) is the governing body of Polk County. Each commissioner is elected by a countywide vote.
Duties and Powers
The County Commission adopts an annual budget which includes appropriations for services provided by county government including the Sheriff, Property Appraiser, Tax Collector and Supervisor of Elections. This budget also includes appropriations in support of the Circuit and County Courts, State Attorney, Public Defender and Clerk of the Court. Some other responsibilities:
* levying taxes and fees,
* provide and maintain county buildings,
* provide fire protection and ambulance services,
* provide health and welfare programs,
* provide parks, preserves, playgrounds, libraries, museums, historical sites, recreation and cultural facilities and programs,
* prepare and enforce comprehensive plans for the development in the county,
* establish, coordinate, and enforce zoning and such business regulations as are necessary for the protection of the public,
* adopt and enforce building, housing and related technical codes and regulations,
* establish and administer programs of housing, slum clearance, community redevelopment, conservation, flood control, air pollution control,
* provide and regulate waste and sewage collection and disposal, water supply and conservation programs,
* provide and operate public transportation systems, roads, bridges and related facilities.
