
Senior Software Engineer, Software Engineering Practice
GovTech Singapore · Singapore, Singapore
- On site
- Full-time
- SGD 120,000 / year
- Singapore, Singapore
Job highlights
- Develop and enhance Backstage portal and custom plugins.
- Champion software engineering best practices and standards.
- Improve platform reliability, scalability, and performance.
- Elevate developer experience through streamlined workflows.
- Collaborate with teams, mentor engineers, and inform strategy.
About the role
About GovTech Singapore
GovTech is the lead agency driving Singapore’s Smart Nation initiatives and public sector digital transformation. As the Centre of Excellence for Infocomm Technology and Smart Systems (ICT & SS), GovTech develops the Singapore Government’s capabilities in Data Science & Artificial Intelligence, Application Development, Smart City Technology, Digital Infrastructure, and Cybersecurity.
At GovTech, we offer you a purposeful career to make lives better where we empower our people to master their craft through robust learning and development opportunities all year round.
Play a part in Singapore’s vision to build a Smart Nation and embark on your meaningful journey to build tech for public good. Join us to advance our mission and shape your future with us today!
Learn more about GovTech at tech.gov.sg.
What you will be working on
The Government Technology Office - Software Engineering Practice is responsible for establishing standards, driving engineering excellence, and spearheading continuous innovation in the software engineering practice in GovTech and WOG.
We are dedicated to enhancing systems operational visibility and engineering practices across the organization. Our core mission is to build, maintain, and evolve a robust internal developer platform (IDP) powered by Backstage. We aim to provide a streamlined, efficient, and enjoyable environment for engineering teams to deliver impactful public services.
As a Senior Software Engineer focused on our GovTech Backstage portal you will:
- Support Backstage Platform Development: Contribute to the design, implementation, and enhancement of our Backstage portal, focusing on developing custom plugins (frontend and backend) and integrating developer tools for specific domains. Support the evolution of the core platform architecture.
- Champion Engineering Excellence: Write high-quality, well-tested code for plugins and core platform services. Advocate for and implement best practices in software development, testing, and deployment.
- Enhance Platform Reliability and Scalability: Focus on the operational excellence of our products. Improve its reliability, performance, monitoring, and scalability to serve a growing number of users and services.
- Elevate Developer Experience: Actively contribute to improving the overall developer experience for GovTech engineers. Gather feedback, identify pain points, and implement solutions that streamline workflows.
- Evaluate and Integrate Technologies: Explore, evaluate, and integrate new tools, technologies, and plugins that can enhance our IDP's capabilities and align with our strategic goals.
- Collaborate and Mentor: Work closely with various engineering teams to understand their needs and ensure that we can align our development with it. Mentor other engineers and share your expertise in IDP development.
- Inform Product Strategy: Provide input into the technical roadmap and strategy for the GovTech's tools, helping to ensure it aligns with domain-specific needs and organizational objectives.
What we are looking for
You may be a great fit if:
- You care about creating public impact through software — and focus on outcomes, not just output.
- You have experience building high-quality, maintainable, and secure software systems.
- You’re a systems thinker who considers architecture, performance, and operations as part of your design process.
- You possess deep expertise in our core technologies: React, TypeScript and Node.js.
- You write clean, testable code, and understand the value of CI/CD, observability, and automation.
- You excel in collaborative environments, working effectively with fellow engineers, product managers, UX designers, and other engineers to deliver high-quality platform.
- You are curious, adaptable, and always learning — whether it's a new technology, tool, or team practice.
- You give and receive feedback generously, and help others grow.
- You model a “you build it, you own it” mindset — taking responsibility for your work beyond release.
- You are passionate about improving developer workflows and building platforms that empower engineering teams.
We’re especially excited by senior engineers who:
- Are passionate about building and scaling internal developer platforms to improve engineering workflows.
- Drive improvements in developer experience through thoughtful platform design and automation.
- Possess a deep understanding of system design, API development, and software plugin architectures.
- Have an interest in open-source communities and are keen to leverage their advancements.
- Champion modern software engineering practices, including robust testing, CI/CD, and observability, within a platform context.
- Are eager to leverage AI and other emerging technologies to enhance our IDP and empower developers.
- Enjoy mentoring others and fostering a culture of technical excellence and collaboration.
GovTech is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive workplace that values diverse voices and perspectives, as we believe it is key to innovation.
Our employee benefits are based on a total rewards approach, offering a holistic and market-competitive suite of perks.
We champion flexible work arrangements (subject to your job role) and trust you to manage your time to deliver your best.
Learn more about life inside GovTech at go.gov.sg/GovTechCareers.
Key skills/competency
- Senior Software Engineer
- Software Engineering Practice
- Internal Developer Platform (IDP)
- Backstage Portal
- React
- TypeScript
- Node.js
- CI/CD
- Observability
- Developer Experience
Skills & topics
- Senior Software Engineer
- Software Engineering Practice
- Internal Developer Platform
- Backstage
- React
- TypeScript
- Node.js
- CI/CD
- Observability
- Developer Experience
- Platform Engineering
- System Design
- API Development
- Plugin Architecture
- Smart Nation
- Public Sector Technology
- Singapore
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight experience with React, TypeScript, Node.js, and platform development.
- Showcase impact: Quantify achievements in improving developer experience and platform scalability.
- Prepare for technical interviews: Review system design, API development, and coding best practices.
- Emphasize collaboration: Provide examples of mentoring and cross-functional teamwork.
- Demonstrate passion: Express your interest in public good and tech for impact.
Technical preparation
Behavioral questions
Frequently asked questions
- What is the primary focus of the Senior Software Engineer role at GovTech Singapore?
- The Senior Software Engineer role at GovTech Singapore focuses on developing and enhancing the GovTech Backstage portal, which serves as an Internal Developer Platform (IDP). You will contribute to custom plugin development, platform architecture, and improving the overall developer experience for engineers within the organization.
- What are the core technologies used for this Senior Software Engineer position?
- The core technologies for this role include React, TypeScript, and Node.js. Expertise in these areas is crucial for developing custom plugins and backend services for the Backstage portal.
- How does GovTech Singapore support professional development for its engineers?
- GovTech Singapore offers robust learning and development opportunities throughout the year, empowering employees to master their craft. This includes opportunities to stay updated with new technologies, tools, and team practices.
- What is the work arrangement for a Senior Software Engineer at GovTech?
- GovTech champions flexible work arrangements, subject to your job role. They trust employees to manage their time effectively to deliver their best work.
- What kind of impact can a Senior Software Engineer make at GovTech?
- As a Senior Software Engineer, you will play a part in Singapore's vision to build a Smart Nation and contribute to digital transformation. You'll be building tech for public good, making lives better by empowering engineering teams and improving public services.
- What are the key responsibilities for a Senior Software Engineer on the Software Engineering Practice team?
- Key responsibilities include supporting Backstage platform development, championing engineering excellence, enhancing platform reliability and scalability, elevating developer experience, evaluating and integrating new technologies, collaborating and mentoring, and informing product strategy.
- Does GovTech Singapore encourage contributions to open-source communities?
- Yes, GovTech is particularly excited by senior engineers who have an interest in open-source communities and are keen to leverage their advancements. This suggests an environment that values external collaboration and knowledge sharing.