Software Engineer
Western Governors University
- Location
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Work model
- On-Site
- Level
- Mid
- Salary
- $98.3k – $147.4k/yr
- Posted
- Sep 1, 2026
Skills
About this role
If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career. Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families. The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is: Grade: Technical 406 Pay Range: $98,300.00 - $147,400.00 Job Description At Western Governors University (WGU), technology plays a critical role in advancing our mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable education. Our engineering teams build the platforms, services, and tools that support millions of student interactions and empower employees across the university. We are looking for a Software Engineer who is eager to launch and grow their software engineering career while contributing to a meaningful platform that improve the student experience.
About the Role
We’re looking for a motivated Backend Software Engineer to help build scalable backend services and APIs that power modern web and mobile applications. This role is ideal for someone eager to grow technical skills while working alongside experienced engineers on real-world software solutions. You’ll focus primarily on backend development using Java and Python while collaborating with frontend and mobile teams working in Angular and Flutter. You’ll gain hands-on experience with APIs, cloud technologies, databases, and modern software development practices. What You’ll Do Develop and maintain backend services and APIs using Java and Python Assist with building RESTful APIs and backend integrations Collaborate with frontend and mobile teams to support application features Write clean, maintainable, and testable code Troubleshoot bugs and assist with application performance improvements Participate in code reviews and team engineering discussions Support CI/CD pipelines and deployment activities Learn cloud-native development and backend best practices Participate in Agile development processes Required Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field, or equivalent practical experience 3 years experience in a business environment Experience with Java or Python Basic understanding of backend development concepts and REST APIs Familiarity with databases such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, or MongoDB Understanding of Git and version control workflows Basic knowledge of cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP Strong problem-solving and communication skills Desire to learn modern backend technologies and development practices Preferred Qualifications Internship or personal project experience with backend development Familiarity with Spring Boot, FastAPI, Flask, or Django Exposure to Docker or CI/CD concepts Working knowledge of Angular or frontend integration patterns Experience working on collaborative software projects Tech Stack Backend: Java, Python, Spring Boot,