What are the responsibilities and job description for the Full Stack Engineer position at Safer Schools Together?
Senior Full-Stack Engineer - Safer Schools Together | San Diego, CA
Safer Schools Together is a leader in school safety and threat assessment solutions, serving educational institutions across North America. Our Digital Threat Assessment Management (DTAM) platform helps trained professionals conduct systematic analysis of concerning behaviors to prevent violence and support student well-being.
The Role
We're seeking an experienced Full-Stack Engineer to join our team in January 2026 and help take leadership of our DTAM platform. This specialized educational technology platform handles sensitive student data and requires both strong technical skills and understanding of FERPA/PIPEDA compliance.
You'll be responsible for new feature development, platform maintenance, infrastructure management, and continuing evolution of the platform beyond launch.
This role is perfect for:
- Mid to senior-level developers who can jump into an existing codebase and contribute quickly
- Professionals passionate about educational technology and student safety
- Developers comfortable with both infrastructure (AWS, Docker) and modern frontend frameworks
- Someone who wants to be a part of a meaningful, specialized application from development through launch and beyond
What You'll Do
Development & Innovation
- New feature development: Build organization management, case building, and Subject of Concern (SOC) management features
- Full-stack development: Work across React frontend (Tanstack Query) and Node.js/Express backend
- Database management: Work with complex PostgreSQL relationships for multi-tenant case management
- Platform maintenance: Resolve issues, optimize performance, and ensure reliability
- Testing: Implement and maintain test coverage using Vitest
Infrastructure & Operations
- AWS management: Configure and maintain region-specific deployments (US and Canada) with proper data residency
- Docker operations: Manage containerized application using Docker Compose
- S3 integration: Handle secure file storage and retrieval for evidence photos
- Security compliance: Maintain FERPA and PIPEDA compliance standards
Collaboration & Growth
- Knowledge transfer: Work with existing developer during transition period to understand architecture and decisions
- Code ownership: Take full responsibility for platform stability and performance
- User experience: Work with threat assessment professionals to refine workflows
- Documentation: Maintain technical documentation and deployment procedures
Qualifications
Must Have:
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field
- 4 years full-stack development experience
- Strong React proficiency (Tanstack Query/Router or similar modern patterns)
- FastAPI, Alembic backend development
- PostgreSQL database design and complex relational models
- Docker and Docker Compose
- AWS experience (IAM, VPC, EC2, ECS, security group, subnet configuration)
- Proven experience with TypeScript, Python, HTML, CSS, JavaScript
- Experience with authentication systems (Clerk or similar)
- Understanding of secure data handling and compliance requirements
- Strong problem-solving and debugging skills
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
- Clear communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders
Nice to Have:
- Tailwind CSS
- Vitest or modern testing frameworks
- FERPA, FIPPA, or PIPEDA compliance knowledge
- Educational technology or public sector software experience
- Multi-tenant application architecture
- File upload/management and image processing systems
Why This Role Matters
- Direct impact: Work on software that helps prevent school violence and protects students across North America
- Specialized expertise: Develop deep knowledge in educational technology and school safety systems
- Meaningful mission: Make a measurable difference in school communities and student well-being
- Long-term growth: Shape the platform's evolution beyond initial launch
Application Requirements
Please submit all applications through our website
Work With Us - SST - International Center for Digital Threat Assessment®
Please submit:
- Resume highlighting relevant full-stack development experience, especially with React and Node.js
- Cover letter explaining:
- Your experience working in existing codebases and contributing to active projects
- Interest in educational technology and school safety
- Relevant AWS/Docker infrastructure experience
- Portfolio/GitHub showcasing:
- React projects (Tanstack Query/Router a plus)
- Backend Node.js work
- PostgreSQL database design
- Clean, maintainable code examples
Interview Process
- Initial screening: 30-minute conversation about experience, fit, and technical background
- Technical interview: Remote session reviewing existing codebase and discussing approach to features
- In-person meeting: Solana Beach, CA office visit to meet the team and discuss platform architecture