Forward-Deployed Software Engineer at Recidiviz, a criminal justice tech nonprofit. Role bridges core engineering and state government partners, scoping and deploying data platform solutions. Stack: Python, Javascript/Typescript, SQL, React, GCP/AWS/Azure.
Location: Remote, New York City, or Oakland
Role Type: Full-time
Compensation: $139,050 or $159,650, depending on seniority
Visa sponsorship: Not available
Hires remotely in: United States
Experience: 3+ years of technical experience
Recidiviz is thrilled to be hiring Forward-Deployed Software Engineers to join our team! We’re a small, fast-moving group that uses complex criminal justice data from our state partners to build products that target the drivers of incarceration. That’s where you come in. We’re looking for new teammates to be the technical bridge between our core engineering team and our state partners, scoping and deploying solutions into government environments on the front lines to help our products increase their impact across the country.
Recidiviz is creating safer, healthier communities by improving outcomes for people in the criminal justice system. We build technology to safely reduce the number of people in prison and to help criminal justice leaders embrace data-driven decision-making.
Using software tools and thoughtful product design, we’ve been able to safely and permanently reduce incarceration and improve outcomes. We work side-by-side with leaders of the criminal justice system, people in prison and on supervision, and ecosystem partners to build a better path forward. In addition to the revenue we earn from state partners, some of the most respected philanthropists and foundations support our work.
People who succeed at Recidiviz lead with kindness and humility, assume good intent, learn from failure, and fix problems when they see them. They are excited to work arm in arm with government leadership and staff to improve outcomes. They are great listeners. They build deep relationships with and empathy for the people we work with and the people who our mission serves, even when those two groups feel at odds.
As a Forward-Deployed Software Engineer, you will be directly on the front lines of our work, collaborating with state Departments of Corrections, government IT staff, and justice-impacted individuals to scope, adapt, and integrate Recidiviz’s data platform and products into their existing environments. You will partner with state leadership to understand their goals and constraints, define the right technical solutions, and then dive into complex, real-world data systems to make those solutions a reality.
You will also act as a crucial feedback loop. By gaining first-hand context of what works and what doesn't "in the wild," you will collaborate with our core product, design, and engineering teams to level up our platforms. You should have strong engineering fundamentals, an affinity for problem-solving in ambiguous environments, and the patience and customer savvy to turn complex deployments into long-term partnerships.
Here are a few things you might accomplish in your first year at Recidiviz that would demonstrate wild success in this role:
Compensation is standardized based on roles and responsibilities. This ensures equitable compensation and responsible stewardship of our resources. As such, we do not negotiate compensation offers.
The compensation for this role is: $139,050 or $159,650, depending on seniority.
Recidiviz was an all-volunteer effort until early 2019, when Clementine, Andrew, and Joshua founded the organization. Since then, we’ve built an A-team of software engineers, designers, product managers and domain experts, from companies like Google, Apple, Dropbox, Opower, and Sidewalk Labs. Recidiviz was part of Y-Combinator’s 2019 class and has received support from some of the most respected philanthropists and foundations, including Ford Foundation, Mackenzie Scott, Schmidt Futures, Arnold Ventures, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the Mozilla Foundation.
Today, Recidiviz works with (and earns revenue from) over 20 state partners – big and small, red and blue – and covers more than 46% of the US incarcerated population. We have helped to get tens of thousands of people out of the criminal justice system, safely and equitably, and saved states over $1 billion. In the next five years, Recidiviz plans to partner with 40 states and help 250,000 people who are stuck in the system to get out and stay out. In addition to partnering with state Departments of Corrections, Recidiviz collaborates with and learns from partners – from organizations like the Correctional Leaders Association (CLA) to community based organizations and justice-impacted individuals, whose perspectives guide our work.
To learn more about how we do what we do, check out our 2025 Year in Review, read some press coverage, or watch our TED Talk.
Lasting change is always built on diversity. Recidiviz recruits, employs, trains, compensates and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, gender identity and all protected status as required by applicable law. We consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you have a special need that requires accommodation, please let us know in your application. Even if you don't think you meet all the criteria above, drop your resume, and we'll take a look – you might be great for another role or another time!
