Boston is quickly becoming a hub of top engineering talent, competing with the likes of San Francisco, Seattle and New York City. From Google to Akamai, the greater Boston metropolitan area employs nearly 50,000 engineers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That number is likely to increase as Boston’s technology leaders continue to expand their physical offices and hire virtual employees.
Whoop and Amazon have made headlines recently due to doubling down on Boston office space, but they’re not the only companies strengthening local ties in 2022.
Right alongside them is SimpliSafe, a smart home security company that has seen tremendous growth in recent years with no signs of slowing down. With plans to hire 100 Boston-based engineers this year, tackle new product innovations and move into a new Boston headquarters designed for hybrid work, there has never been a more opportunistic time for job-seeking engineers, especially for those in search of meaningful work. At SimpliSafe, engineers find purpose in building life-saving technology.
Investing in engineering growth
If SimpliSafe isn’t on your radar, it should be. The company’s subscribers grew to exceed 1 million last year. In tandem, its employee headcount has increased, surging to nearly 300 engineers across software, hardware, firmware, mechanical, electrical, artificial intelligence and cloud verticals. And it's still looking to hire more in Boston to continue advancing the future of home security. Just last year, SimpliSafe raised $130 million in funding to be used specifically to help scale the engineering team and continue developing innovative technology that protects over 3 million customers.
It’s not often a company invests its resources into building and bolstering a specific team. However, SimpliSafe recognizes the immense value of its engineers. From the initial product concept to software development, the app experience, manufacturing and distribution, our engineering team owns the entire product and service creation process. We rely on them to keep our current and future customers safe, and we turned to them to imagine new technology that could improve home security as a whole. To keep moving the business forward and providing expert-level home protection to more homes across the country, it’s pertinent we invest in the engineering team’s development.
Building an ideal setting for every type of worker
One tangible way SimpliSafe is investing in its engineers is by providing them with a new office space designed for hybrid work. This fall, the company is opening the doors of its new headquarters at 100 Summer Street, situated in the heart of downtown Boston. The 150 thousand square foot office, more than double the size of its current space, will feature focus pods, collaborative workspaces and a dedicated lab and maker space specifically designed to meet the unique needs of our product and engineering teams.
The “one size fits all” office model no longer suits today’s employees. Flexibility is paramount. While some engineers feel they can be most productive at home, away from the distractions of an open floor plan, others are longing to return to a physical space where they can collaborate and socialize with a larger team. This is especially true for younger engineers who wish to learn by working alongside tenured colleagues. SimpliSafe understands that everyone’s ideal work setting is different and is taking care to create a space engineers can choose to visit whenever they feel they need to focus, brainstorm with a teammate, or socialize with new hires.
Supporting career development and success
In addition to providing its engineers with a first-rate office with a variety of workspaces, SimpliSafe is investing in the development of its engineers’ careers. As Nate Wilfert, VP of software engineering puts it, SimpliSafe believes in a “hire and develop” culture. We don’t hire engineers with the expectation that their needs and interests will forever remain the same. Neither do we believe the only way for an engineer to develop is to become a manager. Instead, we work with each individual to understand how they wish to grow within the company, whether that be entering into a leadership role, staying on the frontlines tackling new challenges or carving out a role that allows them to do both.
As a people-first company, we take great pride in creating an environment that encourages individual growth and success. In fact, employees’ high ratings of SimpliSafe based on work-life balance, job satisfaction, management, compensation, benefits and advancement opportunities helped SimpliSafe earn a spot on Boston Business Journal’s 2021 Best Places to Work list. We’re dedicated to continuing our reputation as a top employer and technology leader in Greater Boston by adding even more exceptional employees to our growing team. Together, we can build innovative technology to make home security products smarter, and in turn, keep people safer.
If you are interested in learning more about SimpliSafe’s engineering team and the technical problems they’re looking to solve across software, hardware, firmware, mechanical, electrical, artificial intelligence, and cloud disciplines please visit SimpliSafe’s career page.
SimpliSafe fundamentally changed the alarm industry, pioneering a new way to make home the safest place on earth for everyone. SimpliSafe protects millions of people and is committed to its founding goal: to make every home secure.