Ruby Backend Developer Jobs in Columbus, OH (NOW HIRING)

This is not a conventional senior role - it is a deliberate growth investment in someone who is already practicing AI-forward development and is ready to accelerate toward Principal Engineer. On this team, that trajectory is expected and tracked; most people in this role reach Principal readiness within 12-18 months. You will work on Traverse, our flagship SaaS product built to help child welfare and HHS case managers do their jobs better - meaningful work on a small, flat, high-autonomy team where your fingerprints are on everything you ship. If you are already using agentic tooling as a daily habit and you want to be somewhere that rewards it, this is that place.

Experience

Required:

• 5+ years of professional software development experience; trajectory and demonstrated AI-forward working practice matter more than raw years
• Strong full-stack proficiency with no hard gaps: comfortable across backend, frontend, and database layers - direct experience with Ruby on Rails, React/TypeScript, and PostgreSQL is a strong advantage
• Genuine, daily practice of AI-assisted development using agentic tooling (Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, or equivalent) - with demonstrable productivity impact, not occasional use
• Solid engineering fundamentals: clean code, version control discipline, test-first thinking, and SOLID principles
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S.

What you'll be doing

• Deliver Traverse features independently across the full stack - from database schema and API design through UI implementation and deployment - with increasing scope over time
• Own automated testing for everything you build: unit, integration, and end-to-end coverage is part of your definition of done, not a downstream step
• Actively adopt and improve the agentic engineering workflows as they evolve - you're expected to be a fast learner and early adopter
• Participate in code review as both a contributor and a recipient - give and receive direct, actionable technical feedback
• Proactively seek growth: pair with Principal engineers and senior team members, take stretch assignments, and raise your own ceiling toward Principal Engineer readiness
• Contribute to the agentic engineering framework as you grow - engineers at every level participate in improving how the team works, not just in what gets shipped

You may be a good fit for our team if you have the following skills...

• Genuine, practiced AI-assisted development as a daily habit - you use agentic tooling to write, test, and debug code, and your productivity shows it; "comfortable with AI tools" is the old bar, and you've already cleared it
• Strong full-stack range with no hard gaps - you can own a feature from database schema through UI and not need to hand it off at any layer
• Test-first thinking built into how you work - you write tests as you build, not as an afterthought, and you understand the tradeoffs between unit, integration, and E2E coverage
• Solid engineering fundamentals - clean code, SOLID principles, version control discipline, and meaningful commit hygiene
• Curiosity and adaptability - you pick up new patterns and tools fast, get comfortable with ambiguity, and don't need a detailed spec to get started
• A growth mindset that translates into action - you actively seek feedback, ask to pair on hard problems, and take on work that stretches you rather than work you already know how to do
• Ownership instincts - when you build something, you care about whether it works in production, not just whether it passes review
• Collaborative communication - you can give direct, useful code review feedback, explain a technical decision to a non-technical stakeholder, and ask to pair on a hard problem rather than spin on it alone

Preferred Qualifications (A Plus)

• Prior experience in a full-stack SaaS product environment with end-to-end delivery ownership - you've seen a feature from requirements through production operation and care about what happens after deployment
• You've shipped something using AI-generated scaffolding, contributed to a shared prompt library, or helped a teammate adopt agentic workflows - you've moved the team forward, not just yourself
• Exposure to Domain-Driven Design or structured architecture patterns (SOLID, 12-factor app, onion/hexagonal) - you have a vocabulary for design decisions beyond "it works

What we provide

• Medical (includes H.S.A. option with employer contribution), dental, and vision insurance
• Short- and long-term disability
• Company paid basic life insurance
• 401(k) with 4% company match and immediate vesting
• Free financial education and consultation
• Wellness program that helps you earn lower premiums
• Robust EAP program that includes free therapy sessions, lifestyle coaching, legal/ID theft services, and more
• 12 weeks fully paid parental leave
• Up to $5,000 adoption fee reimbursement
• $500 wellness reimbursement after 60 days of employment
• Generous PTO policy and 10 company paid holidays
• Company paid cell phone plan

Find yourself checking a lot of these boxes but doubting whether you should apply?Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every qualification. At Northwoods, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you are excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. Northwoods is committed to diversity in its workforce and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are excited to work with talented people, period. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national or ethnic origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital or civil status, political affiliation, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate.

Who is Northwoods?

Northwoods makes software solutions that improve the quality of the life of case managers and social workers in the Health and Human Services (HHS) field. Recognized as one of Columbus'top places to work,working at Northwoods means being part of a team that's passionate about making an impact on the lives of HHS professionals and the families they serve.

We believe in creating a culture of inclusivity and accountability seeking to hire professional, passionate and driven individuals that believe in the values that we believe in:

1. Curiosity - Willing to test assumptions, courage to ask questions, and active listening.
2. Community - Helping and mentoring each other, celebrating diversity and acknowledging our team members' contributions.
3. Resourcefulness - Willing to try and fail. Asking for help and trusting the expertise of our team.
4. Stewardship - Safeguarding Northwoods' values, culture, mission, and resources.

We believe that our team members are all accountable adults, not only to themselves but to each other, and we treat them that way. Our team works incredibly hard and is proven through dedication to their craft and our mission.

Our Solutions

Our products are designed for state and county social care program areas, including child welfare, childcare, child support, economic assistance and adult & aging agencies. These solutions leverage technology to allow case workers and social workers to easily collect, store, manage, and share case content and data more efficiently. By simplifying processes, our customers can spend more time engaging with the families they serve, make better informed decisions and achieve better outcomes.

Traverse-A SaaS solution that allows for easy, on-the-go access to case files, case work and interview forms and intelligent insights on case content and materials, which lead to better engagement and better outcomes.

Compass-Compass solution is some of our longer standing software that supports multiple markets for both state and county customers. Our focus on reducing time wasted on paperwork and administrative burdens allows case workers to better serve families in need.

Case Aide Services - Our trusted team of experienced child welfare professionals becomes an extension of agency staff supporting them with administrative tasks such as referral and records requests, compiling documents for court, and document organization. Workers can focus on fostering healthier families without sacrificing their own well-being.