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Staff Software Engineer Jobs in Iowa (NOW HIRING)

Experience partnering with global staffing vendors to deliver projects. * Current or recent ... Lead system development and engineering for highly complex programs. Coordinate the preparation ...

Company Description Established in 1991, Collabera has been a leader in IT staffing for over 22 ... Description: As an Embedded Software Controls Engineer, you will design, develop, test, and ...

Join our team at Workiva as a Staff Machine Learning Engineer! As a pivotal member of our Machine ... Collaborate with software, data architects, and product managers to design complete software ...

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Staff Software Engineer information

See Iowa salary details

$56.8K

$151.4K

$206.6K

How much do staff software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 22, 2026, the average yearly pay for staff software engineer in Iowa is $151,360.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $126,300.00 and $178,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a staff software engineer?

A staff software engineer works on the technical team at an organization, typically under a senior management-level team member, to repair, develop, and maintain company software to ensure an efficient user experience. As a staff software engineer, your duties include finding and implementing solutions for issues, creating new software or applications by writing code, using visual development environments to debug, and ensuring the technical architecture runs smoothly. A significant aspect of your job is to not only contribute your skills but also mentor other software engineers to improve their skills and productivity.

What is a staff software engineer?

A Staff Software Engineer is a senior-level technical role responsible for designing, developing, and overseeing complex software systems. They often serve as technical leaders within their teams, guiding architecture decisions, mentoring junior engineers, and collaborating across departments. Staff Software Engineers are expected to solve high-impact engineering problems, set technical standards, and ensure the quality and scalability of software products. Their role typically involves both hands-on coding and strategic planning to drive technological innovation within an organization.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a staff software engineer?

To thrive as a Staff Software Engineer, you need deep expertise in software development, system architecture, and problem-solving, often supported by a relevant degree and significant industry experience. Mastery of programming languages (such as Java, Python, or C++), cloud platforms, version control systems, and familiarity with CI/CD pipelines are typically required. Exceptional leadership, strong communication, and mentorship abilities set candidates apart in this role. These skills are essential for designing scalable solutions, guiding technical teams, and ensuring the successful delivery of complex projects.

How does a staff software engineer typically contribute to setting technical direction within a team?

As a Staff Software Engineer, you are expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the technical roadmap and ensuring architectural consistency across projects. This often involves mentoring junior engineers, reviewing system designs, and making critical decisions on technology choices and best practices. You'll collaborate closely with product managers, engineering leads, and other stakeholders to align technical goals with business objectives. Your leadership helps foster innovation while maintaining high standards for code quality and system reliability.

What is the difference between Staff Software Engineer vs Senior Software Engineer?

AspectStaff Software EngineerSenior Software Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in CS or related field; extensive experienceBachelor's or Master's in CS; significant experience
Work EnvironmentLeads projects, mentors teams, influences technical strategyDevelops features, solves complex problems, mentors juniors
Employer & Industry UsageCommon in large tech companies, enterprise environmentsWidespread across startups, mid-sized, and large companies

The main difference between a Staff Software Engineer and a Senior Software Engineer lies in scope and influence. Staff Engineers typically lead technical initiatives, mentor multiple teams, and shape engineering strategies, while Senior Engineers focus on developing features and solving complex problems within their teams. Both roles require strong technical skills, but Staff Engineers have a broader impact across projects and departments.

What do staff software engineers do?

Staff software engineers lead technical projects, design system architecture, and mentor other engineers. They often work on complex problems, collaborate across teams, and contribute to technical strategy while using tools like code repositories and development frameworks.

What are the most commonly searched types of Staff Software Engineer jobs in Iowa?

The most popular types of Staff Software Engineer jobs in Iowa are:

Infographic showing various Staff Software Engineer job openings in Iowa as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $151,360 per year, or $72.8 per hour.

Lead Software Engineer

Wellmark, Inc.

Des Moines, IA โ€ข On-site

$25/hr

Full-time

Posted 19 days ago


Job description

Company Description
Why Wellmark?
We are a mutual insurance company owned by our policy holders across Iowa and South Dakota, and we've built our reputation on over 80 years' worth of trust. We are not motivated by profits. We are motivated by the well-being of our friends, family, and neighbors-our members. If you're passionate about joining an organization working hard to put its members first, to provide best-in-class service, and one that is committed to sustainability and innovation, consider applying today!
Why Wellmark Technology? Wellmark is building innovative, modern solutions using cutting edge technology. We are driving organizational transformation and business strategy by empowering our technology team to innovate new and elegant solutions to enhance the customer experience. Together, we are leaning into the future, owning the outcome, and driving organizational change to transform how we work.
Learn more about our unique benefit offerings here.
Want to know more? You can learn about life at Wellmark here.
Job Description
Leads system development and the design for highly complex solutions that are efficient and cost effective, which support Wellmark's business and Technology initiatives. Serves as a subject matter expert for other engineers to ensure the end product aligns with business expectations and development logic meets Wellmark standards and security requirements. Utilizes established relationships with Wellmark leaders and acts as a consultant on engineering and business process improvements and technology enhancements or capabilities.
Qualifications
Required:
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, MIS, or related field of study and at least 5 years of development experience (ex. Angular, NodeJS, TypeScript, C++, .NET, Java, SQL) OR 9 years of related and applicable experience.
  • Strong analytical problem-solving skills. Accuracy and high attention to detail. Previous experience troubleshooting and developing creative technical solutions. Ability to provide innovative solutions to complex issues.
  • Demonstrated experience in software development lifecycle methodologies.
  • Demonstrated ability to communicate with and coach/mentor team members, while setting an example in maintaining a positive attitude, staying calm under pressure, being approachable, and respectful and taking responsibility for failures.
  • Big picture thinker with the ability to translate the value of the Wellmark as a Service (WaaS) strategy to company strategy when making design and development decisions.
  • Demonstrated, strong ability to gather information, perform necessary research needed for root cause analysis, problem definition and formulation, recommend solution implementation, verification, and ongoing optimization, using data to support recommendations.
  • Demonstrated ability to build relationships to reach outcomes that gain the support and acceptance of all parties. Ability to communicate key information in a timely manner to the appropriate stakeholder audience with the ability to adjust communication style that will best suit the audience.
  • Ability to thrive in fast-paced environment with changing priorities. Excellent organizational skills. Strong time management skills with the ability to set and meet established timeframes with little direction, while assuring data and information integrity.
  • Eagerness to learn and stay current on industry trends and have a continuous learning mindset.
  • Ability to collaborate and work as a team to accomplish goals and/or solve problems. Ability to earn trust and respect from peers, leadership, and stakeholders. Ability to learn by actively listening and applying coaching feedback.
  • Ability to lead, support and work within a diverse development team model including global staffing, crowd sourcing, etc.

Preferred:
  • Bachelor's degree.
  • Experience working within an Agile team environment.
  • Experience partnering with global staffing vendors to deliver projects.
  • Current or recent experience developing and supporting BizTalk middleware integration solutions.
  • Current or recent experience with BizTalk Server installation, configuration, and administration.
  • Experience leading or actively participating in a BizTalk migration initiative.
  • Experience developing and supporting BizTalk replacement solutions with newer technology stack.
  • Experience using BizTalk 360.
  • Experience using IBM MQ Server.

Additional Information
Job Responsibilities
a. Lead system development and engineering for highly complex programs. Coordinate the preparation, coding, testing, and debugging of complex programs; including the analysis and development of workflows that utilize emerging technology and meet and exceed Wellmark's evolving business needs.
b. Serve as subject matter expert in the implementation of innovative and cost-effective business solutions for multiple applications and systems utilizing information technology, business, and industry trends.
c. Provide leadership, training, and guidance to others on the team in the gathering of information, necessary research needed for root cause analysis, problem definition and formulation, solution implementation, verification, and ongoing optimization. Ensure analysis of defects to find root cause and guide others in the identification of potential improvement opportunities.
d. Mentor, guide and problem-solve with other technology areas in the development and implementation of solutions, including how to use new or enhanced software/applications.
e. Coordinate with company resources to accomplish integration of products and processes and complex solutions. Provide timely and accurate results, and exceptional customer service.
f. Utilize established relationships with Wellmark leaders and acts as a primary consultant on business status, issues, process improvements and technology enhancements or capabilities.
g. Participate in project proposals, estimates and proof-of-concept activities as needed.
h. Maintain awareness of industry's best practices and standards and proactively participates in industry/knowledge reference groups relative to role. Provide direction for enterprise standards. Conduct code reviews and monitor standard adherence.
i. Other duties as assigned.
An Equal Opportunity Employer
The policy of Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield is to recruit, hire, train and promote individuals in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by law.
Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation due to a disability at any stage of the employment application process should contact us at careers@wellmark.com
Please inform us if you meet the definition of a "Covered DoD official".
At this time, Wellmark is not considering applicants for this position that require any type of immigration sponsorship (additional work authorization or permanent work authorization) now or in the future to work in the United States. This includes, but IS NOT LIMITED TO: F1-OPT, F1-CPT, H-1B, TN, L-1, J-1, etc. For additional information around work authorization needs please refer to the following resources:Nonimmigrant Workers and Green Card for Employment-Based Immigrants
Wellmark supports and expects the responsible use of AI for our workforce! We welcome the responsible use of these tools by job seekers as well and are interested in learning from you; you will have an opportunity in the application process to share which tools you used and how you applied them.