Are you passionate about building innovative web applications and applying AI to real learning problems? Interested in shaping the future of education? PrairieLearn, an early-stage startup in educational technology, is searching for a talented Full-Stack Software Engineer to join our team.
- Location: Fully remote (anywhere in the US)
- Position type: Full-time
- Visa sponsorship: Unfortunately, we are unable to sponsor visas at this time.
PrairieLearn is an open-source assessment platform originally developed at the University of Illinois and now used by universities across the US (Berkeley, Princeton, Michigan, UIUC, and others). We power mastery-based learning, interactive question generators, and large-scale exams.
We’re a small, profitable, early-stage company (bootstrapped, no VC) and we’re hiring a full-stack engineer to help us continue to grow. As an early-stage hire, you’ll work across the stack and have meaningful ownership from day one. We’re shipping practical, user-facing AI features with clear guardrails and real-world impact — not a research sandbox.
- Work across the stack: Node.js/TypeScript backend; Postgres and Redis; mostly server-rendered HTML today with selectively added interactivity (React/Preact).
- Design features end-to-end, from idea to rollout, with a focus on reliability, clarity, and simplicity.
- Collaborate directly with educators and TAs to translate needs into high-quality features.
- Ship AI-powered capabilities, including:
- LLM-based agents to help instructors create and test new question generators
- Vision-language models for grading student-submitted work (e.g., math derivations, diagrams, sketches)
- Workflows for safely and reliably integrating AI into high-stakes assessment environments
- Have experience with full-stack web development (TypeScript / Python / SQL / HTML/CSS)
- Care about reliability, clarity, and simplicity in systems
- Enjoy working directly with users (many are instructors and TAs)
- Want to own features end-to-end, from idea to rollout
- Are excited about building practical AI integrations, not just demos
Don't meet all of these requirements? If you're a quick learner and passionate about education and software engineering, we'd still love to hear from you!
- Bootstrapped: We’re profitable and growing quickly!
- Open source: PrairieLearn is an open-source platform, so you’ll work in public directly with developers and educators from around the world.
- Stock options: As an early-stage teammate, you’ll receive stock options, giving you a stake in our success.
- Remote work culture: Work from anywhere in the US and enjoy a flexible schedule that lets you balance work and life.
- Unlimited PTO and flexible hours: Take the time you need and work when you’re at your best.
- Growth opportunities: As an early-stage hire, you’ll have the opportunity to grow, learn, and make an outsized impact.
- Exceptional team: Collaborate with a talented team including professors from the University of Illinois who are experts in educational technology and highly-scalable web development.
- Location: Remote (US only)
- Salary: $100k+ depending on experience
- Benefits: Stock options, unlimited PTO, flexible hours
- Role: Full-time. We’re not able to sponsor visas at this time.
If this sounds interesting, email jobs@prairielearn.com with your resume or GitHub/portfolio. We’d love to talk.
PrairieLearn is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.