Staff Software Engineer

If you're passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country-and you're committed to working hard to play your part in building that future-consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:

Job Description

Location: Phoenix, AZ | Hybrid

About WGU

At Western Governors University (WGU), we're not just building software - we're transforming education. As the nation's largest nonprofit online university, we're redefining how students learn by creating scalable, student-centric technology that expands access to affordable, competency-based education. Our tech teams don't just ship code - they shape futures.

The Opportunity

We're looking for a Staff Software Engineer (Salesforce) to help lead the next evolution of WGU's Salesforce ecosystem - the platform that powers our student experience, enrollment systems, and operational excellence.

This is a high-visibility, high-impact role for a seasoned engineer who thrives at the intersection of technology, architecture, and mentorship. You'll design and build scalable solutions across multiple business domains (Pre-Intake, Enrollment, B2B, and Marketing), while guiding and uplifting a team of talented engineers.

If you're passionate about solving complex technical problems that directly improve the lives of thousands of students, this role will give you both the challenge and the purpose you're looking for.

What You'll Do

• Serve as a software engineering expert - Lead teams to deliver quality projects on time and within budget. Provide mentoring, resolve issues, advise on risks, and improve platform reliability and availability.
• Lead by influence - Serve as a trusted technical expert across multiple Salesforce domains, guiding 12+ engineers while collaborating with architects, product, and project managers.
• Shape critical systems - Enhance and evolve our Student Self-Service Enrollment (SSE) platform - a mission-critical system that enables students to access degree programs, enroll in courses, and manage their learning journeys.
• Architect for scale - Design resilient, secure, and scalable Salesforce solutions that integrate seamlessly with WGU's cloud ecosystem (AWS, Mulesoft, Informatica, and beyond).
• Innovate with purpose - Identify and implement modern engineering practices that improve performance, reliability, and maintainability.
• Collaborate across teams - Partner with data, cloud, and operations teams to build cohesive, future-ready systems.
• Mentor and inspire - Elevate engineering standards through coaching, technical reviews, and thought leadership.
• Drive impact - Use metrics, experimentation, and creative problem-solving to improve student and institutional outcomes.

What Makes This Role Unique

Mission-Driven Impact

• Purpose Beyond Code: Your work directly expands access to life-changing education. Every feature you build helps streamline admissions, improve student support, or enhance learning experiences.
• Student-Centric Systems: Our Salesforce platform is embedded in nearly every aspect of WGU's operations, giving you the opportunity to build tools that make a measurable difference for hundreds of thousands of students.

Technical Challenge + Innovation

• Complex Ecosystem: WGU's Salesforce environment connects CRM, marketing automation, analytics, and integrations at enterprise scale. You'll tackle challenges that test your architecture, design, and problem-solving skills.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work alongside product managers, architects, and academic leaders to co-create transformative solutions. Your voice matters here.

Career Growth & Culture

• Empowered Teams: We value autonomy, inclusion, and innovation. You'll have the freedom to lead initiatives and experiment with new technologies.
• Recognition & Advancement: As a Staff Engineer, you'll gain visibility across the university and clear pathways for professional growth.
• Flexibility & Balance: We support remote-friendly work and understand the importance of work-life balance.

What You Bring

• 10+ years in software development, with 5+ years of hands-on Salesforce engineering experience (multiple clouds and managed packages).
• Deep expertise in Apex, Java, REST APIs, SOQL/SQL, Spring Boot, and integration tools like Mulesoft or Informatica (IICS).
• Experience designing for scalability, reliability, and performance in cloud environments (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
• Proven ability to mentor engineers, lead through influence, and collaborate across disciplines.
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills - able to translate complex technical concepts for varied audiences.
• Understanding of Salesforce governor limits, development lifecycle, and best practices for CI/CD, testing, and security.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field (or equivalent experience).

Preferred:

• Experience with Salesforce architecture or contact-center integration (CTI, SIP/VoIP, IVRs).
• Salesforce certifications (Platform Developer I/II, JavaScript Developer I).
• Familiarity with higher education or SaaS-based platforms at scale.

Why You'll Love Working Here

At WGU, innovation meets impact. You'll join a collaborative, mission-driven team where your technical leadership and ideas will shape systems that serve over 175,000 students. You'll be empowered to innovate, mentor, and grow - all while enjoying flexibility and purpose in your work.

#LI-VB!

Position & Application Details

How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday.

Additional Information

Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It's not all-inclusive.

Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at recruiting@wgu.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.