Forward-Deployed Software Engineer

Location: Remote, New York City, or Oakland Role Type: Full-time Compensation : $139,050 or $159,650, depending on seniority Visa sponsorship: Not available Hires remotely in: United States Experience: 3+ years of technical experience Recidiviz is thrilled to be hiring Forward-Deployed Software Engineers to join our team! We’re a small, fast-moving group that uses complex criminal justice data from our state partners to build products that target the drivers of incarceration. That’s where you come in. We’re looking for new teammates to be the technical bridge between our core engineering team and our state partners, scoping and deploying solutions into government environments on the front lines to help our products increase their impact across the country. About us Recidiviz is creating safer, healthier communities by improving outcomes for people in the criminal justice system. We build technology to safely reduce the number of people in prison and to help criminal justice leaders embrace data-driven decision-making. Using software tools and thoughtful product design, we’ve been able to safely and permanently reduce incarceration and improve outcomes. We work side-by-side with leaders of the criminal justice system, people in prison and on supervision, and ecosystem partners to build a better path forward. In addition to the revenue we earn from state partners, some of the most respected philanthropists and foundations support our work. People who succeed at Recidiviz lead with kindness and humility, assume good intent, learn from failure, and fix problems when they see them. They are excited to work arm in arm with government leadership and staff to improve outcomes. They are great listeners. They build deep relationships with and empathy for the people we work with and the people who our mission serves, even when those two groups feel at odds. About the role As a Forward-Deployed Software Engineer, you will be directly on the front lines of our work, collaborating with state Departments of Corrections, government IT staff, and justice-impacted individuals to scope, adapt, and integrate Recidiviz’s data platform and products into their existing environments. You will partner with state leadership to understand their goals and constraints, define the right technical solutions, and then dive into complex, real-world data systems to make those solutions a reality. You will also act as a crucial feedback loop. By gaining first-hand context of what works and what doesn't "in the wild," you will collaborate with our core product, design, and engineering teams to level up our platforms. You should have strong engineering fundamentals, an affinity for problem-solving in ambiguous environments, and the patience and customer savvy to turn complex deployments into long-term partnerships. Core responsibilities • Scope for impact: Collaborate with state agency leadership and IT staff to understand their unique policy objectives and system constraints, working with cross-functional teammates to translate their needs into clear technical approaches and deployment roadmaps. • Problem-solve in the wild: Untangle messy data and legacy systems, writing scripts and crafting creative technical solutions to ensure successful deployments in unique customer environments. • Level up the product: Translate on-the-ground challenges into actionable insights for our core engineering and product teams, contributing code to our platform and products to make them more scalable and configurable. • Build trust: Engage directly with customer stakeholders—from database administrators to agency executives—balancing technical rigor with deep empathy and clear communication. • Travel occasionally: Join state partners on-site (10%) to scope new proj