Software Developer

ABOUT US

Do you have a passion for higher education? Do you want to make a positive impact on the college admissions process? Our staff help to remove barriers and encourage students to forge their path to a better future. Common App is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to the pursuit of access, equity, and integrity in the college admission process. Each year we support more than 1 million students, one-third of whom are first-generation, as they apply to our more than 1100 diverse member colleges & universities using the Common App’s free online application.

If you are an experienced Software Engineer professional and want to be part of a mission-driven non-profit that uses innovative technology to advance the college admission process, Common App may be a great match for you. Common App is currently searching for a Software Developer.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Our Software Developer position reports to our Senior Director of Technology Strategy and is part of a team of developers designing and developing both web-based and mobile software products for Common App. Our Developers work in a team environment to assist in software architecture design and to implement high quality software products that meet the needs of the Common App community. This position plans, develops, modifies and tests software components using .NET technologies within an Amazon Web Service and Agile development environment to create new products and enhance existing software systems. The developer also utilizes various tools (such as GitHub Copilot and Claude Code) to deliver .NET and Angular solutions at an accelerated velocity.

QUALIFICATIONS

This role requires:

• Candidates must live in the United States.
• Willing to travel to attend twice annual Common App Retreat.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science.
• 4-6 years of experience in software development/technical support jobs.
• Comfortable with use of AI-assisted coding tools (e.g., Claude Code, Github Copilot or similar).
• Familiarity with Agentic Frameworks (e.g., MCP/Model Context Protocol, tool-calling schemas) and context window optimization.
• Ability to design complex “System Prompts” and RAG-style workflows to ground AI outputs in specific business logic and cloud architecture.
• Intermediate ability to “audit” AI code, identifying technical debt, security issues, or architectural patterns.
• Ability to use tools like Claude Design, Figma Make or similar to move from discovery to functional prototype quickly and ensure UI components align with design standards.
• Proficient in Python or TypeScript for building AI utilities and automation scripts.
• Proficient in .Net core 2+, HTML5, CSS3, and  C#.
• Proficient in Angular 2+ frontend framework, Visual Studio Code IDE.
• Proficient with SQL queries and stored procedures.
• Familiar with Amazon Web Services: DynamoDB, Redis, RDS, Lambda.
• Proficient in version control like GitHub.
• Able to evaluate and make recommendations based on simple Proof of Concepts.
• Understanding of OWASP Top 10 security vulnerabilities and secure coding practices.
• Effective communication skills (verbal and written) and team collaboration skills.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• AWS Certified Developer.
• Previous experience in a job dealing with Amazon Web Services.
• Experience with AWS .Net SDK.
• Experience with managing state in Angular 2+ Applications or NGRX.
• Experience with Entity Framework or other ORM.
• Familiar with web analytics tools such as Google Analytics.
• Familiar with continuous integration (CI) tools like Jenkins.
• Experience building and deploying a production-grade AI agent or tool-calling integration.
• A passion for higher education is a plus.

PAY RANGE

Target hiring salary range $95,000 - $100,000

Common App is a virtual first environment. We value our employees’ time and efforts. Our commitment to your success is enhanced by our competitive salary and an extensive benefits package including:

• Work-Life balance

  • Virtual-first office
  • Paid Time Off (PTO)
  • Seven company-wide holidays
  • Nine floating holidays*
  • Sick leave
  • Monthly mental health day

*floating holidays prorated depending on start date

• Virtual-first support

  • Choice of PC of MAC laptop
  • May choose an external monitor, keyboard, mouse, and/or headset
  • One-time office set-up stipend
  • Monthly remote work stipend
  • Monthly mobile stipend

• Financial security

  • Market-based salaries

  • Performance-based bonus

  • 403(b) retirement plan

    • 5% company contribution
    • additional 5% company match
    • 3-year vesting schedule
    • Participation may begin immediately

• Health & wellness

  • Choice of two health insurance plans

    • Health Savings Account, depending on health plan selection
    • Medical Flexible Savings Account, depending on health plan selection

  • Vision insurance

  • Dental insurance

  • Insurance coverage begins on the date of hire

  • Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account

  • Maven virtual clinic for women’s and family health

  • Company provided life and ad&d insurance

  • Opportunity to purchase additional life insurance for self, spouse, and dependents

  • Company provided short and long-term disability insurance

• Career development

  • Budgeted annual funds for professional development
  • Growth opportunities within the company

• Additional perks

  • Mutual of Omaha Employee Assistance Program
  • Mutual of Omaha will preparation services
  • Mutual of Omaha travel assistance
  • Payroll dedication pet insurance through PinPaws
  • 1Password family account

We work to maintain the best possible environment for our staff, where people can learn and grow. We strive to provide a diverse, collaborative, team-oriented, creative environment where each person feels encouraged to contribute to our processes, decisions, planning, and culture.

HOW DO I APPLY

To apply for this opportunity, send your resume and cover letter with salary expectations.

PROTECTING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION:

During the recruiting process, please note that Common App will never:

• Provide a job offer without an interview
• Ask for payment to process documents, purchase equipment or for any other reason
• Request banking or credit card information
• Direct you to third-party services to obtain visas or other documentation

As we work alongside you through our recruitment process, please remain alert and never provide financial information or payment to anyone claiming to offer a job opportunity.

If you believe you’re a victim of a job scam, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or your state attorney general. To learn more about job scams, read the FBI’s public service announcement or visit the FTC site.