Application Guide
How to Apply for Software Engineer III
at Arcadia
🏢 About Arcadia
Perch Energy is a mission-driven company revolutionizing clean energy access through community solar, breaking down barriers to make renewable energy affordable and equitable for all. By managing the customer experience for solar farm owners, Perch brings savings to renters, homeowners, and businesses, accelerating the shift to renewables nationwide.
About This Role
As a Software Engineer III at Perch, you'll build reliable, scalable backend systems that directly support community solar operations, working across the stack to solve real-world problems. Your work will help expand access to clean energy and combat climate change by enabling seamless customer experiences and efficient energy management.
💡 A Day in the Life
Start your day with a stand-up meeting to align with your remote team on backend development priorities. Spend the morning writing and reviewing code for scalable APIs that manage customer subscriptions and solar farm data, then collaborate with frontend engineers to integrate new features. After lunch, you might debug production issues, participate in a design review, or research ways to optimize system performance for the growing community solar network.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Arcadia Is Looking For
- Passionate about clean energy and mission-driven work, with a desire to contribute to decarbonizing the grid.
- Hands-on engineer with strong backend development skills, experienced in building scalable systems (e.g., Python, Java, or similar).
- Comfortable working across the stack when needed, with a focus on writing clean, maintainable code.
- Problem-solver who thrives on real-world challenges and can collaborate in a remote, fast-paced environment.
📝 Tips for Applying to Arcadia
Highlight any experience with energy, sustainability, or community-focused projects in your resume and cover letter.
Emphasize your ability to build scalable backend systems and provide specific examples of past projects.
Mention your comfort with full-stack work, even if your primary focus is backend, to show versatility.
Research community solar and Perch's specific impact; reference it in your application to demonstrate genuine interest.
Tailor your resume to include keywords like 'reliable', 'scalable', 'clean code', and 'remote collaboration'.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Your passion for clean energy and how Perch's mission aligns with your personal values.", 'Specific backend projects where you built scalable, reliable systems that solved real problems.', 'Your ability to work across the stack and collaborate in a remote team environment.', 'How your skills can directly help Perch expand community solar access and combat climate change.']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Understand the basics of community solar: how it works, who benefits, and its role in decarbonizing the grid.
- → Learn about Perch Energy's specific projects, partnerships, and the states they operate in.
- → Review Perch's company culture and values, especially around equity and accessibility in clean energy.
- → Look at recent news or blog posts about Perch to understand current challenges and successes.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don't submit a generic application; show you've researched Perch and community solar specifically.
- Avoid focusing solely on technical skills without connecting them to the company's mission.
- Don't neglect to mention remote collaboration experience or tools (e.g., Slack, Jira, Git) if applicable.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!