Job Information
Pearson Senior Software Developer- Item Assist product in Montgomery, Alabama
Summary:
As a Senior Software Developer, you will be the most senior engineer of a 3-person dev team focused on adding new “Item Assist” features using C# and Angular into the ExamDeveloper web app. This role is expected to evolve in two parts. During this initial build-out period which we anticipate will last 1 year, you’ll direct the work of the 3-person USA-based team of developers, QA consultants in India, and additional temporary Dev and QA consultants. Roughly 2/3rds of your time will be writing code as an individual contributor and the other 1/3rd of your time will be on leadership and supervision tasks. You will supervise all engineering activities of the team, including technical decision-making, creating team processes, and leading code review. You will provide work direction as part of Agile software development processes and serve as the team’s Scrum Master. Though you will supervise the work of other engineers on the team, this is an individual contributor role and HR management responsibilities of other engineers would be with someone else.
After this initial build-out period is complete, your role shifts to be 100% individual contributor at a Senior level and your focus areas will expand beyond just Item Assist. You’ll continue to provide technical leadership to the team but covering all of ExamDeveloper, not just the Item Assist features. You’ll be part of a larger team at this stage.
The Tool:
Our Item Assist tool started off as a standalone prototype tool for letting users use generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) to create test questions. Building upon the success of the prototype we are incorporating these AI interactions into Pearson VUE’s ExamDeveloper item authoring tool (https://www.pearsonvue.com/us/en/test-owners/develop.html). ExamDeveloper is a web-based exam development platform that allows our customers to write, review and manage questions on their exams. ExamDeveloper is the leading web-based tool for creating tests to certify test-takers in the professional skills they require. Customers rely on ExamDeveloper to support their entire workflow around question writing, collaborative review, scoring, and test management.
Special note: this role and this specific team will not be doing AI-based development work. Other engineering teams at Pearson are working on the AI capabilities that power the Item Assist product. The Item Assist features in ExamDeveloper represent the user interface and the application experience for our customers. Therefore, skills like machine learning, prompting, large language models, etc are not applicable to this role, but some knowledge about AI concepts could be beneficial.
In this role you’ll focus on the new Item Assist features in ExamDeveloper but will also work on other ExamDeveloper development efforts. You will partner with the Product Manager to bring their vision to reality and work alongside the Architect, Project Manager, and Business Analyst.
ExamDeveloper’s primary tech stack is .NET and C# on the backend and Angular on the frontend hosted in Microsoft Azure. Item Assist will use an in-house Angular-based UI framework. You’ll work with containerized services orchestrated by Kubernetes and Microsoft SQL Server. We strongly prefer Angular experience because it is an important technology for this product.
Work Location:
REMOTE - United States , required to work mostly Central time zone normal business hours.
Responsibilities:
Develop new features and other technical implementation work (see notes above for allocations for this that vary over time)
Make technical decisions on behalf of the team with partnership of the Architect
Provide leadership for the team of engineers in an Agile software development approach
Create work processes for the team and continually evolve them as needs change
Enforce high standards of software development to achieve quality
Coach other team members to help them grow and bring out their best work
Plan the team’s work and estimate future desired work
Act as Scrum Master of the Agile team
Release and On-call duties -- Participate in release deployment activities and a rotating on-call escalation system during non-business hours.
Required Education and Experience:
5+ years work experience as a software developer
Experience supervising the work of technical staff either formally or informally
2+ years experience with Angular
2+ years experience with C#
Bachelor degree in Computer Science, MIS, or equivalent technology discipline
Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Relational databases
DevOps workflows related to cloud-based development and deployment
Experience in an Agile software development environment
Demonstrated technical leadership
Clear communication skills to various types of audiences
History of continuous improvement
Compensation at Pearson is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and specific location. As required by the Colorado, California, Washington State, New York State and New York City laws, the pay range for this position is as follows:
The minimum full-time salary range is between $120k- 135k.
This position is eligible to participate in an annual incentive program, and information on benefits offered is here.
What to expect from Pearson
Did you know Pearson is one of the 10 most innovative education companies of 2022?
At Pearson, we add life to a lifetime of learning so everyone can realize the life they imagine. We do this by creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. We are on a journey to be 100 percent digital to meet the changing needs of the global population by developing a new strategy with ambitious targets. To deliver on our strategic vision, we have five business divisions that are the foundation for the long-term growth of the company: Assessment & Qualifications, Virtual Learning, English Language Learning, Workforce Skills and Higher Education. Alongside these, we have our corporate divisions: Digital & Technology, Finance, Global Corporate Marketing & Communications, Human Resources, Legal, Strategy and Direct to Consumer. Learn more at We are Pearson.
We value the power of an inclusive culture and also a strong sense of belonging. We promote a culture where differences are embraced, opportunities are accessible, consideration and respect are the norm and all individuals are supported in reaching their full potential. Through our talent, we believe that diversity, equity and inclusion make us a more innovative and vibrant place to work. People are at the center, and we are committed to building a workplace where talent can learn, grow and thrive.
Pearson is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. We want a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We strive for a workforce that reflects the diversity of our communities.
To learn more about Pearson’s commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce, navigate to: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Pearson.
If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing TalentExperienceGlobalTeam@grp.pearson.com.
Note that the information you provide will stay confidential and will be stored securely. It will not be seen by those involved in making decisions as part of the recruitment process.
Job: TECHNOLOGY
Organization: Assessment & Qualifications
Schedule: FULL_TIME
Workplace Type: Remote
Req ID: 16684
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