The Office of Data and Innovation (ODI) is seeking an experienced Senior Full Stack Engineer to join our Engineering team in CalInnovate. We are a team with diverse backgrounds. With experience in government, startups, and enterprise businesses. Some of us taught ourselves to code. That mix makes us better.
Our Engineering team came together to work on the California COVID-19 response. Since then, we partner with several state departments to improve digital services and technical processes. We work on high-profile projects, often in response to emergencies. We are the technical spport team for Engaged California, a platform for civic participation.
We are a mission-driven team curious, compassionate, and collaborative with decades of experience across government, startups, and research.
We do not expect everyone to know the same stack. We do expect everyone to be curious, share what they know, and ask for help when they need it.
We build pilots and proof-of-concepts. We also contribute to large systems that serve millions.
Our team is pioneering the use of generative AI (Gen AI) in government software development. We approach AI with intention. Our Gen AI tools are vetted for security and compliance.
Location: The employee’s workstation is located in Sacramento, CA or Oakland, CA. Travel to the Sacramento headquarters may be required as needed. This position provides telework opportunities in accordance with agency telework policies.
Annual Salary: $114,084 – $152,880 based on experience and qualifications
Last day to apply: May 26, 2026
What you’ll do
- Build and improve web applications used by Californians across the full stack.
- Develop and maintain databases and APIs as well as the interfaces people see and click.
- Work with designers, data scientists, and policy experts to ship real products.
- Write and review code daily, building features, fixing bugs, and maintaining secure systems.
- Support teammates through code reviews and shared documentation.
- Prioritize performance, reliability, and scalability in every step of development.
- Work across many tools and technologies. The right tool depends on the problem. You will need to learn quickly and switch contexts often. One week you may be working on a headless website. The next, an interactive data visualization. The next, consulting on a .NET project.
- Learn new languages and frameworks when the work calls for it.
- Navigate California state security requirements, accessibility standards, and procurement processes to deliver compliant, resilient systems.
You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.
Desirable qualifications
In addition to evaluating each candidate’s relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:
Technical
- Proficient in at least one server-side language such as NodeJS, Python, or PHP
- Proficient in Javascript, CSS, and HTML
- Proficient with Git for version control
- Proficient with MacOS
- Experience with continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines
- Experience designing, architecting, and diagramming technical solutions
- Investigative ability and intellectual curiosity
- Ability to learn and embrace new technologies
Interpersonal
- Experience working successfully on multi-disciplinary teams
- Experience using project management tools to track and share task status
- Ability to communicate with both technical and non-technical audiences
- Demonstrated ability to work with diverse groups of stakeholders
- Comfort with risk and trying new approaches
- Ability to work independently or as part of a small team
- Ability to stay calm and focused under pressure
- Commitment to equity and using data to serve all Californians
Bonus
- DNS administration
- Recent experience with large language models (LLMs) and agentic workflows
- Experience with front-end frameworks and component libraries
- AWS administration
About ODI
We deliver better services to Californians through technology and design. We do so through close partnership with other state departments. Our goal is to create programs and products that are more equitable and effective. We listen to Californians who use a program now or may do so tomorrow and learn about what they need.
We:
- Build tools and products
- Create and enhance digital services
- Conduct research
- Identify data solutions
- Offer training
We are a cross-discipline staff with blended backgrounds in:
- Design
- Engineering
- Product
- Operations
- Data
- Research
- Policy
- Strategy
Learn more about ODI’s vision and mission.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion at ODI
Diversity, equity, and inclusion help us deliver better government services to Californians.
- Fostering diversity inspires better ideas and more innovative thinking.
- Feeling included nurtures a shared sense of community. This drives us to take collective action on challenging problems.
- Prioritizing equity ensures we build solutions for people whose needs are often overlooked.
We acknowledge our history and present of implicit and structural injustice, bias, and discrimination. We see, hear, and accept each other and the lived experiences we bring to our work. We support each other in learning and developing so we can help all Californians thrive.
We understand this work is never done. That’s why we commit to constant improvement.