Software Engineer III (CJIS)

San Luis Obispo (SLO) County, Information Technology Department (ITD), is looking for an experienced Software Engineer to join its applications division. This position will be a key contributor to a team that supports the County’s enterprise and in-house developed applications, serving the criminal justice line of business.

Located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, approximately 275,000 people call San Luis Obispo County home. Our County’s natural beauty includes beaches, lakes, mountains, wetlands, and oak-studded hills. It is home to California Polytechnic State University, Cuesta Community College, Hearst Castle, two historical missions, a commercial airport, and a Mediterranean-like climate. Residents rejuvenate themselves by enjoying the County's year-round farmers’ markets, wineries, public trails, and cultural events.

San Luis Obispo County Employment

The County of San Luis Obispo fosters a healthy work-life balance while making valuable and personal contributions to enhance the livelihood of our wonderful community.

The Information Technology Department

The County’s Information Technology Department (ITD) offers a dynamic, fast-paced, and collaborative environment where outstanding performance is recognized and rewarded. We value the unique talents of our team and are committed to their continued professional growth and technical advancement.

Our department is made up of skilled professionals who support the County’s technology infrastructure across all departments. The development teams design and maintain a broad range of custom applications and vendor integrations that serve County operations and users. This centralized structure enables engineers to collaborate with 23 different departments, providing valuable experience and the opportunity to deliver impactful, high-value solutions.

About the Position

We are recruiting a Software Development Engineer III to design, build, and maintain the County’s enterprise and in-house applications that support the County’s Criminal Justice departments. This mid-senior role contributes to architecture discussions, owns feature delivery from concept to production, and partners with senior engineers to ensure solutions meet strategic and security objectives.

The Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) serves the Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney, Probation, Courts, Public Defender, and local law enforcement. This includes maintaining a complex, custom-built Enterprise Service Bus middleware platform, along with several supporting systems.

Applicants must have permanent US work eligibility, will be required to undergo live-scan fingerprinting, and pass a criminal background check.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and maintain high quality software components and distributed services
• Participate in backlog refinement, sprint planning, daily stand ups, and code reviews
• Implement and monitor CI / CD pipelines using established tools and scripts
• Troubleshoot and resolve defects in development and production environments
• Write and maintain clear technical documentation for features, services, and APIs
• Collaborate with product owners, UX designers, and stakeholders to refine requirements and deliver value
• Contribute to continual improvement of coding standards, tooling, and engineering processes
• Provide informal mentorship and knowledge sharing for junior engineers and interns

Core Competencies and Knowledge

• Proficient in modern software engineering practices, object oriented and functional design patterns, and RESTful service design
• Working knowledge of cloud infrastructure and container orchestration on Azure
• Familiarity with Azure Integration Services
• Familiarity with relational and NoSQL data modeling, including query optimization and indexing strategies
• Understanding of secure coding techniques and basic regulatory compliance requirements
• Effective written and verbal communication, collaboration, and analytical skills

Personal Abilities

• Analyze and solve moderate to complex technical problems independently
• Deliver maintainable, well tested code that meets performance and reliability targets
• Balance multiple tasks and priorities while meeting agreed upon deadlines
• Embrace feedback, adapt to changing requirements, and learn new technologies quickly
• Thrive in both independent and collaborative work environments

Desired Technical Qualifications

• Exposure to Agile / Scrum development practices
• Experience building distributed systems on AWS, Azure, or GCP
• Proficiency in modern languages such as C#, Java, Go, or Scheme
• Hands-on experience with SQL Server, MySQL, DynamoDB, Bigtable, or similar databases, including writing and tuning queries and/or stored procedures
• Familiarity with message queues, workflow engines, and microservices patterns
• Knowledge of secure development practices and application security principles
• Ability to create responsive, user-friendly web applications with Angular, TypeScript, JavaScript, jQuery, and/or HTML5
• Experience with Microsoft Visual Studio, Entity Framework, Azure DevOps, and automated testing frameworks
• Working knowledge of XML, JSON, SOAP, and RESTful APIs
• Understanding of Microsoft Active Directory integration

In addition to the qualifications listed above, candidates should also meet the detailed knowledge and ability requirements outlined in the officialSoftware Engineer IIIjob specifications.

Minimum Education and Experience

Either A:Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field. (Job-related experience may substitute for the required education on a year-for-year basis) In addition, two years of experience in analysis, programming, and/or database administration. (A post-graduate degree in a related field may substitute for one year of the required experience).
OR B: An associate’s degree or 60 semester units or 90 quarter units from an accredited college or university or completion from a job-related, accredited vocational institution. In addition, four years of experience in analysis, programming and/or database administration.

Additional Benefits

The annual salary is supplemented by a generous benefit package which includes:

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Participation in the San Luis Obispo County Pension Trust Retirement Fund
• Deferred Compensation Plan
• Flexible Spending Section 125 Plans
• Paid Personal, Sick and Vacation Days
• Paid Holidays
• Employee Assistance Program
• Staff Development and Education Allowance
• Post-employment Health Plan

Applications, including answers to supplemental questions, must be submitted online. Apply for this position at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/slocountyca/jobs/5317204/software-engineer-iii-cjis . Most County recruitments require you to respond to supplemental questions as part of the application process. We recommend that you review these questions prior to beginning your application. Responses to supplemental questions will be scored as a part of the application review process.

An initial application review will be conducted. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications and are best qualified will be invited to participate in selection activities which may include online assessments, performance exams, written exams, and interviews.

Final candidates will be required to have an in-depth background review performed before proceeding in the process. Please note that references will not be contacted until the end of the process.

If you have questions or would like to discuss the opportunity further, please contact Human Resources at hr@co.slo.ca.us. Confidential inquiries are welcomed.

For further information regarding the County of San Luis Obispo, visit our website at www.slocounty.ca.gov.