Senior Software Engineer at Swiftly

Swiftly is dedicated to making public transportation more efficient, reliable, and accessible.

The company operates a leading transit data platform that enables transportation agencies to provide real-time passenger information, oversee daily operations, and enhance service performance.

More than 200 transit agencies across 12 countries, including LA Metro, MARTA, SEPTA, and MBTA, use Swiftly’s technology.

Its solutions have helped improve on-time performance by up to 40% and passenger information accuracy by up to 50%, resulting in more reliable services, increased ridership, and more efficient transit operations.

Location: Although Swiftly is headquartered in San Francisco, California, applications are welcome from candidates based in most locations across the United States, as well as Ontario and British Columbia, Canada. Visa sponsorship is not currently available.

About Swiftly’s Engineering Team

At Swiftly, engineering goes beyond writing code. The company promotes collaborative, empowered product teams that work together to develop new ideas, validate solutions, and deliver innovative features.

Engineering teams balance continuous product improvements with experimentation, prototyping, and the development of scalable software using industry best practices.

Guided by a mission to improve the public transportation experience, Swiftly values thoughtful technical decisions, humility, and a strong understanding of customer needs.

About the Role

Swiftly is seeking an experienced Senior Software Engineer to join a cross-functional product team responsible for developing and maintaining systems that help transit agencies manage onboard hardware and connected devices.

The role covers a broad technology environment, connecting cloud-native services to Swiftly’s core data platform and embedded Internet of Things (IoT) devices installed on public transportation vehicles, including buses, trains, and ferries.

You will contribute across the entire technology stack, from developing software for edge devices and building communication systems that connect hardware to the cloud to creating backend services that configure devices, manage operations, and process incoming data.

Swiftly encourages applications from candidates who meet at least half of the listed qualifications and are enthusiastic about developing the remaining skills.

The company particularly values curiosity, adaptability, a willingness to learn, and the motivation to deliver meaningful customer results.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, maintain, and improve software products and features that address real customer challenges.
• Collaborate with Product, Design, and Engineering teams to understand customer requirements and evaluate technical solutions.
• Develop and maintain integrations with onboard hardware, including passenger counters, headsign controllers, and fare collection systems.
• Build and enhance cloud-based backend services responsible for device configuration, telemetry processing, and monitoring the health of connected devices across transit fleets.
• Develop reliable systems for remote device management, software installations, and over-the-air (OTA) updates.
• Establish effective testing approaches for hardware-connected systems, including integration tests, simulated environments, and production monitoring.
• Help maintain and improve Swiftly’s physical hardware laboratory when based near San Francisco, or contribute to remote development, testing, and troubleshooting solutions.
• Deliver continuous product improvements by identifying dependencies, organizing tasks into manageable stages, and regularly presenting development progress.
• Explain technical decisions, communicate system design proposals, and maintain clear documentation of architectural choices.
• Support the professional development of colleagues through code reviews, collaborative programming, and knowledge sharing.
• Take responsibility for assigned software and product areas while contributing to team reviews and ongoing improvements to engineering processes.

Required Qualifications and Experience

Successful candidates will ideally demonstrate the following:

• A strong interest in mission-driven technology and improving public transportation.
• At least five years of professional software engineering experience, including substantial exposure to embedded systems, IoT platforms, or edge computing.
• Strong Linux knowledge, including system imaging, administration, containerization, process management, networking, and security.
• Experience working with different communication protocols, including serial interfaces such as RS-232, J1708, and CAN; network technologies such as HTTP/REST, UDP, and TCP; and messaging systems such as MQTT, publish/subscribe, and store-and-forward.
• Familiarity with remote software deployment and update strategies, including OTA updates, A/B partitioning, configuration management, and edge container orchestration.
• Practical interest in working directly with hardware devices, from basic network connections to physical wiring and device assembly.
• A strong commitment to software quality, system validation, automated testing, observability, and performance monitoring.
• Ability to use modern AI-powered development tools to improve productivity and software quality.
• Experience with relevant programming languages and technologies, including Python, Java, JavaScript/TypeScript, MQTT, and SQL databases.
• Knowledge of cloud-native software architectures and services, preferably within AWS environments.
• A product-focused approach to engineering, with the ability to apply technology to solve practical customer problems.
• A commitment to continuous learning, exploring emerging technologies, and supporting the professional growth of colleagues.
• Strong collaboration skills and a willingness to contribute wherever necessary to achieve team objectives.
• Openness to constructive feedback, humility during technical discussions, and a commitment to learning from mistakes and improving together.

Salary and Compensation

Swiftly provides the following estimated salary ranges in accordance with applicable pay transparency requirements:

• United States: $124,000 – $205,000 USD annually.
• Canada: $152,000 – $190,000 CAD annually.

Final compensation will depend on several factors, including the candidate’s experience, technical skills, qualifications, geographic location, and the final level assigned to the position.

In addition to base salary, Swiftly offers stock options, competitive employee benefits, retirement savings contributions, professional development opportunities, and a supportive workplace culture focused on employee well-being and career growth.

Company Values and Expectations

Swiftly is interested in individuals who are passionate about transportation, sustainability, and technology projects that create meaningful real-world change.

The company promotes six core values:

• Teamwork: Believing that collaboration makes everyone more effective and better supported.
• Impact: Creating meaningful results for customers, the organization, and colleagues.
• Diversity: Welcoming different perspectives to identify challenges, strengthen ideas, and discover better solutions.
• Communication: Approaching internal and external interactions with trust and positive intentions.
• Feedback: Sharing constructive feedback to encourage professional and personal development.
• Growth: Supporting continuous improvement at both individual and organizational levels.

Employee Benefits

Swiftly provides a comprehensive benefits package designed to support employees professionally and personally, including:

• Competitive salary and equity ownership opportunities for every employee.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Retirement savings plans with employer matching.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
• Financial assistance for home office equipment and setup.
• Monthly mobile phone and internet reimbursements.
• Monthly wellness allowance.
• Flexible paid time off, with a recommended minimum.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• 16 paid company holidays, including additional holidays during months without U.S. national holidays.
• 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave for childbirth or adoption.

Travel Requirements

As a fully distributed organization, Swiftly generally organizes one or two in-person company or team retreats annually to strengthen relationships and encourage collaboration across departments.

Employee participation in these gatherings is expected and encouraged. However, the company recognizes that individual circumstances vary and will consider reasonable requests for exceptions.

Employees in customer-facing positions and certain other roles may have additional travel requirements.