Software Engineer

Reports To: CTO
Location: San Francisco, CA

Reinventing Government Interactions for a Sustainable Future

At Symbium, we’re on a mission to streamline how citizens interact with local government and cut through the red tape in permitting processes. Imagine a world where homeowners and contractors can effortlessly navigate complex regulations, instantly determine what projects are possible on their property, and secure approvals with the click of a button. Symbium is making that world a reality. By transforming dense rules into user-friendly software, we empower people to get work done without frustration and delay.

Symbium’s proprietary computational law (Complaw®) technology – initially developed at Stanford’s AI Lab – performs permit compliance checks in real time, enabling instant permit approvals. Symbium is currently partnered with 270+ cities – and growing fast. Our platform accelerates clean energy adoption by simplifying approvals for installations of solar panels, reroofing, and EV chargers to heat pumps and beyond. This streamlined process helps communities transition more quickly to decarbonization and energy independence.

The Opportunity

Symbium is looking for a Software Engineer who is ready to take on ownership across the stack and do work that actually matters. You will write a lot of code, ship features end-to-end, and collaborate with experienced engineers on genuinely hard problems.

This role is designed for someone ready to own meaningful work independently and grow into broader technical responsibility as Symbium scales. You’ll work on systems that translate complex regulations into deterministic, production-grade software.

You’ll tackle challenging technical problems (think translating law into code!), collaborate with a passionate team, and expand your engineering skills in a supportive environment.If you love the idea of using technology to disrupt the status quo and make a positive impact on society, you’ll thrive in this role.

What you'll do (Responsibilities)

• Build and own features:
• Deliver well-scoped features end-to-end: design, implementation, deployment, and iteration.
• Build workflows, APIs, integrations, and backend systems that power Symbium’s permitting platform.
• Contribute to production-grade AI features with real user impact.
• Participate in code reviews and keep documentation current as part of your workflow.
• Drive implementation decisions:
• Make pragmatic trade-offs when implementing features, balancing speed, correctness, and maintainability.
• Identify edge cases, failure modes, and gaps early, and address them proactively.
• Ensure quality and reliability:
• Write tests, instrument your code, and treat observability as a core responsibility.
• Debug and resolve production issues end-to-end, taking ownership through resolution.
• Communicate clearly:
• Write clear proposals, documentation, and async updates that keep the team aligned.
• Explain technical decisions and trade-offs in plain language to engineers and non-engineers.
• Work with stakeholders:
• Translate product and policy requirements into concrete technical tasks and deliverables.
• Surface risks early and communicate clearly about what you are building and why.
• Execute independently:
• Operate with minimal day-to-day guidance within defined scopes.
• Take ambiguous problems and drive them to resolution, seeking input when needed.

Who we're looking for (Qualifications)

We are looking for strong builders who take ownership and prioritize correctness. You might be a great fit if you have:

• 3–5 years of hands-on software engineering experience, including shipping and maintaining production systems. If you are earlier but have owned meaningful systems end-to-end, we would still love to hear from you.
• A track record of owning and delivering features end-to-end, from requirements to production.
• Strong full-stack capabilities: backend services, APIs, and modern front-end development.
• Proficiency in JavaScript/TypeScript and Node.js in production environments; familiarity with cloud infrastructure (e.g., AWS).
• Experience with relational databases and data modeling, including writing efficient queries and designing scalable schemas.
• Experience integrating systems (APIs, third-party services), with an understanding of reliability, failure modes, and edge cases.
• Exposure to or interest in AI/ML-driven features and integrating model outputs into production workflows.
• Strong communication skills: you ask sharp questions, surface risks early, and document decisions clearly.
• A strong sense of ownership and accountability: you follow through and treat production systems seriously.
• A commitment to testing, observability, and debugging as core engineering practices.

Nice-to-Have Skills

• A Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, particularly with exposure to systems or AI/ML.
• Experience building or integrating AI/ML-driven features into production systems.
• Familiarity with logic or declarative programming paradigms (e.g., Prolog).
• Experience working in high-ownership or early-stage environments.
• Domain familiarity with government systems, permitting, or electrification.

Our Culture & Why You’ll Love Symbium

• Mission with Impact: Your work will directly accelerate the adoption of clean energy and make government services more accessible. Every feature you build can help someone install solar panels, get an EV charger, or improve their home with less hassle. If you’ve wanted to do good with your coding skills, this is it.
• High-Ownership Environment: We believe in ownership and accountability. On our team, everyone trusts each other to deliver results. You’ll have the freedom to innovate, make decisions, and drive projects, with the support of experienced mentors when you need it.
• Tight-Knit & Hands-On: We work side by side every day – C-level executives, engineers, and interns alike – sharing ideas and tackling problems together. You’ll find us walking to the Ferry Building for lunch, debating product decisions, and jumping in wherever needed to keep things moving. Everyone has a voice, and we focus on collaboration and execution over titles and hierarchy.
• Competitive Benefits: We offer a competitive startup package, including:
• Competitive salary.
• Stock options in a growing, venture-backed company.
• Attractive 401k and health benefits.
• Working alongside a highly mission-driven, small, supportive team of ambitious, smart creatives in an environment that fosters continuous learning and adaptive problem solving. We turn complex challenges into beautiful, impactful solutions.

How to Apply

If Symbium’s mission and team resonate with you, we’d love to hear from you! To apply, please send an email to careers@symbium.com with your resume, LinkedIn information, and a brief note about why you’re excited to join Symbium.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis and be willing to relocate to California prior to the start of employment. Symbium does not provide visa sponsorships at this time.

Symbium is an equal opportunity employer.