Senior Software Engineer I

WHO WE ARE

ActBlue is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating cutting-edge technology that fuels Democratic victories and enables progressive causes to thrive. 

Our vision is simple: building change through the power of people. Since our founding, we’ve been building innovative solutions to revolutionize grassroots fundraising – if you’ve donated to a Democratic campaign or a progressive organization online, you’ve probably used our platform! We believe in putting power in the hands of small-dollar donors by helping thousands of groups — from local candidates to national movements — mobilize their communities and create a lasting impact. Every member of our team is deeply committed to advancing our shared mission and core values. Together, we are shaping the future of democracy. 

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are looking for a Senior Software Engineer I to join our Extensibility and Integrations team. In this pivotal role, you'll delve into the dynamic world of digital fundraising, enabling fundraising administrators to seamlessly integrate and manage contribution data within their diverse toolsets. You'll be instrumental in developing an intuitive, self-managed suite of tools, advancing our reporting and integration capabilities, and crafting a seamless experience for fundraising administrators across our platform. 

Collaborating closely with product, design, and cross-functional teams, you'll be at the forefront of developing and fine-tuning ActBlue’s integrative solutions. You’ll identify and execute key improvements that not only boost product performance but solidify the security, reliability, scalability, and maintainability of our systems. 

Your innovative approach to developing extensible solutions will enhance ActBlue's data and reporting tools, propelling our technology to meet the immediate needs of our users while paving the way for future advancements. 

As a member of our team, you will play a critical part in reinforcing the technological infrastructure that powers progressive movements, ensuring our tools are not just effective for today's challenges but are also geared for tomorrow's opportunities.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Lead and uphold database modernization efforts, optimizing large-scale systems for efficiency and reliability while safeguarding sensitive donor information through advanced data management and retention strategies.
• Champion the design and implementation of scalable data solutions and robust APIs, ensuring seamless data integration, high availability, and alignment with business goals for peak performance during critical fundraising moments.
• Proactively tackle database performance, refining schemas and enhancing data retrieval processes while creating strategic integrations for vendor APIs for improved system interconnectivity.
• Advocate for comprehensive monitoring systems and software quality standards, implementing best practices that anticipate and accommodate future scalability and maintenance needs.
• Embrace a forward-looking approach to technology, drive innovation and adaptability in our product suite, and mentor members of the team to foster an environment of continuous learning and improvement.
• Prioritize impactful technical solutions with a focus on user-friendly data access and exchange. Lead by example in writing maintainable code, documenting effectively, and providing technical mentorship.
• Grasp the nuances of managing historical data, including archiving and retention policies, with an acute awareness of the sensitivity surrounding donor/contribution information in a fundraising organization.
• Recognize the importance of addressing tech debt head-on. Your proactive approach will ensure our systems remain agile and adaptable, setting us up for future success.
• Demonstrate technical leadership by writing documentation, establishing effective monitoring, and fostering clear and audience-oriented communication. Coach and mentor other engineers on your team and create spaces for individuals to be engaged, valued, and heard while partnering with engineering managers to find sponsorship and growth opportunities for your colleagues.

WHAT YOU BRING

• The ability to leverage your technical expertise not just to tackle the hardest problem in sight but to empower, teach, and build systems of support that allow others to succeed.
• Experience recommending system-level improvements related to security, scalability, and reliability – and comfort acting as a go-to consultant on these matters for other engineers on the team.
• Experience in Ruby on Rails as well as significant experience developing and maintaining large monolithic server-side web applications.
• Fluency moving between and across technical systems and stacks – or at least a willingness to try. Our team focuses primarily on the back end, but a candidate for this role would ideally have experience with and an understanding of the entire technological ecosystem.
• Excitement for your own and your teammates’ learning and growth.
• An expert-level understanding of performance, scalability, and security concerns, especially as they relate to front-end code.
• A track record of effective collaboration with other engineers to develop abstractions and patterns that make it easy to build reliable software.
• Experience working closely with product and design teams to iterate on and refine product requirements, and the ability to take a long-term view when it comes to inevitable tradeoffs.
• Eagerness to explore and refactor legacy code – we’ve been doing this for a while now and could use an engineer who brings an empathetic but forward-thinking approach to working in an older codebase.
• An understanding of and a desire to co-create systems that build psychological safety on the team: sharing learning with others, using peer review as an opportunity to celebrate and build others up, and a willingness to practice the duality of listening and leadership.

WORK & BENEFITS SNAPSHOT

This posting is for a full-time, remote, salaried position. Travel may be required on a limited basis to attend all-staff and departmental retreats (1-2 times per year). Additional travel may be required for select positions. 

Registered States*: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Washington D.C.

*While ActBlue is currently registered to support remote work in the states listed above, we possess the ability to register in additional states as needed. If you are located in a state not listed, we may still be able to proceed with your application, but please note that the offer process may take longer to accommodate registration requirements.

Work Schedule: 

This role requires availability during established, regular business hours (Mon-Fri).

Work Environment: 

Employees can expect to work with distributed teams across all U.S. time zones. Our roles require extended technology usage, and proficiency with virtual communication tools such as Zoom and Slack. Regular attendance in virtual meetings is inherent to every position.

Salary Range Details:

Salary Range: $157,791 - $170,499 - $183,207

ActBlue is committed to consistent compensation practices across our organization. Final salary offers will take into account factors such as candidate experience, interview performance and current team salary parity. 

Benefits: 

• Flexible work schedules and an unlimited time-off policy
• Fully paid and trans-inclusive health, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families; plus fully-paid health reimbursement arrangement to use for out of pocket expenses and fully-paid short- and long-term disability 
• Fully paid basic and AD&D life insurance and a voluntary supplemental life insurance option
• Dependent and health care flexible spending account options
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) benefits for employees 
• Automatic 2% Employer-paid 401K contribution, plus up to an additional 6% match on employee contributions
• A minimum of three months paid medical, family and parental leave (for all new parents, adoptions included)
• Commuter or home-office benefits, including a $1,000 home-office setup allowance for all new full-time remote employees
• Additional perks including quarterly snack deliveries and digital subscriptions to the Boston Globe & New York Times

ActBlue is unable to sponsor work visas at this time.

UNION INFORMATION

Certain employees who report to this position may be covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

Supervisory Responsibilities: 

This position is expected to supervise, coach, and mentor direct reports.

BACKGROUND CHECKS

As part of our hiring process, ActBlue will conduct a background check at the time of offer. This will be completed in compliance with applicable laws and will not be initiated without your consent.

INCLUSION STATEMENT FROM ACTBLUE

ActBlue is committed to equal employment opportunities and fostering a diverse, inclusive workplace. We celebrate unique perspectives, honor the dignity of all individuals, and recognize that diverse backgrounds and identities strengthen our mission.

If you’re passionate about our work and see yourself in this role, we encourage you to apply—even if you don’t meet every requirement.

We also provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities throughout the hiring process and employment. To request an accommodation, email [email protected].