Senior Staff Software Engineer

About the role

We are seeking a Senior Staff Software Engineer to join GoFundMe, focusing on Identity & Risk Intelligence. In this pivotal position, you will play a key role in shaping the technical framework that allows our platform to effectively identify, verify, and build trust with users. This role encompasses leading engineering initiatives that are vital to both consumer and enterprise platforms, ensuring that our identity and risk management systems are robust and reliable.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Design and implement a sophisticated identity layer that enhances recognition of returning users, connects anonymous device histories, and progressively boosts identity confidence.
• Develop identity resolution mechanisms and an identity graph that facilitate visitor stitching and account linking, aimed at enhancing personalization and preventing fraud.
• Build a platform for behavioral signals and identity confidence scoring, delivering data products and APIs that enable real-time trust assessments.
• Convert login risk signals into adaptive authentication methods, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), to thwart account takeovers while ensuring a seamless experience for legitimate users.
• Shape the login and recognition processes on Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) platforms, working collaboratively on solutions for passwordless and social logins.
• Engineer the policy decision-making and information layers that guide enforcement actions for Identity Access Management (IAM) and Integrity teams.
• Assume responsibility for the platform's strategy to counter large-scale identity threats, including bot attacks and credential stuffing.
• Collaborate with teams focused on Integrity, Payments, and Decision Science to explore identity signal applications.
• Oversee the technical roadmap for identity and risk intelligence, ensuring a balance between product enhancements and platform reliability.

Requirements

• A minimum of 8 years of experience in software engineering, with a substantial portion spent in senior, staff, or principal roles.
• Direct involvement with identity, risk, fraud, or safety platforms is essential.
• Demonstrated capability in designing and deploying identity resolution, identity graphs, behavioral signals, or risk scoring systems that are actively utilized in production environments.
• Profound knowledge of technical methodologies such as device fingerprinting, visitor stitching, account linking, behavioral feature engineering, confidence calibration, and risk model integration.
• Extensive experience with large-scale identity and CIAM platforms, encompassing authentication, session management, passwordless access, and social login functionalities.
• Expertise in login risk management and adaptive authentication, including risk scoring, step-up flows, and device signals, with a focus on user experience.
• Strong systems thinking skills regarding identity as a risk challenge, with a clear understanding of the differences between authentication and long-term identity assurance.

Nice to have

• Experience in a fintech, payments, marketplace, social media, or trust and safety-oriented organization.
• Familiarity with CIAM platforms such as Descope, Okta, or Auth0, particularly in relation to risk-based and adaptive authentication strategies.
• Knowledge of device fingerprinting and risk management vendors like Alloy, Fingerprint.js, or ThreatMetrix.
• Background in behavioral analytics and machine learning-related systems, including feature stores and signal processing pipelines.
• Understanding of compliance and regulatory standards related to identity signals, such as KYC, BSA/AML, GDPR, and CCPA.
• Contributions to the community through public speaking, publications, or thought leadership in the fields of identity, risk, fraud, or trust and safety.

Skills & tools

• Identity resolution techniques
• Identity graph development
• Behavioral signal analysis
• Risk scoring methodologies
• Device fingerprinting technologies
• Visitor stitching strategies
• Account linking processes
• CIAM platforms (Descope, Okta, Auth0)
• Adaptive authentication frameworks
• Machine learning-related systems
• API development and integration

Practical notes

Candidates must be based in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a requirement to work in the office three days a week. GoFundMe offers a competitive salary, equity options, and a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, dental, and vision insurance, as well as life insurance and a 401(k) plan. The company is committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion, and provides resources for professional development and employee well-being.