The Principal System Integration Engineer plays a critical technical role in the JUSTIS team, focusing on designing, building, and maintaining secure, scalable APIs and integration services that enable real-time data sharing across criminal justice agencies. This role demands strong backend development skills, system integration expertise, and adherence to DevOps and security best practices for systems operating continuously.
Responsibilities
- Design, build, and maintain RESTful APIs and backend services to support real-time exchange of criminal justice data.
- Develop reusable and testable server-side components using Python and Java for system integrations.
- Implement secure integration methods using REST, JSON, and event-driven architectures; maintain knowledge of SOAP and XML as needed.
- Create and manage database structures such as tables, views, and PL/SQL procedures using Oracle 12c or 19c.
- Support integration services across development, testing, and production environments for 24/7 mission-critical systems.
- Work with architects, analysts, and partner agencies to design integration solutions that meet operational needs and long-term goals.
- Diagnose and resolve complex issues related to integration, performance, and data quality in production and pre-production environments.
- Monitor and help maintain system reliability, availability, and performance in coordination with technical leadership.
- Implement and support CI/CD pipelines to ensure consistent, reliable, and auditable software deployments.
- Participate in code reviews to ensure compliance with development standards, security policies, and maintainability.
- Develop and maintain unit and integration tests to support software quality and system stability.
- Support release planning, deployment tasks, and post-release validation activities.
- Design and implement solutions that comply with CJIS and other criminal justice data security and privacy standards.
- Apply secure coding practices and support audits, reviews, and compliance checks as required.
- Ensure proper logging, access controls, and monitoring are in place across all integration components.
- Collaborate as part of a cross-functional development team supporting the JUSTIS platform.
- Communicate technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Contribute to technical documentation, system diagrams, and operational support materials.
- Support team members and share knowledge to strengthen the overall capability of the JUSTIS engineering team.
Requirements
- An associate degree in computer science or a closely related field from an accredited institution, or the equivalent in total course credits—specifically at least 60 semester or 90 quarter credits, with a minimum of 20 semester or 30 quarter credits in computer science or a related field.
- Five years of professional experience in applications or software programming and development.
- Up to two years of additional experience may substitute for the required degree on a year-for-year basis, where one year equals 30 semester or 45 quarter credits, including at least 10 semester or 15 quarter credits in computer science or a related field.
Nice to Have
- Minimum of eight years of experience developing and supporting enterprise-level applications or system integrations.
- Proven experience designing, building, and maintaining APIs and integration services in production environments.
- Demonstrated proficiency with Python and object-oriented languages such as Java, C#, or C++.
- Advanced skills in relational databases, including Oracle, PL/SQL, and complex SQL development.
- Experience with event-driven or message-based integration patterns and middleware technologies.
- Proficiency in CI/CD pipelines, Git, and modern DevOps practices.
- Strong skills in unit testing, debugging, and performance optimization.
- Experience working in highly regulated environments handling sensitive or protected data.
- Familiarity with criminal justice, public safety, or government data-sharing systems is highly preferred.
- Experience working in Agile or iterative development environments.
- Proven ability to perform in high-availability, high-stakes operational settings.
- Strong collaboration skills and a track record of supporting and mentoring team members.
- Experience using AI-assisted development tools such as GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT to enhance productivity, code quality, and documentation.
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, engineering, or a closely related field.
Tech Stack
Python, Java, RESTful APIs, JSON, SOAP, XML, Oracle (12c/19c), PL/SQL, CI/CD pipelines, Git, event-driven architecture, middleware technologies
Benefits
- Competitive salary, benefits, and retirement plans
- Opportunities for career growth through training, internal mobility, and subsidized education
- Inclusive and diverse work environment in a diverse city
- Hybrid work option allowing one day per week remote, with the rest in office
Compensation
Salary Range: $145,548.00 - $197,184.00 annually
Work Arrangement
Hybrid — 1 South Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94103 — Minimum of two days per week onsite; one day per week allowed for remote work
Team
Team size: 300+ experts; Structure: Cross-functional development team within the JUSTIS team under the Department of Technology; Reports to: Technical leadership and system architects within the JUSTIS team
- Innovative & Impactful Work
- Collaboration and work-life balance
- Diverse work environment
- Mission-driven IT team
- Digital transformation leadership
Additional Information
- Appointment Type: Temporary Exempt (TEX), Full Time position excluded by the Charter from the competitive civil service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the appointing officer.
- Anticipated duration of this project position is thirty-six (36) months.
- Work may require lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying computer equipment.
- May involve extensive VDT (video display terminal) exposure.
- Hand/eye coordination and manual dexterity may be required for data entry.
- Position may require work at various sites throughout the City and County of San Francisco.
- Application deadline: Open until filled, but will not close before April 8, 2026.
- Application must include a resume uploaded via the 'additional attachments' function.
- Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.
- Applicants may be contacted by email; must ensure email is not blocked by spam filters for domains including @sfgov.org, @sfdpw.org, etc.
- Falsifying education, training, or work experience may result in disqualification.
- Selection process includes evaluation of applications, possible oral interview, written or performance exercise.
- Background check and verification of experience and education required.
- Security clearance: Must comply with CJIS and other criminal justice security and privacy requirements.
- Equal Employment Opportunity: Encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to apply; considers applicants regardless of protected categories.
Not specified


