Principal Software Engineer

OpenGov is the leader in AI and ERP solutions for local and state governments in the U.S. More than 2,000 cities, counties, state agencies, school districts, and special districts rely on the OpenGov Public Service Platform to operate efficiently, adapt to change, and strengthen the public trust. Category-leading products include enterprise asset management, procurement and contract management, accounting and budgeting, billing and revenue management, permitting and licensing, and transparency and open data. These solutions come together in the OpenGov ERP, allowing public sector organizations to focus on priorities and deliver maximum ROI with every dollar and decision in sync. Learn about OpenGov’s mission to power more effective and accountable government and the vision of high-performance government for every community at OpenGov.com.

You’ll be the senior-most technical leader on our data platform — the foundation every OpenGov product depends on. Your primary mandate is to define how AI reshapes our platform: from the APIs and services that enable AI-powered product experiences, to the engineering workflows that let your team ship 3–10x faster with AI-assisted development. You’ll own the architecture of systems at scale and set the technical bar for an engineering team that’s operating in an AI-native way.

• Architect and build the APIs and services that power OpenGov’s data and reporting platform at scale, with first-class support for AI agent consumption alongside human interfaces

• Define and drive the technical strategy for AI integration across the product — from agent-driven workflows and AI-powered data analysis to retrieval-augmented generation over government datasets

• Establish AI-augmented engineering practices across your teams: evaluate and adopt AI development tools, define review standards for AI-generated code, and measure the productivity impact

• Lead end-to-end delivery of features from design collaboration through production monitoring, using AI-assisted workflows to compress cycle times

• Identify performance bottlenecks and architectural choices that unlock the next stage of platform scale

• Mentor senior engineers and shape an engineering culture where AI fluency is a core competency, not an optional skill

• Have 10+ years building production software, with a clear track record of owning critical systems end-to-end

• Have deep experience with distributed systems, API design, and cloud infrastructure (we use AWS, Kubernetes, Docker)

• Are fluent across the stack — comfortable in React/TypeScript, Node.js, and relational + non-relational databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis)

• Have led technical direction across multiple teams without needing formal authority — you lead through quality of thinking and trust

• Have hands-on experience building AI-powered product features: agents, AI-driven UX, workflow automation, or retrieval systems (direct ML/model training experience not required)

• Actively use AI-assisted development tools (Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, or similar) and have a point of view on how they change software engineering practices

• Take a product-focused approach: you understand customer problems and translate them into technical solutions, not just tickets

• Thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth environment where shipping daily and staying close to customer outcomes is the norm

• Experience designing APIs that serve both human users and AI agents, including context-aware retrieval and structured tool interfaces

• Experience with event-driven architectures and stream processing (Kafka preferred)

• Background in domain-driven design or serverless scaling strategies

• History of working directly with customers to improve product experiences

• Previous work in govtech, fintech, or regulated SaaS environments

React · TypeScript · Ember.js · Node.js · GraphQL · REST · PostgreSQL · MongoDB · AWS · Azure · Kubernetes · Docker · GitHub

A Mission That Matters.

At OpenGov, public service is personal. We are passionate about our mission to power more effective and accountable government. Government that operates efficiently, adapts to change, and strengthens public trust.  Some people say this is boring.  We think it’s the core of our democracy.

Opportunity to Innovate

The next great wave of innovation is unfolding with AI, and it will impact everything—from the way we work to the way governments interact with their residents. Join a trusted team with the passion, technology, and expertise to drive innovation and bring AI to local government. We’ve touched 2,000 communities so far, and we’re just getting started.

A Team of Passionate, Driven People

This isn’t your typical 9-to-5 job; we operate in a fast-paced, results-driven environment where impact matters more than simply clocking in and out. Our global team of 800+ employees is united in our commitment to challenge the status quo. OpenGov is headquartered in San Francisco and has offices in Atlanta, Boston, Buenos Aires, Chicago, Dubuque, Plano, and Pune.

A Place to Make Your Mark

We pride ourselves on our performance-based culture, where every employee is encouraged to jump in head-first and take action to help us improve. If you have a great idea, we want to hear it. Excellent performance is recognized and rewarded, and we love to promote from within.

Benefits That Work for You

Enjoy an award-winning workplace with the benefits to match, including:

• Comprehensive healthcare options for individuals and families

• Flexible vacation policy and paid company holidays

• 401(k) with company match

• Paid parental leave, wellness stipends, and HSA contributions

• Professional development and growth opportunities

• A collaborative office environment with weekly catered lunches.