Programmer Developer - Senior or Lead

Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is about more than power. We’re about the power of relationships. Our employees have the opportunity to work together to ensure electricity is delivered reliably and affordably to the millions of people living in our service territory. We have been voted one of Arkansas’ Best Places to work by Arkansas Business and we are looking for a member of our team who is passionate about our mission to keep the lights on!

We have a core ideology here at SPP that we stand by: Do the right thing, for the right reason, in the right way.

We believe in supporting our employees through a fantastic benefits package:

- Competitive and transparent pay with bonus opportunities

- Excellent insurance package including three great medical plans to choose from, employer-paid short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance

- Relocation bonus (if applicable)

- Hybrid working environment for positions that are eligible

- Fantastic contributions to your retirement through a 401(k) savings plan with employer-match benefits and a pension (defined benefit plan) fully funded by SPP

COMPENSATION INFORMATION

The salary range(s) represents our good faith estimate for the role at this time. While we strive to provide competitive and transparent compensation, there may be circumstances where an offer is above or outside of the listed range. We are open to discussing salary expectations with qualified candidates considering factors such as the candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies, experience and geographic location will all be considered during the hiring process.

Lead Programmer Developer | Pay Range: $109,500.00 - $142,250.00

Senior Programmer Developer | Pay Range: $95,200.00 - $123,700.00

Join SPP as a Programmer Developer – Build the Future of IT Engineering Solutions

Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is looking for a Programmer Developer to join our IT Applications Engineering Systems team. In this role, you will design, build, and support applications that empower our Engineering team. These include both custom-developed and vendor-sourced solutions designed to streamline daily operations, improve success rates, and enhance overall efficiency.

Our primary mission is to collect, validate, and prepare data for transmission planning studies—a critical step in shaping the future of the electric grid. As part of this fast-paced team, you’ll work closely with engineers to automate processes, innovate solutions, and continuously optimize applications for better performance.

What You’ll Do:

- Design, develop, and maintain custom applications (front-end and back-end)

- Develop and document operational standards and procedures

- Collaborate with business owners to gather and refine requirements

- Manage defects and enhancements based on priority

- Mentor and support other team members

- Work with CI/CD tools for seamless application deployment

What We’re Looking For:

- Strong experience in Java and Spring Boot

- Knowledge of SDLC and project lifecycle methodologies

- Ability to interpret requirements and translate them into solutions

- A self-driven, collaborative team player who can mentor when needed

- Passion for researching new technologies and improving processes

If you’re passionate about building impactful solutions, thrive in a collaborative environment, and enjoy leveraging technology to solve complex problems, SPP is the place for you.

To be successful as the Programmer Developer, we're looking for:

- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Information Technology, related field, or equivalent work experience

- Lead Programmer Developer - Ten (10) years of applicable Information Technology Development/Support experience

- Senior Programmer Developer - Six (6) years of applicable Information Technology Development/Support experience

- Competent and effective working knowledge of Microsoft Windows, Unix or Linux operating systems, application development and support, and database management systems

- Competent and effective troubleshooting, problem solving, and analytical skills

- Competent and effective written and oral communication skills

- Competent understanding and effective working knowledge of SDLC and project life cycle methods and practices

- Good customer service and organization skills

Preferred:

- Two (2) or more years applicable utility industry experience

- Java, Springboot, React

- C#/ASPNETCORE, SQL, Extract Transform Load (ETL)

- Containers, Kubernetes, Docker

- Scripting experience: Python, Powershell, Perl, Shell scripting

- Web Service / REST / SOAP / WSDL / XSD Experience

- Ansible, JIRA, Bitbucket, and Jenkins Experience

- MongoDB, Oracle PL/SQL or Microsoft SQL Development Experience

Work Environment:

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment.

Physical Demands:

The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job successfully.

- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to make decisions, interpret data, and problem solve.

- The employee frequently is required to stand or sit for extended periods; use hands to operate a computer keyboard and standard office equipment.

- The employee must occasionally lift and move up to 10 pounds.

- Requires the ability to work and collaborate with managers and employees at all levels to exchange ideas, information, and opinions to facilitate the task.

- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.

- Understanding of compliance with and enforcement of SPP Policies and Procedures

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time, onsite hybrid position based in Little Rock, Arkansas. The standard workweek is Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with extended hours may be required. Job requires managing staff working rotating shift schedules with long hours.

Travel Requirement:

This position requires minimal travel (approximately 10%).

SPP is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans and is committed to excellence. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us at HR@spp.org and let us know the nature of your request. We will only respond to messages left that involve a request for a reasonable accommodation in the application process. We will accommodate the needs of any qualified candidate who requests a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

At SPP we believe in a culture of belonging. Learn more here: Culture of Belonging - Southwest Power Pool.

Full job descriptions will be made available to those selected for an interview.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.