Senior Software Engineer (Part-Time)

Description
Do you want your code to help students get back in the classroom? Do you like owning a product end to end instead of a narrow slice of it? Do you want to see what you ship in real users' hands next week, not next year?
Circle2Learn is the first AI workflow assistant built for K-12 school leaders working to reduce chronic absenteeism. Founded by a former school administrator, the platform connects directly to a district's student information system (SIS), flags at-risk students early, and turns hours of attendance paperwork into meeting-ready intervention plans in minutes. Attendance clerks, counselors, principals, and district administrators use it every day to identify, plan, support, track, and recover. It also helps them reclaim the per-pupil ADA funding schools lose with every chronically absent student. We are live with California districts and growing.
As a Senior Software Engineer at Circle2Learn, you'll be a core hands-on engineer on the platform, working directly with the founding team. You will own your code across its entire lifecycle: design, build, deploy, and operate. Our stack is TypeScript end to end (an Angular front end, a NestJS API on Node.js, MongoDB, and AWS), with Anthropic's Claude powering Marco, our in-app assistant, and our AI-generated reports. The product is mature enough to have real, enthusiastic users and compact enough (two repositories) that you can understand all of it.
Your time will split between keeping the platform reliable (data accuracy, bug fixes, and production operations) and shipping the roadmap. Near-term priorities include two-way integration with the Aeries SIS, connecting our tools so updates flow between them automatically, and extending the platform from elementary into middle and high schools with period-level attendance and parent notifications.
This is a part-time role of approximately 20 hours per week, designed for an experienced engineer who moves quickly with AI-assisted development, communicates proactively, and wants real ownership over a product with a clear mission. We welcome candidates who hold a full-time role elsewhere or who are between roles and looking for meaningful work.
Key job responsibilities
Own the Circle2Learn platform end to end (Angular front end, NestJS API, MongoDB data layer, and AWS infrastructure), from design through deployment and ongoing operations.
Partner directly with the founding team to scope features, translate educator feedback into technical plans, and make pragmatic build-vs-defer tradeoffs.
Build and maintain integrations with student information systems, starting with two-way sync to Aeries, with a strong focus on data accuracy and reconciliation.
Design features on top of large language models (Anthropic Claude), including prompt pipelines, AI-generated reports, and the Marco in-app assistant.
Monitor, troubleshoot, and resolve production issues; keep scheduled jobs, deployments, and third-party services (email, PDF generation, Google Workspace) healthy and cost-effective.
Use AI coding tools daily to deliver high-quality work quickly, while keeping the codebase clean, tested, and well documented.
Protect student data in every feature you build, following FERPA and COPPA requirements and security best practices.
Communicate progress, risks, and tradeoffs clearly and regularly to non-technical stakeholders.
Basic Qualifications
5+ years of professional software engineering, building and operating production web applications
TypeScript across front end and back end, including Node.js
Modern JavaScript frameworks such as React or Angular
Non-relational databases (e.g., MongoDB, DynamoDB), including schema design and query optimization
Deploying and operating applications on AWS
Integrating with third-party REST APIs
Migrating production systems without data loss or extended downtime
Taking over a thinly documented codebase and making it maintainable
Daily, hands-on use of AI coding tools (e.g., Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot), with the judgment to review and stand behind AI-generated code
Availability for approximately 20 hours per week with reliable overlap with Pacific Time business hours
Authorized to work in the United States
Preferred Qualifications
Angular (with PrimeNG or Tailwind CSS) and NestJS, our current stack
MongoDB, including Atlas Vector Search
Docker and AWS services such as ECS/ECR, CloudFront, Amplify, S3, and Secrets Manager
Building product features on LLM APIs, preferably Anthropic Claude
Education technology, or integrating with a K-12 student information system (Aeries, PowerSchool, Infinite Campus, Synergy, or similar)
Familiarity with FERPA, COPPA, or other student-data privacy requirements
End-to-end testing (e.g., Playwright) and CI/CD pipelines
Automated accessibility testing (WCAG 2.1 AA, e.g., axe-core) in CI
LLM observability, AI guardrails, or PII redaction
Sole or lead engineer at an early-stage startup
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including with non-technical partners
Equal Opportunity
Circle2Learn is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of every background and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. If you need an accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know at info@circle2learn.com.
Compensation
This role pays a monthly retainer of $3,000 USD. Final compensation will be based on experience and qualifications.

Work arrangement
Yes