Staff Software Engineer (New Products)

Earnest’s mission is to make higher education accessible and affordable for everyone. We empower past, present, and soon-to-be students to maximize their financial futures through thoughtful guidance and impactful products.

We build tools that help people feel in control of their financial future, including:

• Private student loans - low rates, people-first service, and flexible payments.
• Student loan refinancing - break free from high interest rates or monthly payments.
• Scholarships - access to thousands of scholarships to help students pay less. 

Are you ready to be part of a team that plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of our organization? Welcome to the New Products Team! We're not just any team; we're at the core of innovation, experimentation, and entrepreneurial mindset. Think of the New Products team as an internal incubator; we craft products for the future. 

As Staff Software Engineer, New Products, you will:

• Architectural Excellence: Design and build systems that can quickly go from prototype to fully fleshed-out products. 
• Rapid Prototyping and Delivery: Move quickly, embracing agile methodologies to deliver minimum viable products (MVPs) and proof-of-concepts (PoCs) in short iterations, allowing us to rapidly validate ideas and pivot as needed.
• Innovation Hub: We're not just keeping the lights on; we're constantly innovating. From exploring cutting-edge technologies to improving development workflows, innovation is in our DNA.

Your Impact:

• Technical Leadership: You'll lead and influence technical decisions that impact the entire organization. 
• Collaboration: You'll work closely with cross-functional teams, from product development to data engineering. 
• Mentorship: As a senior member of the team, you'll have the chance to mentor and guide junior engineers.
• Impact: Your contributions will directly impact the scalability, security, and reliability of our products and services.
• Fast-Paced Environment: You'll work in a dynamic and rapidly evolving environment, where you'll have the opportunity to take on diverse projects, constantly learning and expanding your skillset. We value agility and the ability to pivot quickly to meet changing requirements.

About You: 

• 7+ years of professional development experience
• Professional experience in React Native and building mobile apps required
• Experience with server-side concepts, e.g. microservices, database, caching, performance, monitoring and scalability
• Extensive experience with modern Node.js preferred
• Professional experience in React/Redux desirable
• Relevant data modeling experience and integration with databases such as PostgresSQL
• Strong understanding of distributed architecture patterns and microservice best practices
• Knowledge of optimization techniques like caching, compression, performance tuning
• Understanding of security best practices like encryption, access control, vulnerability management
• Experience designing, building and maintaining cloud-based applications (e.g. AWS, GCP, Azure)
• Willing to travel to the Oakland office monthly to collaborate with other Earnies

Even Better:

• Experience working in Fintech, Banking, or related Consumer Financial Services companies is a plus

Where:

• This role will be based in San Francisco, CA.
• While you’ll enjoy the flexibility of remote work, we also love to see our Earnies face-to-face! We ask you to join us at our Oakland office 3 times a month for team collaboration and some fun. It's a chance to connect, share ideas, and maybe even some coffee together!

About Us:

What makes an “Earnie” culture: 

• Drivers – Drivers are satisfied by making things happen, not coming along for the ride. They feel a strong sense of ownership for their projects and teams and demand high standards from themselves and others.
• Humility – Humble team players check their egos and consider the team’s needs above their own. They are self-aware of their strengths and opportunities for improvement.
• Growth Mindset – People with a growth mindset approach challenges and failures as learning opportunities. They seek feedback to improve, give feedback to others, and genuinely want to perform well. 

Earnies are committed to helping students live their best lives, free from the stress of student debt. If you’re as passionate as we are about our mission, read more below, and let’s build something great together! 

Earnest believes in enabling our employees to live their best lives. We offer a variety of perks and competitive benefits, including: 

• Health, Dental, & Vision benefits plus savings plans
• Mac computers + work from home stipend to set up your home office
• Monthly internet and phone reimbursement
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• RSUs
• 401(k) plan to help you save for retirement plus a company match
• Robust tuition reimbursement program
• $1,000 travel perk on each Earnie-versary to anywhere in the world 
• Competitive days of annual PTO
• Annual “my day” 
• Pet insurance!
• Competitive parental leave
• Plenty of Earnest swag, optional in person team gatherings, picnics, celebrations, and plenty of fun virtual events 

At Earnest, we are committed to building an environment where our employees feel included, valued, and heard. Our belief is that a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging enables us to move forward with our mission. We are dedicated to adding new perspectives to the team and encourage anyone to apply if your experience is close to what we are looking for.  

Earnest provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status disability or genetics. Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for the position in a manner consistent with the Fair Chance Ordinance.

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