Job Description

Role Intent

The Software Engineer Apprentice role is designed for recent graduates (within the last 12 months) or individuals with equivalent early-career experience who are beginning their professional journey in software engineering. This position bridges academic learning and full professional practice, emphasizing applied skills, growing independence, and real contribution within an enterprise Agile environment.



This is a transitional, skill-acceleration role. Apprentices are expected to move beyond classroom-based understanding toward consistent, real-world application of technical and professional competencies.



Primary Function

The Software Engineer Apprentice contributes to the design, development, testing, and maintenance of business applications and enterprise systems while participating in a structured apprenticeship program that includes mentorship, progressive responsibility, and ongoing feedback. The role focuses on building confidence, consistency, and ownership in production software development.



Key Responsibilities



Application Development & Support

Contribute to bug fixes, enhancements, and well-defined features using technologies such as Java, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, SQL, PHP, or equivalent
Modify and extend existing codebases with increasing independence
Apply coding standards and best practices with limited supervision
Write and maintain clear technical documentation and in-code comments
Participate actively in code reviews, both receiving and incorporating feedback


System Analysis & Agile Contribution

Collaborate with Agile team members including Software Engineers, Product Owners, and Analysts
Translate defined business requirements into technical tasks with guidance
Participate fully in Agile ceremonies such as sprint planning, stand-ups, reviews, and retrospectives
Apply secure coding practices and performance considerations in day-to-day work


Testing, Debugging & Quality Assurance

Independently execute test cases and validate expected outcomes
Debug known issue types and identify root causes within defined systems
Assist with monitoring applications and identifying opportunities for improvement


Apprenticeship & Professional Development

Follow a structured learning and development plan with defined milestones
Participate in mentoring relationships and regular feedback sessions
Demonstrate increasing ownership of work, time management, and task prioritization
Continue expanding technical breadth and depth across enterprise systems


Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities



Technical Knowledge

Applies foundational software engineering knowledge in production environments
Understands object-oriented principles, web technologies, and database concepts beyond an academic level
Reads, modifies, and tests existing enterprise code safely and effectively


Problem Solving

Independently diagnoses and resolves common software issues
Breaks down moderately complex problems into actionable steps
Evaluates alternative solutions and understands basic tradeoffs


Communication

Communicates progress, risks, and blockers clearly to team members
Explains technical changes and decisions during reviews and demos
Collaborates effectively with cross-functional team members


Autonomy & Ownership

Owns well-defined features or components from implementation through testing
Manages assigned work with limited supervision
Escalates issues appropriately while maintaining accountability


Learning & Growth

Self-directs learning within known technical domains
Applies feedback across future work, not just individual tasks
Demonstrates readiness to take on increasing responsibility


Qualifications



Required

Bachelor’s degree completed within the last 12 months in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience)
Foundational understanding of object-oriented programming and web development
Basic experience with databases and SQL
Demonstrated interest in a long-term career in software engineering


Preferred

Internship, academic, bootcamp, or project-based development experience
Exposure to Agile or Scrum development environments
Familiarity with version control, testing tools, or automation frameworks


Role Expectations & Growth

This apprenticeship focuses on building consistency and confidence in applied software engineering. Success is defined by:
Reliable delivery of production-ready work with limited supervision
Increasing ownership of technical tasks and features
Clear communication and professional collaboration
Apprentices who consistently demonstrate full-time engineer–level behaviors, technical judgment, and delivery readiness may be eligible for consideration into the Software Engineer role.