Freelance Ruby On Rails Web Developer Jobs in California

Join SmartFinancial:  Empowering Insurers with Cutting-Edge Technology

Welcome to SmartFinancial, where innovation meets impact. Our mission is simple: help insurance agencies and carriers grow faster through powerful, scalable technology. Proudly voted a Best Place to Work four years running, we're one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the nation.

As a leading insurance marketplace, we connect millions of shoppers with a broad ecosystem of insurance partners through modern, data-driven platforms. 

We're seeking an experienced Senior Full Stack Ruby on Rails Engineer to help build, evolve, and scale the core systems that power our agent-facing, carrier-facing, and internal platforms.This is a hands-on, senior-level role for an engineer who enjoys working across the full stack, contributing to architectural decisions, and partnering closely with product and business stakeholders.

Annual salary range: $150,000-$170,000.

What You'll Do

• Lead the design, development, deployment, and maintenance of scalable, high-availability web applications using Ruby on Rails across agent-facing and carrier-facing systems.
  
• Contribute to architectural decisions that support platform scalability, performance, reliability, and long-term maintainability.
  
• Build and maintain intuitive, performant front-end experiences using modern JavaScript frameworks (React, Vue, or Angular), along with HTML and CSS.
  
• Design, optimize, and manage relational databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL), leveraging ORM frameworks and performance best practices.
  
• Partner closely with product managers, designers, and cross-functional engineering teams to define requirements and deliver impactful features.
  
• Mentor and support other engineers through code reviews, technical guidance, and knowledge sharing.
  
• Champion best practices in code quality, testing, security, observability, and system scalability.
  
• Build and maintain cloud infrastructure and services using AWS, ensuring reliability and cost efficiency.
  
• Contribute to CI/CD pipelines, improving deployment speed, safety, and developer experience.
  
• Participate actively in agile ceremonies and collaborate effectively in a fast-paced, iterative environment.
  

What We're Looking For

• 6-10 years of professional experience building production applications with Ruby on Rails.
  
• Strong hands-on experience designing and scaling complex, distributed web systems.
  
• Strong backend/ API architecture experience and experience with front-end technologies including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and modern frameworks (React, Vue, Angular).
  
• Familiarity with Node.js for supporting services, tooling, or integrations.
  
• Deep experience with relational databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL) and data modeling best practices.
  
• Strong proficiency with Git and GitHub, including advanced branching, code review, and collaboration workflows.
  
• Experience working with AWS or comparable cloud platforms.
  
• Solid understanding of agile development methodologies; SAFe experience is a plus.
  
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and automated deployment strategies.
  
• Ability to thrive in a collaborative, fast-moving environment and take ownership of complex technical initiatives.
  
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience).
  

What We Offer

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your dependents
  
• Retirement Plans: 401(k) with company matching
  
• Paid Time Off: Generous PTO, paid holidays, and dedicated time for product and technical training
  
• Professional Development: Clear growth paths, learning opportunities, and support for advancing your career
  

Why You'll Love It Here

What truly sets SmartFinancial apart is our World Class Culture, consistently recognized by our employees as the best thing about working here. From lively Slack channels that keep teams connected to memorable events like our Summer Beach Party, Chili Cook-Off, Holiday Yacht Party, and impromptu office potlucks, we believe in celebrating success and enjoying the journey together.

And yes, you'll meet Penny, our beloved company mascot. If you're a fan of pink pigs with glasses, you're in for a treat (and some great company swag).

Join SmartFinancial and become a key contributor to the data infrastructure that powers growth, innovation, and connection across every part of our business. Apply now and help us take insurance technology to the next level.

SmartFinancial is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. To learn more about our results-focused culture and employee-focused perks, read more on our careers page.