Grow Progress is hiring associate software engineers to build cutting-edge persuasion technology for social good.
We’re looking for engineers and developers who want to begin their career in software engineering by putting their skills to social good and be part of a team that’s pioneering a new approach to persuasion: giving our customers the ability to persuade more people based on how they think — not just how they look.
If you want to make a big social impact while also growing your skill set by working with a dedicated team of software engineers that are building new products backed by cutting-edge theories in behavioral psychology, we hope you’ll apply.
Who We Are
Grow Progress gives our customers the power to persuade more people by tailoring their messages to match each audience member’s values. We help customers harness the latest persuasion science to create messaging that’s typically 200% to 500% more effective than their existing ads. We do this by predicting which personality traits and values are most important to each individual based on their digital footprints.
We’ve built powerful software that offers our customers unprecedented access to run scientific message tests quickly and affordably, so they can unlock the most effective messages. This capability powers campaigns, causes, and companies that make the world a better place. We currently work with many of the biggest Democratic pollsters, marketing agencies, advocacy groups, and labor unions in the country.
We’re a team of experienced campaigners, software engineers, and data scientists who are obsessed with harnessing the power of evidence to make social good advocates more effective. We’re ambitious, efficient, low-ego, and we like to make each other laugh.
About the Position
- This position is for a role on one of the engineering department’s product development teams and placement will be dependent on need and interest.
- The Client Applications team builds and maintains the applications that interact directly with Grow Progress’s end users.
- The Experiment Automation team automates our online experiments.
- Engineers in this position report to the technical lead on their team.
- Each product development team works closely together in biweekly sprints to plan, build, and iterate on their products.
- Associate Software Engineers at Grow Progress write code, but more importantly, they are encouraged to:
- seek mentorship from peers
- learn new things and grow professionally
- pair with other engineers on complex builds
- participate in code review and help test each others work
- build strong partnerships with project stakeholders
- participate in team discussions
- feel comfortable disagreeing and discussing ideas related to product and technical decisions
- pitch new ideas and technologies
- give kudos to their colleagues for the awesome work they are doing too
About Our Technology
- Any experience with these technologies is a plus but is not required.
- Our client-facing applications are built with
- Laravel (A PHP Framework)
- Vue.js
- SCSS (Bootstrap)
- MySQL, Vertica
- Our experiment automation pipelines are built with
- Node.js (TypeScript)
- Go
- PostgreSQL
- We host our applications in AWS and leverage many AWS resources such as EC2, Lambda, DynamoDB, S3, etc.
- We develop with Docker and git.
- We collaborate using Atlassian software: Jira, Bitbucket and Confluence.
- We help maintain some analytical applications built in R.
- We understand that not everyone has the same experience so we encourage learning on the job through self discovery, pair programming, and team training(s).
About You
- You are eager for an entry-level position in software engineering and motivated to work in an environment where folks are dedicated to the progressive impact of the technology they create.
- You have some formal learning experience that demonstrates some proficiency with a web programming language; either through an Associates Degree, a coding bootcamp, or fell into software engineering through a need at a past employer.
- You are able to seek out and complete well-defined tasks in a sprintly manner.
- You can effectively communicate progress on your work and report any blockages you are running into.
- You have a willingness to learn new technologies or processes.
- You are comfortable working in a small team environment and can take ownership of your tasks.
- As part of a small team, you are willing to take on tasks that may be outside of your comfort zone and you are not afraid to take risks and make mistakes.
- You are progressive — previous work in politics or other progressive advocacy organizations is a plus, but not required.
- We strongly encourage applicants coming from a background that is traditionally underrepresented in tech/politics, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, etc., to apply!
The Hiring Process
Hiring for this position is completed in a few basic phases and we’ve designed the process to be quick and nimble depending on when you apply.
Please also keep in mind that each interview below will be conducted over Zoom and will include time for you to ask the interviewer(s) questions about Grow Progress and the position. Towards the end of the process, you'll have the opportunity to ask questions to other members of the team.
Phase 1: Skills test (~1 hour) - This is a timed take home assessment that is designed to assess your general coding ability.- Phase 2: Technical Aptitude - In this phase, we are looking to see how you think through hard problems. We’ve broken this phase into two parts.
- Part 1: Technical Interview (~1 hour) - This is a white board diagramming exercise over Zoom with a small panel of engineers from our team.
- Part 2: Code Review Assignment (untimed) - We'll provide intentionally sloppy code and you'll be asked to review it and return feedback.
- Phase 3: Behavioral Interview (50 minutes) - This step is an interview with the hiring manager in which all candidates will be asked the same 10-ish questions.
- Phase 4: Final Interview (~ 30 minutes) - This is a final interview with the CEO.
More About Grow Progress
We believe that inclusion and equity are the keys to a better future. We center these issues by creating accessible and affordable products, partnering with progressive organizations, and building transparency across our company.
We strive to foster belonging and empowerment at work and we continuously examine our efforts through our Growing Progress DEI&B working group. We are committed to building a team with a variety of backgrounds, skills, and experiences. Our goal is to create a workplace where every person feels supported and encouraged to thrive.
Our culture is fun, fast-paced, and focused on evidence. We aim to cultivate an environment where data drives our decisions rather than just anecdotes, and where everyone feels comfortable contributing ideas — even if it’s on a topic outside of their expertise. We work hard to get smarter together by giving each other feedback that’s direct, actionable, and respectful. We’re deeply motivated by the work we do and committed to using this technology ethically, so we’re looking for teammates who feel the same way.
We are committed to building an equitable company. We’re an equal opportunity employer. Qualified people of all races, ethnicities, cultures, ages, sexes, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, languages, social class, marital status, religions, veteran status, and disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Location: This position is remote. We do have an office in Washington, DC that you are welcome to join if you prefer to work onsite.
Salary Range: $70,000 - $90,000 plus equity, depending on skill level and experience. Company benefits include a company-sponsored health insurance plan (also dental and vision coverage), a flexible PTO plan, and a 401(k) with employer matching, among others.
