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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Ruby on Rails (RoR) Developer

💰 $80,000 - $130,000

Software DevelopmentWeb EngineeringBackend DevelopmentFull-Stack Development

🎯 Role Definition

A Ruby on Rails (RoR) Developer is responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining scalable web applications using the Ruby on Rails framework. This role focuses on backend development while often collaborating across the full stack to deliver secure, efficient, and user-friendly solutions. The ideal RoR Developer writes clean, maintainable code, optimizes performance, and contributes to architectural decisions that drive business value.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Junior Ruby on Rails Developer
  • Web Developer
  • Backend Software Engineer

Advancement To:

  • Senior Ruby on Rails Developer
  • Lead Software Engineer
  • Engineering Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Full-Stack Developer
  • DevOps Engineer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  1. Design, build, and maintain robust, scalable, and secure Ruby on Rails applications.
  2. Develop RESTful APIs and integrate them with front-end and third-party services.
  3. Collaborate with product managers, designers, and other developers to define and implement new features.
  4. Write clean, efficient, and well-documented code following Ruby and Rails best practices.
  5. Optimize application performance through profiling, caching, and query optimization.
  6. Design and maintain database schemas using ActiveRecord and PostgreSQL or MySQL.
  7. Implement automated testing using RSpec, Minitest, or similar frameworks to ensure software quality.
  8. Participate in agile ceremonies including sprint planning, standups, and retrospectives.
  9. Maintain CI/CD pipelines using tools like GitHub Actions, CircleCI, or Jenkins.
  10. Review code, mentor junior developers, and promote coding standards across the team.
  11. Troubleshoot production issues, perform root cause analysis, and deliver timely fixes.
  12. Collaborate with DevOps and infrastructure teams to ensure seamless deployments and uptime.
  13. Implement secure authentication and authorization using gems such as Devise, Pundit, or JWT.
  14. Develop and integrate front-end components using JavaScript frameworks like React or Vue.js when needed.
  15. Manage background jobs and asynchronous tasks using Sidekiq, Resque, or Delayed Job.
  16. Contribute to architectural design discussions and long-term technical planning.
  17. Maintain clear technical documentation for APIs, workflows, and deployments.
  18. Monitor and improve application health metrics using tools like New Relic or Datadog.
  19. Stay current with Ruby, Rails, and web development trends to recommend improvements.
  20. Collaborate with QA engineers to ensure code stability and consistent user experience.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Strong proficiency in Ruby and the Ruby on Rails framework
  • Experience with relational databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite)
  • Knowledge of RESTful APIs and microservices architecture
  • Front-end integration (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React/Vue preferred)
  • Experience with Git, GitHub, and version control best practices
  • Familiarity with background job processing (Sidekiq, Resque)
  • Test-driven development (RSpec, Capybara, Minitest)
  • CI/CD automation and deployment (Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, or Heroku)
  • Performance tuning and caching strategies (Redis, Memcached)
  • Secure coding practices and authentication/authorization mechanisms

Soft Skills

  • Strong problem-solving and analytical thinking
  • Effective communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders
  • Collaborative mindset with agile team experience
  • High attention to detail and code quality
  • Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
  • Continuous learning and adaptability to new technologies
  • Ownership of projects from concept to delivery
  • Time management and ability to meet deadlines
  • Mentorship and willingness to share knowledge
  • Commitment to user-centric software development

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:
Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field

Preferred Education:
Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or equivalent work experience

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Computer Science
  • Software Engineering
  • Information Systems
  • Web Development

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:
3–7 years of professional experience developing web applications using Ruby on Rails

Preferred:
Experience with large-scale, high-traffic Rails applications, RESTful API development, and cross-functional team collaboration in an agile environment.

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