What are the responsibilities and job description for the Software Engineer II position at Art of Problem Solving?
At AoPS, we are world leaders in teaching advanced mathematics. We train many of the most elite mathematicians in the world, including all members of the US International Math Olympiad team. Despite this impact, AoPS remains relatively unknown to the broader public.
AoPS is unique because it is vertically integrated: it develops its own curriculum, runs its own physical learning centers, employs teachers, and has a robust and capable product, design, and engineering team. Today, our curriculum and academic programs are absolutely world-class, but our digital experiences are dated. Your job will be to reimagine Beast Academy - the digital learning experience for our youngest learners - and to push the upper bounds of great teaching and learning.
At Beast Academy, we're at an inflection point. We've spent years building a learning experience that makes advanced mathematics irresistible to elementary students through comic books that kids can't put down and an online platform where struggling feels like playing. Hundreds of thousands of kids have fallen in love with math through Beast Academy, but we've just scratched the surface. Now, we're building a new, small, mission-driven team in San Francisco focused on reimagining how more students can better experience the magic of our world-class content.
As a Software Engineer II you'll take ownership of features and components that help elementary students learn advanced mathematics. You'll be a core member of a small, mission-driven team in San Francisco, partnering directly with our Head of Beast Academy, curriculum designers, and the broader AoPS engineering organization to build products that make math irresistible to young learners.
What You'll Do
Own Features End-to-End: You'll take responsibility for features from design through deployment, making sound technical decisions within your domain and delivering high-quality work that helps the team meet its commitments.
Build Robust Solutions: Design and implement solutions that work reliably within your area of ownership. You'll evaluate trade-offs, consider how your work integrates with other systems, and address technical debt as you go.
Grow Your Craft: Deepen your expertise in our tech stack and develop advanced knowledge in specific areas. You'll write efficient, maintainable code and continuously improve the systems you touch.
Contribute to Technical Direction: Participate in design discussions, offer ideas, and help shape the technical approach for your components. Your perspective matters, and you'll have opportunities to influence how we build.
Communicate Clearly: Keep stakeholders informed on your progress, surface blockers early, and collaborate effectively with your team. No surprises, just transparent communication that helps everyone move forward.
Deliver Quality: Design for reliability from the start. You'll write thorough tests, implement monitoring where needed, and take pride in shipping work that holds up in production.
The Ideal Candidate Has
This is a hybrid full-time position based in our San Francisco office. The full salary range for this position is $123k-150k. Here are some things you can look forward to:
Please note that employment is contingent on the successful completion of a background check.
Work Authorization
Please note that in order to be considered for this position you must be legally authorized to work in the US. We are unable to offer sponsorship, including STEM-OPT and H-1B.
About AoPS
Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) is on a mission to discover, inspire, and train the great problem solvers of the next generation. Since 2003, we have trained hundreds of thousands of the country's top students, including nearly all the members of the US International Math Olympiad team, through our online school, in-person academies, textbooks, and online learning systems. While our primary focus has been math for most of our history, through the years we have expanded our unique problem-solving curriculum into more subjects, such as language arts, science, and computer science.
AoPS is unique because it is vertically integrated: it develops its own curriculum, runs its own physical learning centers, employs teachers, and has a robust and capable product, design, and engineering team. Today, our curriculum and academic programs are absolutely world-class, but our digital experiences are dated. Your job will be to reimagine Beast Academy - the digital learning experience for our youngest learners - and to push the upper bounds of great teaching and learning.
At Beast Academy, we're at an inflection point. We've spent years building a learning experience that makes advanced mathematics irresistible to elementary students through comic books that kids can't put down and an online platform where struggling feels like playing. Hundreds of thousands of kids have fallen in love with math through Beast Academy, but we've just scratched the surface. Now, we're building a new, small, mission-driven team in San Francisco focused on reimagining how more students can better experience the magic of our world-class content.
As a Software Engineer II you'll take ownership of features and components that help elementary students learn advanced mathematics. You'll be a core member of a small, mission-driven team in San Francisco, partnering directly with our Head of Beast Academy, curriculum designers, and the broader AoPS engineering organization to build products that make math irresistible to young learners.
What You'll Do
Own Features End-to-End: You'll take responsibility for features from design through deployment, making sound technical decisions within your domain and delivering high-quality work that helps the team meet its commitments.
Build Robust Solutions: Design and implement solutions that work reliably within your area of ownership. You'll evaluate trade-offs, consider how your work integrates with other systems, and address technical debt as you go.
Grow Your Craft: Deepen your expertise in our tech stack and develop advanced knowledge in specific areas. You'll write efficient, maintainable code and continuously improve the systems you touch.
Contribute to Technical Direction: Participate in design discussions, offer ideas, and help shape the technical approach for your components. Your perspective matters, and you'll have opportunities to influence how we build.
Communicate Clearly: Keep stakeholders informed on your progress, surface blockers early, and collaborate effectively with your team. No surprises, just transparent communication that helps everyone move forward.
Deliver Quality: Design for reliability from the start. You'll write thorough tests, implement monitoring where needed, and take pride in shipping work that holds up in production.
The Ideal Candidate Has
- 2–4 years of professional experience in full stack web development
- Solid proficiency with modern web technologies (we use TypeScript, React, Next.js, and PostgreSQL)
- Ability to take ownership of features and deliver them independently with limited guidance
- Strong problem-solving skills and attention to code quality
- Comfort working in a fast-paced environment where requirements evolve
- A collaborative mindset and clear communication skills
- Strong backend experience
- Experience with educational or other gaming software
This is a hybrid full-time position based in our San Francisco office. The full salary range for this position is $123k-150k. Here are some things you can look forward to:
- Impact: Join a small, high-agency team building the future of how students experience world-class education. Your work will directly affect hundreds of thousands of students who are discovering the joy of problem solving
- Flexibility: Casual work environment with flexible scheduling
- Benefits: Multiple options for Medical, Dental, and Vision plans
- Future Planning: 401(k) with company match
- Quality of Life: PTO plan and supportive leadership that gives you the work-life balance you deserve
- Ease of Transition: Relocation bonus (if currently located outside of San Francisco)
Please note that employment is contingent on the successful completion of a background check.
Work Authorization
Please note that in order to be considered for this position you must be legally authorized to work in the US. We are unable to offer sponsorship, including STEM-OPT and H-1B.
About AoPS
Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) is on a mission to discover, inspire, and train the great problem solvers of the next generation. Since 2003, we have trained hundreds of thousands of the country's top students, including nearly all the members of the US International Math Olympiad team, through our online school, in-person academies, textbooks, and online learning systems. While our primary focus has been math for most of our history, through the years we have expanded our unique problem-solving curriculum into more subjects, such as language arts, science, and computer science.
Salary : $123,000 - $150,000