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Staff Software Engineer Jobs in Madison, WI (NOW HIRING)

Staff Software Engineer

Madison, WI ยท On-site

$140 - $190/hr

As a Staff Software Engineer, you will be a technical leader within a cross-functional team, driving the architecture and end-to-end delivery of major, high-impact platform features that directly ...

As a Staff Software Engineer, you will be a technical leader within a cross-functional team, driving the architecture and end-to-end delivery of major, high-impact platform features that directly ...

Senior Staff Software Engineer

Madison, WI ยท On-site

$123K - $162K/yr

As a Senior Staff Software Engineer, you will lead engineering efforts, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and mentor junior engineers to enhance the platform that integrates social services ...

Senior Staff Software Engineer

Madison, WI ยท On-site

$123K - $162K/yr

As a Senior Staff Software Engineer, you will enhance the platform by leading engineering efforts, mentoring junior engineers, and collaborating across teams to deliver high-quality products that ...

We're hiring a staff-level engineer to own that path end to end. It's a wide role by design - Python for the ML and ingestion services, Terraform for everything they run on, Ruby for the application ...

Senior Staff Software Engineer

Madison, WI ยท On-site

$123K - $162K/yr

As a Senior Staff Software Engineer at Findhelp, you will play a pivotal role in expanding our platform that seamlessly integrates our nationwide system of social-services. Serving on a cross ...

Academic Staff Employment Type: Regular Job Profile: Software Engineer/Developer I Job Summary: We are seeking a Lead Developer who combines strong software engineering skills with technical ...

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Staff Software Engineer information

See Madison, WI salary details

$61K

$162.4K

$221.7K

How much do staff software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 27, 2026, the average yearly pay for staff software engineer in Madison, WI is $162,401.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $135,500.00 and $192,000.00 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 Madison, WI?

The most popular types of Staff Software Engineer jobs in Madison, WI are:

Infographic showing various Staff Software Engineer job openings in Madison, WI as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 74% Full Time, 18% Part Time, 3% Temporary, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 90% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $162,401 per year, or $78.1 per hour.

Staff Software Engineer

Madison, WI โ€ข On-site

findhelp
Software Developmentย โ€ขย 201 - 500 employees

$140 - $190/hr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

This job post hasย expired 4 days ago.ย Applications are no longer accepted.


Job description

Weโ€™re changing the way people connect to social care.

At Findhelp, weโ€™ve built a comprehensive platform of products and services that make it easy for you to connect people to resources, follow them on their journey, and track your impact in a fast and reliable way.Our industry-leading social care network includes more than half a million local, state, and national programs that serve every ZIP Code in the country, from rural areas to major metropolitan centers.Findhelp is headquartered in Austin, Texas and has been enabling healthcare, government, education, and other organizations to connect people with the social care resources that serve them, with privacy and security, since 2010.

As a mission driven organization, we are focused on creating a positive impact by connecting people in need to the programs that serve them with dignity and ease. Powered by our proprietary technology that enables people to find the resources available in their area, we have helped millions of Seekers find food, health, housing and employment programs.

About the role

The R&D Department is made up of different disciplines including software and database engineers, quality, technical implementation. R&D designs and develops requested product features, fixes bugs within our platform, provides technical analysis and estimation, ensures successful integration installations, manages and monitors the health of our platform, and develops automation and tooling for efficient and reliable software development processes. R&D works cross-functionally with many other departments in the organization as a team to fulfill Findhelpโ€™s mission of connecting all people in need and the programs that serve them with dignity and ease.

As a Staff Software Engineer, you will be a technical leader within a cross-functional team, driving the architecture and end-to-end delivery of major, high-impact platform features that directly serve our mission. This role requires applying deep technical expertise to solve complex, ambiguous engineering challenges and mentor the team to raise the overall quality bar.

What youโ€™ll do
  • Design and Implement full-stack features from initial concept through deployment, prioritizing an intuitive and efficient end user experience.
  • Drive the planning and design of new services and platform components, with a keen focus on scalability, security, and maintainability across the entire system.
  • Explore and integrate machine learning and data science techniques to enhance service matching, platform search capabilities, and operational efficiency.
  • Deliver high-quality, well-tested code and engage in rigorous peer code reviews and pair programming sessions to uphold team standards and best practices.
  • Take full ownership of features, including monitoring in production, diagnosing issues, and driving iterative improvements post-launch.
  • Lead efforts to improve platform health by proactively identifying and executing on refactoring and modernization opportunities.
  • Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Designers, and other engineering teams in a highly cross-functional environment, often serving as the primary technical contact.
Qualifications
  • 5-7 years of progressive professional experience as a Software Engineer.
  • Demonstrated ability to design, plan, and lead the technical execution of large-scale, cross-team projects with significant business impact.
  • Proven capacity to elevate the technical proficiency of the team, serving as a primary reviewer, technical lead, and mentor for engineers at all levels.
  • Expertise in architecting, documenting, and leading the implementation of new services and complex system components, emphasizing performance and longevity.
  • Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, for technical collaboration and documentation.
  • Deep expertise in relational databases (e.g., SQL, ORMs) and practical experience with non-relational databases.
  • Expertise in web performance strategies, optimization techniques, and observability/monitoring for mission-critical systems.
  • Strong experience with our primary stack: Python (or similar backend language) and ReactJS (or similar modern frontend framework).
  • Extensive practical experience designing and operating services within a microservices architecture or distributed system.
  • Direct experience with cloud platforms, specifically GCP (Google Cloud Platform), including managed services, security, and deployment (e.g., Kubernetes, Cloud Functions).
Physical demands and work environment
  • This job is based on-site in Austin, TX or Madison, WI with the opportunity to work remotely on Fridays.
  • This is largely a sedentary role.
  • Limited travel may be required.
  • Standard office equipment is used, such as laptops, monitors and headsets, if needed.
We value being together

We believe being together enables stronger relationships, collaboration, and culture.

This position is in office and candidates must be located in Austin, Texas or Madison, Wisconsin.

  • 401k & equity grants
  • Free food and onsite gym at our Austin HQ
  • Paid parental leave
  • Competitive PTO & 10 paid holidays
  • Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance with 100% company-paid coverage for employee only coverage
  • Dog-friendly office in Austin HQ
  • 24/7 access to telemedicine and counseling
  • Book Purchasing Program
Weโ€™re building a diverse, inclusive team

Youโ€™re welcome here. We want everyone to be able to easily connect to the help they need, and we want our teams to reflect and represent our communities. It is our policy to recruit, hire, train, and promote individuals, as well as administer any and all Company policies, without regard to age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin or ancestry, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, creed, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, or any other protected class, in accordance with applicable laws. Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities.

Here are some of the ways we support our staff:
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