Software Engineer

About Paper

Paper is reimagining how schools support students so that every learner can reach their full potential. Our vision is a world where every student receives timely, personalized, and relevant academic support. We offer a suite of scalable solutions including 24/7 tutoring, writing feedback, math practice, college and career support, and AI-powered instructional tools that provide personalized support to all students, including multilingual learners. Our GROW high-impact tutoring program accelerates learning through targeted small-group instruction, delivers measurable gains in student achievement, and eases teacher workloads. Trusted by 200+ school districts across 40+ states and backed by leading investors including IVP, Sapphire Ventures, Framework Capital, and Reach Capital, we’re pursuing a bold goal: to drive the best academic outcomes for as many students as possible.

About the role

Reporting to the Director, Engineering, the Software Engineer will take a lead role in developing fullstack applications and guiding technical execution across projects. You will collaborate closely with product managers, UI/UX designers, and both front-end and back-end developers to deliver secure, accessible, high-performance features on time. Given the fast-paced, cross-functional environment, strong leadership, teamwork, and communication skills are essential for success in this role.

What you'll do

• Design, develop, and maintain both frontend and backend components of web applications, ensuring seamless integration and performance.
• Build and maintain responsive, accessible user interfaces using modern JavaScript frameworks like Vue or React.
• Convert UI/UX designs and wireframes into clean, reusable, and maintainable code.
• Optimize front-end performance and implement robust testing (unit, integration, end-to-end) with tools like Vitest, Jest, or Cypress
• Collaborate with product managers, designers, and other stakeholders to define project requirements and deliver scalable solutions.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical problems across the stack (application, database, integrations, infrastructure).
• Contribute to architectural discussions and decisions, evaluating and recommending new technologies as appropriate.
• Mentor and coach junior developers, fostering technical growth and shared ownership.
• Drive technical architecture and design decisions to build scalable and reliable software systems.
• Implement best practices for software development, including code reviews, automated testing, and documentation to maintain high code quality.
• Participate in on-call rotations to handle incident responses and troubleshoot issues promptly.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience with Vue.js or React, and PHP
• Experience with writing and scaling REST APIs returning JSON.
• Deep understanding of Object Oriented Programming, Microservice and API architecture.
• Familiarity with IaC, containerization (Docker), modern DevOps practices, and automated testing.
• Familiarity with AI/LLM APIs and prompt engineering 
• Strong knowledge of MySQL/PostgreSQL - writing and reviewing complex queries and performance tuning.
• Deep understanding of Test Driven Development methodologies - writing unit, integration and end-to-end tests.
• Python experience is a plus.

The annual salary range for this position is $127,000-$160,000 USD or $110,000-$130,000 CAD, plus equity. Please note that the final offer amount is determined by multiple factors, including geographic location as well as candidate experience, and may vary from the amounts listed above​.

What is it like to work at Paper? You will:

• Be joining a remote-first company with a collaborative, mission-driven culture working together to write the next chapter of Paper!
• Have opportunities to connect in person throughout the year, even while working remotely day-to-day.
• Be part of an exciting new era of growth, with fresh leadership, a bold product vision, and a redefined charter.
• Thrive in a fast-moving, build-from-scratch environment where agility and critical thinking guide decisions, collaboration is built on trust and healthy challenge, and every team member takes ownership to deliver real customer impact and grow every day.

Additional Benefits:

• Comprehensive & competitive compensation, health benefits, retirement plan, stock options, and more.
• In addition to vacation days, we provide Paperites with sick days and 4 extra weeks off - including statutory holidays, Paper Days throughout the year, and a full Paper Week from Dec 25 to Jan 1.
• A $500 stipend to set-up your workspace and $100 monthly stipends to support with on-going workspace needs.
• We support growing families with generous paid parental leave.
• Unlimited access to tutoring and educational support for children of Paper employees.

You’ll be joining a team of mission-driven builders who care deeply about equity in education, and who thrive in a culture of ownership, velocity, and continuous learning. If you’re energized by challenges, inspired by impact, and ready to help lead a high-growth business through its next phase, we’d love to meet you.

We believe diverse teams build better products and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Paper does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender orientation, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, marital status, or military status.