Software Engineer II

At Just Appraised, we're building modern, AI-powered software for local government agencies — specifically around property tax and assessment workflows. These processes are still largely manual, fragmented, and operationally complex, and we're replacing the legacy systems with software that helps governments run more efficiently and make better decisions. Hundreds of agencies across the U.S. run on us.

This work directly impacts how local governments operate every day.

About the Role

We're hiring a Software Engineer II to help build and scale the systems behind our platform. You'll work on a small, high-performing team with significant ownership over the features you ship, the production systems you support, and the technical decisions that shape them. We value engineers who move quickly, think pragmatically, and care deeply about building reliable systems that solve real customer problems.

If you enjoy building real systems, solving messy data problems, and shipping software that directly impacts how society runs, we'd love to talk.

We don't have QA teams, dedicated designers, or product managers. We believe the best software is built by engineers who are empowered to own the entire journey. Here, you won't just execute against a spec — you'll scope the problem, design the solution, build the interface, and support the production systems that customers rely on every day.

If you thrive in ambiguity, enjoy ownership, and like moving fast while maintaining high standards, you'll fit right in. If you prefer a highly structured roadmap and multiple layers of handoff before shipping, this likely isn't the right environment for you.

Examples of problems our engineers tackle

• Replacing spreadsheet workflows used across thousands of jurisdictions
• Extracting structured data from unstructured government documents
• Designing scalable APIs and backend systems that power critical government workflows
• Building product experiences that simplify complex regulatory processes
• Improving the performance, reliability, and scalability of systems used daily by government teams

Tech Stack

Backend: TypeScript, Java, PostgreSQL, Node.js Frontend: React, TypeScript Infrastructure: AWS, Docker, Terraform Developer Tools: GitHub, Linear, Claude Code, Cursor, CI/CD, automated testing

We understand engineers may not be experts in every technology on day one. We hire for learning velocity, curiosity, and strong engineering fundamentals.

Your Role

• Own systems end-to-end: Build and extend scalable backend systems powering core product workflows using TypeScript, Java, PostgreSQL, AWS, Docker, and Terraform.
• Build product-facing features: Develop intuitive front-end experiences using React and TypeScript that simplify complex government workflows.
• Contribute to architecture and technical direction: Help shape decisions across services, infrastructure, and data models as we scale, and grow your scope of ownership over time.
• Ship product end-to-end: Work directly with teammates and customers to design and deliver impactful features.
• Improve performance and reliability: Identify bottlenecks, reduce technical debt, and continuously improve system scalability and maintainability.
• Raise the engineering bar: Write clean, well-tested code and contribute to a strong engineering culture built around ownership and accountability.

What We're Looking For

• 3+ years of experience building production software
• Backend engineering experience with languages such as TypeScript, Java, or Ruby
• Experience working with relational databases such as PostgreSQL
• Comfort working across the stack, with experience in at least one modern frontend framework, preferably React
• Solid foundations in API design, data modeling, object-oriented programming, and infrastructure design
• Experience with cloud infrastructure such as AWS
• Comfort with Docker, CI/CD pipelines, version control systems, and automated testing frameworks
• Experience shipping customer-facing software in ambiguous, high-ownership environments

Most importantly, we look for engineers who:

• Take ownership of problems and drive them to completion
• Are self-motivated, resourceful, and eager to make an impact
• Thrive in fast-paced environments with high autonomy and accountability
• Enjoy building real systems used by customers every day
• Care deeply about writing clean, maintainable code
• Move quickly while protecting reliability where it matters
• Use AI tools thoughtfully and never blindly
• Communicate directly and make pragmatic tradeoffs
• Believe small teams of great engineers can build outsized impact, because we do

Benefits

• Competitive compensation and stock equity plan
• Comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• Company-sponsored pre-tax retirement savings program (401k)
• A flexible work environment that supports working from home
• Flexible PTO
• Parental leave
• Home office stipend