Entry Software Engineer Jobs in Columbia, SC (NOW HIRING)

Job Responsibilities The mission of the South Carolina Department of Education is to serve students, support teachers, empower parents, and engage the community so that every student graduates prepared to reach their full potential. Purpose of Position The South Carolina Department of Education is seeking an accomplished Lead Software Engineer to serve as the senior hands-on technical contributor for a software development team within the Office of Information Technology. This role is crucial in delivering and modernizing the applications that support the Agency's mission, setting the technical standard through direct development work while providing technical direction and mentorship to a team of developers.

The ideal candidate will have deep, current experience in full-stack software development, application architecture, cloud delivery on Microsoft Azure, and the modernization of legacy systems onto modern frameworks. This position reports to the Director of Enterprise Application & Architecture. Essential Functions Software Design and Development (50%) Design, build, test, deploy, and maintain production applications across the team's technology stack - full-stack modern web development using React and React Native on the frontend, Python on the backend, Azure SQL for data, and Microsoft Azure for hosting.

Own delivery of complex features and services end to end, from requirements and design through implementation, testing, deployment, and production support. Write clean, well-tested, maintainable code and contribute to shared libraries, components, and patterns used across the team. Diagnose and resolve production issues, including performance, reliability, and security defects.

Technical Design and Architecture (20%) Lead technical design for new applications and significant enhancements; produce architecture, design, and integration documentation. Make and document framework, pattern, and tooling decisions in coordination with the Director and the Infrastructure & Cloud Operations group. Evaluate and prototype new technologies - including cloud-native Azure services, infrastructure-as-code (Bicep), and emerging tools - and apply them to agency needs.

Engineering Standards and Modernization (10%) Establish and enforce code review discipline, coding standards, automated testing practices, and CI/CD workflows (GitLab, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps). Lead migration of legacy applications, including ColdFusion, onto modern frameworks and the Azure platform. Drive reduction of technical debt, vulnerability remediation, and production defect burn-down.

Technical Leadership and Mentorship (20%) Provide day-to-day technical direction to the development team and remove blockers so developers can deliver. Mentor and coach developers through pairing, code review, and design guidance, and support their technical growth. Contribute to sprint planning, backlog refinement, and estimation, and help balance workload across the team.

Support the Director on technical strategy, technical hiring (screening and interviews), and onboarding of new developers. This position is located in the Office of Information Technology. Minimum and Additional Requirements A bachelor's degree in computer science or related field and experience in computer system development and modification in either an on-premises, cloud-based, or hybrid environment.

Relevant experience may substitute for the bachelor's degree on a year-for-year basis. Preferred Qualifications A two (2) year technical degree in computer science, information technology, or a related field and work experience in software development, including the design, development, testing, and maintenance of applications. Relevant work experience may substitute for the degree on a year-for-year basis.

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Five (5) or more years of professional full-stack software development experience, including recent hands-on production work at a senior level. Track record leading the design and delivery of complex, user-facing applications across the full stack.

Technically proficient in modern frontend and backend development, with demonstrated depth in key languages and frameworks such as React, TypeScript, C#, and Python. Experience designing and delivering applications on Microsoft Azure (Container Apps, App Service, Azure SQL, Entra ID), ideally using infrastructure-as-code (Bicep). Experience establishing engineering standards, component architectures, and development best practices.

Product-focused approach to building solutions that are robust, scalable, and easy to use. Demonstrated ability to provide technical leadership and mentorship to a team of developers, and to drive cross-team alignment through influence rather than formal authority. Comfortable in fast-moving, evolving environments - including building applications from initial concept to production and navigating ambiguity to ship high-quality software.

Proficiency with source control and CI/CD tooling (GitLab, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps). Experience modernizing legacy applications onto modern frameworks and cloud platforms. Familiarity with Agile delivery, code review discipline, and automated testing.

Experience in state government, K-12 education, or a similarly regulated environment. Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain technical decisions to both technical and non-technical audiences. Additional Comments As a part of a generous compensation package, we offer comprehensive benefits that include generous paid time off, preeminent health care benefits, professional development opportunities, pension, and 401(k).

The South Carolina Department of Education offers an exceptional benefits package that includes: Health, Dental, Vision, Long Term Disability, and Life Insurance for Employee, Spouse, and Children. 15 days annual (vacation) leave per year. 15 days sick leave per year.

13 paid holidays. State Retirement Plan and Deferred Compensation Programs ONLY THOSE APPLICANTS CHOSEN FOR AN INTERVIEW WILL BE NOTIFIED BY LETTER THAT THE POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED. http://www.ed.sc.gov/jobs/human-resources/title-ix-nondiscrimination/