Staff Backend Software Engineer

About the role

Carbon, Inc. integrates hardware, software, and molecular science to advance 3D printing for commercial production. This role focuses on the backend systems that maintain connectivity, updates, and telemetry for our global fleet of printers. You will lead the design of services that bridge our cloud infrastructure and physical hardware in customer facilities.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Manage backend services responsible for printer identity, provisioning, and connectivity.
• Develop and maintain the Linux-based software layer for printer bring-up, OS updates, and system rollbacks.
• Architect network protocols to ensure reliable communication between the cloud and printers across diverse network environments.
• Lead major technical initiatives from initial design through to production deployment.
• Participate in on-call rotations to manage incident response and improve system reliability.
• Provide technical mentorship and perform code reviews across backend, infrastructure, and device teams.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in building and operating production backend services.
• Expert knowledge of Linux fundamentals including networking, systemd, filesystems, and boot processes.
• Proficiency in networking concepts such as TCP/IP, TLS, DNS, HTTP, WebSockets, and firewall traversal.
• Practical experience with OS lifecycle management, including imaging and A/B update strategies.
• Mastery of at least one modern backend language such as Python, Go, Node/TypeScript, or C++.
• Bachelor degree in Computer Science or Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• History of managing production systems with a focus on observability and failure mitigation.

Nice to have

• Background in IoT or large-scale connected-device backend development.
• Experience with MQTT or similar pub/sub protocols in production environments.
• Familiarity with fleet management, remote diagnostics, or OTA update systems.
• Knowledge of edge computing, embedded Linux, or hardware bring-up.
• Experience with Bazel or polyglot monorepo build systems.

Skills & tools

• Linux (systemd, networking, package management)
• Backend languages (Python, Go, Node/TypeScript, C++)
• Network protocols (TCP/IP, TLS, HTTP, WebSockets, MQTT)
• OS provisioning and A/B update patterns

Practical notes

• Compensation range is $209,600 to $314,400 per year, with a target midpoint of $262,000.
• Pay is subject to geographic differentials if the role is performed outside of Sunnyvale or Santa Clara, CA.
• The total rewards package includes equity, benefits, and time off programs.
• This is an onsite position.