Washington Post
Senior Software Engineer, Personalization & AI
Washington Post, Washington, District of Columbia, us, 20022
Join the Future of News
We're on a mission to deliver riveting storytelling for all of America. At The Washington Post, you'll help reinvent news. Our work is driven by a deep investigative spirit and enhanced by innovation to bring audiences closer to the stories that matter most. About Our Team
The Washington Post is powered by the passion and talent of our people. It takes all of us to reinvent news. Beyond our award-winning Newsroom and Opinions teams, we work across many departments, including Brand & Events, Communications, Customer Care, Engineering & Product, Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Marketing & Advertising, Print Operations, and Sales. Why This Role Matters
The Washington Post is seeking a Senior Software Engineer with expertise in personalization, AI-powered development, and scalable full-stack solutions. In this role, you'll contribute to the design, development, and deployment of intelligent user experiences by working with technologies like Python, Postgres, and AWS services. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, work on complex projects, and help shape how millions of users experience personalized content on our platform. What Motivates You
You're passionate about solving meaningful technical challenges that directly impact user experience. You have a curious mindset, always exploring new technologies and approaches. You're driven by collaboration, continuous learning, and building software that's both scalable and impactful. You thrive in environments where you have autonomy but also enjoy being part of a close-knit, supportive team. How You'll Support the Mission
Software Engineering Design, build, and maintain full-stack web applications using Python, React, Node.js, and AWS services. Develop and optimize database schemas and queries, primarily using Postgres. Follow best practices in version control, code reviews, unit testing, and continuous integration. AI and Personalization Partner with data scientists to integrate and deploy AI models and personalization features. Help build recommendation systems, content optimization tools, and other user-centric solutions. Collaboration Work closely with product managers, designers, and other engineers to define, scope, and deliver solutions. Translate business requirements into technical solutions that are robust, scalable, and user-focused. Mentorship Provide technical guidance to junior engineers through code reviews and knowledge sharing. Contribute to team-wide engineering standards and best practices. Project Involvement Participate in technical planning and design discussions for new features and infrastructure improvements. Take ownership of end-to-end development efforts from idea to production. The Skills and Experience You Bring
Education & Experience Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field (Master's degree is a plus). 7+ years of experience in software development, including 1+ years working with AI or personalization-focused features. Technical Skills Strong experience with full-stack development using Python, React, Node.js, and relational databases like Postgres, MySQL. Familiarity with NoSQL solutions like MongoDB or DocumentDB. Proficient with AWS services such as EC2, Lambda, S3, ECS, and RDS. Comfortable working with CI/CD pipelines and monitoring tools (e.g., Datadog, Splunk). Experience with in-memory data stores and caching solutions (e.g., Redis) to improve application performance and scalability. Experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as AWS CloudFormation or Terraform for automating cloud resource provisioning. Soft Skills Strong problem-solving and debugging skills. Effective communicator, able to articulate ideas to technical and non-technical stakeholders. Demonstrated ability to work independently, take initiative, and collaborate in team environments. Collaboration Makes Us Stronger. That's Why Our Offices Are Designed With Open Layouts, Modern Technology, and Easy Access to Transportation. With Certain Exceptions For Newsgathering And Business Travel, We Work On-Site Five Days A Week.
Compensation and Benefits
Wherever you are in your life or career, The Washington Post offers comprehensive and inclusive benefits for every step of your journey: Competitive medical, dental and vision coverage Company-paid pension and 401(k) match Three weeks of vacation and up to three weeks of paid sick leave Nine paid holidays and two personal days 20 weeks paid parental leave for any new parent Robust mental health resources Backup care and caregiver concierge services Gender affirming services Pet insurance Free Post digital subscription Leadership and career development programs Benefits may vary based on the job, full-time or part-time schedule, location, and collectively bargained status. The salary range for this position is $119,700 - $199,300 Annual. The actual salary within this range will depend on individual skills, experience, and qualifications as they relate to specific job requirements. This position may be eligible for a bonus or incentive program, and a member of the Talent Acquisition team will discuss bonus payment terms and conditions during the interview process.
We're on a mission to deliver riveting storytelling for all of America. At The Washington Post, you'll help reinvent news. Our work is driven by a deep investigative spirit and enhanced by innovation to bring audiences closer to the stories that matter most. About Our Team
The Washington Post is powered by the passion and talent of our people. It takes all of us to reinvent news. Beyond our award-winning Newsroom and Opinions teams, we work across many departments, including Brand & Events, Communications, Customer Care, Engineering & Product, Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Marketing & Advertising, Print Operations, and Sales. Why This Role Matters
The Washington Post is seeking a Senior Software Engineer with expertise in personalization, AI-powered development, and scalable full-stack solutions. In this role, you'll contribute to the design, development, and deployment of intelligent user experiences by working with technologies like Python, Postgres, and AWS services. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, work on complex projects, and help shape how millions of users experience personalized content on our platform. What Motivates You
You're passionate about solving meaningful technical challenges that directly impact user experience. You have a curious mindset, always exploring new technologies and approaches. You're driven by collaboration, continuous learning, and building software that's both scalable and impactful. You thrive in environments where you have autonomy but also enjoy being part of a close-knit, supportive team. How You'll Support the Mission
Software Engineering Design, build, and maintain full-stack web applications using Python, React, Node.js, and AWS services. Develop and optimize database schemas and queries, primarily using Postgres. Follow best practices in version control, code reviews, unit testing, and continuous integration. AI and Personalization Partner with data scientists to integrate and deploy AI models and personalization features. Help build recommendation systems, content optimization tools, and other user-centric solutions. Collaboration Work closely with product managers, designers, and other engineers to define, scope, and deliver solutions. Translate business requirements into technical solutions that are robust, scalable, and user-focused. Mentorship Provide technical guidance to junior engineers through code reviews and knowledge sharing. Contribute to team-wide engineering standards and best practices. Project Involvement Participate in technical planning and design discussions for new features and infrastructure improvements. Take ownership of end-to-end development efforts from idea to production. The Skills and Experience You Bring
Education & Experience Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field (Master's degree is a plus). 7+ years of experience in software development, including 1+ years working with AI or personalization-focused features. Technical Skills Strong experience with full-stack development using Python, React, Node.js, and relational databases like Postgres, MySQL. Familiarity with NoSQL solutions like MongoDB or DocumentDB. Proficient with AWS services such as EC2, Lambda, S3, ECS, and RDS. Comfortable working with CI/CD pipelines and monitoring tools (e.g., Datadog, Splunk). Experience with in-memory data stores and caching solutions (e.g., Redis) to improve application performance and scalability. Experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as AWS CloudFormation or Terraform for automating cloud resource provisioning. Soft Skills Strong problem-solving and debugging skills. Effective communicator, able to articulate ideas to technical and non-technical stakeholders. Demonstrated ability to work independently, take initiative, and collaborate in team environments. Collaboration Makes Us Stronger. That's Why Our Offices Are Designed With Open Layouts, Modern Technology, and Easy Access to Transportation. With Certain Exceptions For Newsgathering And Business Travel, We Work On-Site Five Days A Week.
Compensation and Benefits
Wherever you are in your life or career, The Washington Post offers comprehensive and inclusive benefits for every step of your journey: Competitive medical, dental and vision coverage Company-paid pension and 401(k) match Three weeks of vacation and up to three weeks of paid sick leave Nine paid holidays and two personal days 20 weeks paid parental leave for any new parent Robust mental health resources Backup care and caregiver concierge services Gender affirming services Pet insurance Free Post digital subscription Leadership and career development programs Benefits may vary based on the job, full-time or part-time schedule, location, and collectively bargained status. The salary range for this position is $119,700 - $199,300 Annual. The actual salary within this range will depend on individual skills, experience, and qualifications as they relate to specific job requirements. This position may be eligible for a bonus or incentive program, and a member of the Talent Acquisition team will discuss bonus payment terms and conditions during the interview process.