Associate Software Engineer- Ottawa

About the Job

RealDecoy’s software engineers build leading web and mobile solutions for clients across the Caribbean and North America. We work in verticals across Finance, Search, Commerce, and Product Development, adapting to diverse technical and business needs with innovative solutions and fresh ideas. 

As an Associate Software Engineer, you are focused on building a strong foundation in professional software engineering. You are a curious problem-solver and an avid learner who thrives with guidance, feedback, and collaboration. This role is designed to support your growth as you learn how real-world software is built, shipped, and maintained in a professional services environment, with opportunities to contribute across concurrent projects.
At RealDecoy, we increasingly use AI-assisted development practices, which makes clear communication of requirements, assumptions, and technical context a core part of delivering high-quality software. Your primary working mode involves directing AI tools to produce output including code, documentation, and analysis. Then, using AI to also review, verify, and refine that output to meet quality standards. You are responsible for the result, not for typing every line yourself. 

You will work closely with experienced software engineers, technical leads, project managers, testers, and designers in cross-functional teams. Your work will focus on implementing features, fixing defects, improving existing functionality, and learning industry best practices across the software development lifecycle. You may also support client-facing conversations by helping to articulate technical concepts in clear, easy-to-understand language. Your open-mindedness in building new skills and your flexibility to learn across different parts of the software stack are attributes that are valued at RealDecoy. 

What you'll do:

• Direct AI to implement features and bug fixes based on requirements using specification-driven development (SDD), asking clarifying questions when the scope is unclear. 

• Document requirements, assumptions, trade-offs, and decisions clearly enough that work can be executed by others, including AI tools and agents. 

• Apply testing and verification techniques, both manual and AI-driven, with guidance from senior engineers. 

• Contribute to shared AI knowledge centers with improved workflows, prompt libraries, and improved context documentation. 

• Use version control, CI/CD pipelines, and AI-assisted development tooling as part of the team’s workflow. 

• Participate in code reviews and incorporate feedback into your work, showing curiosity and continuous improvement. 

• Communicate progress, blockers, risks, and next steps clearly to the team, adapting your communication style to the audience. 

• Identify edge cases and quality concerns early and escalate appropriately. 

• Learn to consider system impacts (performance, maintainability, integration, security) when making technical changes. 

• Support senior team members in technical discussions and client interactions, helping to articulate technical concepts clearly. 

• Use AI-assisted development tools responsibly to improve productivity while maintaining quality and security. 

• Actively seek feedback and use it to improve your technical and professional skills. 

• Continuously learn new tools, technologies, and approaches through mentorship and hands-on experience. 

Qualifications

Required Qualifications: 

• At least 2+ years of professional software development experience using programming languages like: JavaScript, Java, C#, Python, PHP. 

• Strong problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and attention to detail. 

• Willingness to learn, ask questions, and apply feedback constructively. 

• A demonstrated ability to clearly communicate technical decisions, assumptions, and trade-offs, especially in written form. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Collaborative, team player, and the ability to adapt to fast-paced working environments. 
• Demonstrated full-stack exposure. 
• Experience structuring work for AI collaboration: writing effective prompts, providing structured context, evaluating AI-generated output 

Reports to

Director, Engineering Operations & Growth

Our People & Culture

RealDecoy is a professional services firm focused on creating meaningful experiences for our clients. Engineering is at the heart of what we do, and we use that passion to craft truly personalized experiences for our customers that are transformative in achieving their goals. We achieve this consistency by fostering a culture of openness: embracing the best ideas in the room, respecting everyone's voice, and exemplifying our core values – We Care, We Lead, We Learn – in everything that we do. Here you will find diversity to be an organic part of who we are as a company because we believe our individual differences allow us to remain fresh, inclusive, and impactful.

Benefits

We offer a generous compensation package with benefits that include:

• Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Life Insurance
• 15+ days of paid time-off (vacation)
• Hybrid Work Schedule (in-office & remote)
• Learning allowance
• Wellness Allowance
• Internet Service Provider (ISP) allowance
• A flexible, diverse, and inclusive work environment that respects you