Staff Software Engineer, Backend

About the role

This role defines and guides database strategy for the Online Storage team. It aligns technical direction with high-impact business initiatives and drives ownership of operations and reliability for critical financial and analytical data platforms.

Software engineers turn product ideas into working code. Engineers work in small teams, review each other's work, and ship in small batches. Most teams follow agile practices such as sprints and daily standups. Engineers also write tests, fix bugs, and improve performance. The field values clear communication as much as technical skill. Engineers spend part of every week on planning, code review, and debugging, not just writing new code. The ability to explain a technical decision in plain words separates strong engineers from the rest.

Key facts

What you'll do

Establish a multi-year technical roadmap for databases that connects to business-critical initiatives.

Strengthen team influence by defining and advocating technical solutions and operational processes.

Requirements

Bring 8+ years of experience designing, developing, and launching backend systems at scale using languages such as Python or Kotlin.

Maintain an extensive track record of building highly available distributed systems on AWS, MySQL, Spark, and Kubernetes.

Apply 5+ years of hands-on database expertise with relational and distributed SQL technologies such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, TiDB, or Vitess to optimize performance, ensure integrity, and implement efficient access patterns.

Demonstrate deep knowledge of database fundamentals including schema design, query optimization, scaling, partitioning, sharding, and performance tuning across multiple environments.

Show experience delivering major features, components, or deprecations through defined technical and execution plans.

Write clear, high-quality code that is easily understood and used by others.

Thrive in ambiguous environments and navigate from low-level language idioms to large-scale system architecture.

Demonstrate a proven ability to gather and iterate on feedback from engineering and cross-functional peers.

Exhibit strong verbal and written communication to collaborate effectively with a global engineering team.

Meet the listed compensation band and education or experience criteria for this position.

Practical notes

Existing Affirmers in proximal roles may work remotely with occasional office requirements. Typical interview steps

Hiring for engineering roles usually starts with a recruiter screen, followed by one or two technical rounds. Candidates often solve a coding problem, discuss past projects, and answer system design questions. Some loops include a take-home task. Final rounds typically cover team fit and give candidates a chance to ask questions. Interviewers look for how you break down an unfamiliar problem, not just whether you reach the answer. Practicing a few problems aloud and reviewing your own past projects are the best preparation.

Good to know

Staff-level engineers define technical direction and translate business goals into data infrastructure.

Databases, data platforms, and distributed systems rely on schema design, query optimization, and scaling strategies.

Cloud environments require expertise in managed services, networking, and performance testing.

Clear communication and cross-team collaboration are essential for aligning solutions with product and analytics needs.

This role involves on-call responsibilities and operational ownership for reliable data platform operations.

Career growth

Engineering careers usually progress from individual contributor to senior, staff, and principal levels. Some engineers move into management and lead teams of five to twenty people. Others stay on the technical track. Growth follows demonstrated impact, not tenure alone. A typical engineering ladder has clear levels with defined expectations for scope, quality, and mentorship. Moving up usually requires owning outcomes end to end rather than completing assigned tickets.