Senior/Lead Software Engineer (Scamtech)

Who we are

Open Government Products (OGP) operates like a startup within the government; We are a fast-paced, dynamic team of engineers, designers, and product managers dedicated to public good. We autonomously identify opportunities to solve public problems using tech, rapidly prototype, and launch solutions—from citizen apps to automating public agency operations. Embracing an open-sourced and flat hierarchy, we cut through bureaucracy to focus on real-world, user-centric innovations that drive change.

The Team

You will be joining the Secure Government Communication (SGC) team, which operates in the anti-scam space to tackle the increasing problem of scams in Singapore, with a focus on protecting our citizens. Among our products, Postman is a key solution, providing a secure messaging system for government agencies to communicate officially with the public. It ensures legitimacy, reliability, and accessibility, addressing diverse communication needs while safeguarding against scams and misinformation. To read more about Postman and our initiatives, visit our product page.

About this Role

We're looking for a passionate Senior / Lead Software Engineer to join our growing team, helping to enhance the existing platform but also independently explore new opportunities to tackle scams in Singapore. This role demands a blend of technical expertise, entrepreneurship and leadership skills, fostering a start-up mindset within our team.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop scalable, high-quality software across the tech stack and write production-ready code.

• Collaborate cross-functionally and provide technical guidance and mentoring to team members.

• Identify and prioritize initiatives that maximize the security and efficiency of our products.

• Champion best practices in software development and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

• Set, measure and achieve relevant objectives, aligning team efforts with overall strategic goals.

• Advocate and explain technical ideas and solutions to other government agencies.

• Identify opportunities that improve public good and design innovative systems overcoming bureaucratic constraints.

Working at OGP

Ownership and Autonomy — Beyond technical tasks, this means having autonomy to voice opinions and suggest future directions. Building what you believe in drives the creation of great solutions.

Rapid Prototyping — We prioritize testing ideas over debating them, allowing us to identify problems quickly and convey possibilities to others. This fail-fast approach accelerates innovation.

Flexibility — We provide flexible work arrangements based on what works best for our team and its members, fostering a productive and supportive environment.

Continuous Learning — Drive professional growth by exploring new architectures, frameworks, and technologies. With dedicated yearly learning months and hackathons, continuous learning is essential as we tackle innovative ideas and challenges.
Mission-Driven — Our work is dedicated to the public good, aiming to improve the lives of Singapore citizens. We focus on creating impactful solutions that enhance the community and the place we call home.

Projects OGP has worked on include:

ScamShield — iOS and Android mobile apps, enhanced in August 2024, help users check and report suspicious communications. The apps automatically filter known scams using an AI-powered machine learning classifier. An Admin Dashboard also allows police to verify reported scams.

ParkingSG — A mobile app alternative to parking coupons. It lets users pay, extend, and refund their parking sessions just using their phones.

RedeemSG — Helps the Singapore Government to create, send and track redemptions of digital vouchers easily.

COVID-19 Vaccination — A suite of systems built to enable Singapore's national vaccination campaign for COVID-19. This includes informational sites, appointment booking systems, and records management systems.

Data.gov.sg — An open repository of all the Singapore Government's public data. It helps people understand the data using visualizations and articles, and provides real-time APIs for developers to use.

Isomer — Provides government agencies with an easy-to-deploy static website building and hosting service to create usable, secure and faster informational websites quickly.

FormSG — A form builder tool for agencies to self-service and create online forms that capture classified data, with the goal of replacing paper forms.

PaySG — Was developed to enable digital payments for government services, and was initially used for payments for COVID-19 swab tests and Stay-Home Notices for incoming travellers to Singapore.

An overview of other OGP products can be found on our website https://open.gov.sg

Who we are looking for

Preferred Skills and Qualifications:

• Proficient in TypeScript, React, and AWS; experience with NestJS is a plus.

• Knowledge in working with RDBMS (ideally PostgreSQL).

• Designing flexible and robust REST APIs with an API first approach.

• Experience with secure software development lifecycle (SSDLC), including CI/CD processes, Git, Infrastructure as Code (IaC), and deploying applications to cloud environments.

• Experience in startups or fast-paced environments; proven ability to succeed in dynamic settings and manage shifting priorities.

• Experience in technical leadership, guiding software teams and setting high standards while mentoring engineers.

• Excellent communication skills for articulating technical concepts and ideas.

• A passion for public service, driving impactful changes, and improving how technology serves society.

We look for people who:

Have a demonstrated ability to build software - Prior work and personal projects count for much more than specific degrees.

Write code to solve abstract programming problems - Clear thinking, the ability to debug, and understanding the limits of an approach matter much more than getting the “correct” answer.

Talk and reason about code with other engineers - We work as a team so you need to be able to not just solve problems, but have other people understand your solutions.

Take initiative to make things happen - Our job is to push for change in government, so we need to challenge the status quo and not wait for instruction.

Want to work for the public good - We are public servants, we serve the public. This sometimes means ignoring political pressures and misguided policies. We need people who will push back if something is not in the public interest.

Overall we look for people who have ability, initiative, good communication, and most importantly, a passionate heart for public good. Don’t hesitate to apply, even if you might not possess all the skills and qualifications!