Senior Engineer (Platform)

About the role

This position leads large-scale engineering initiatives, ships meaningful features, and upholds strong technical standards across the platform. You will tackle complex technical challenges, partner with teams throughout the organization, and guide less experienced engineers. Your work will directly shape product delivery speed and the broader engineering culture. You will own the design and execution of critical platform components that enable the product roadmap. The role requires a balance of hands-on implementation and strategic technical leadership. You will be responsible for defining and driving architectural best practices that influence the entire codebase. Collaboration with stakeholders will ensure that platform decisions align with business objectives.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Architect services that scale well, remain maintainable, and meet security requirements.
• Spot opportunities for platform-wide enhancements, new service creation, and technical debt reduction.
• Build backend services in C# using functional programming patterns or TypeScript for web and background worker apps.
• Work with SQL and NoSQL databases, with a preference for PostgreSQL.
• Set up and maintain CI/CD pipelines, Git workflows, and Infrastructure as Code.
• Apply security best practices including secure coding, vulnerability assessments, and secrets management.
• Serve as the primary resource for debugging, troubleshooting, and system reliability issues.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to define requirements, scope work, and deliver platform solutions.
• Coach junior engineers through pairing sessions, feedback, and hands-on guidance.
• Keep up with developments in distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, and secure software practices.
• Support Agile workflows and contribute to evolving team processes using Scrum.
• Evaluate and recommend new tools and technologies to improve platform efficiency and developer experience.
• Collaborate on defining technical specifications and ensuring alignment with product goals.

Requirements

• 7 to 10 years of progressive software engineering experience with leadership responsibilities.
• Proficiency or ability to quickly learn typed functional programming in C# or TypeScript.
• Hands-on experience with SQL and NoSQL databases, PostgreSQL expertise preferred.
• Background in system architecture for secure, scalable, and maintainable platforms.
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and AWS or equivalent cloud providers.
• Solid grasp of DevOps practices including Git, CI/CD, and Infrastructure as Code.
• Knowledge of application and infrastructure security best practices.
• Understanding of testing and automation approaches.
• Experience with performance optimization for reliability and scalability.
• Proficiency in Agile methodologies such as Scrum or Kanban.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain technical topics to varied audiences.
• Track record of working through ambiguous and complex problem spaces.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and guide engineers in a collaborative environment.
• Willingness to engage in deep technical problem-solving across multiple layers of the stack.

Nice to have

• Interest in AI/ML applications within production systems.

Practical notes

• Compensation is benchmarked against market Total Cash Compensation for the posting location and evaluated twice yearly.
• All permanent team members can participate in various benefits plans.
• Later is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, or age.
• Accommodations and support are available during the recruitment process upon request.
• Later offices are located in Boston MA, Vancouver BC, and Vancouver WA.
• This role is based in Boston, MA, with a hybrid work model that allows for flexibility.
• The position is full-time and permanent, offering stability and long-term career growth.
• Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States if located in Boston.
• The work schedule aligns with standard business hours, with expectations for occasional asynchronous collaboration.
• Travel is not required for this position, but participation in company events may be expected.
• Visa sponsorship may be considered for eligible candidates, subject to legal requirements and role specifications.
• Deadlines for application review are not specified, but early submission is encouraged to ensure full consideration.
• The hiring team will assess technical skills, cultural fit, and alignment with company values during the interview process.
• Final compensation will be determined based on experience, location, and internal equity considerations.
• The successful candidate will be expected to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity.
• This role offers opportunities for continuous learning and professional development.
• The platform team operates in an agile environment, requiring adaptability and a growth mindset.
• The ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders is essential.
• The role involves frequent collaboration with product managers, designers, and other engineers.
• The successful applicant will contribute to the long-term vision and technical strategy of the platform group.
• Ownership of production incidents and on-call responsibilities may be part of the role.
• The position requires a proactive approach to identifying and mitigating technical risks.
• The candidate should be comfortable working with legacy systems and modern cloud-native architectures.
• The role demands a strong sense of ownership for the health and maintainability of the platform.
• Proficiency in reading and interpreting technical documentation is mandatory.
• The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced, iterative development environment.
• The role supports career progression into staff or principal levels for individual contributors.
• The position requires a deep commitment to writing clean, testable, and maintainable code.
• The candidate should be prepared to engage in design discussions and influence technical direction.
• The role includes mentoring junior team members and fostering a culture of knowledge sharing.
• The position contributes to the broader engineering community within the organization through documentation and talks.
• The successful candidate will help drive the adoption of new technologies and best practices.
• The role requires resilience and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic setting.
• The position is critical to the success of large-scale initiatives and platform reliability.
• The candidate must be comfortable making technical decisions with incomplete information.
• The role involves close collaboration with cross-functional partners to deliver value to users.
• The position requires a strong understanding of software development lifecycle from conception to deployment.
• The candidate should be able to translate business requirements into technical solutions.
• The role includes participation in on-call rotations to support production systems.
• The position demands a high level of ownership for the quality and performance of platform services.
• The candidate will work closely with DevOps engineers to ensure smooth operations.
• The role involves continuous evaluation and improvement of development workflows.
• The position requires a commitment to following coding standards and best practices.
• The candidate should be prepared to provide technical leadership in sprint planning and retrospectives.
• The role supports the creation of scalable and resilient infrastructure.
• The position requires active participation in the software development community at Later.
• The candidate will contribute to the evolution of platform standards and guidelines.
• The role involves analyzing metrics to drive improvements in platform performance.
• The position requires a dedication to delivering high-quality software on schedule.
• The candidate should be comfortable with the ambiguity of evolving product requirements.
• The role includes responsibility for the technical integrity of the platform.
• The position offers the chance to work on impactful projects that affect the entire organization.
• The candidate will be evaluated on both technical contributions and collaboration skills.
• The role requires a proactive approach to identifying and solving platform challenges.
• The position supports career growth through exposure to complex technical problems.
• The candidate should be prepared to engage in root cause analysis for critical issues.
• The role involves maintaining a balance between feature development and platform stability.
• The position requires a commitment to continuous improvement in engineering practices.
• The candidate will contribute to the design of systems that support business growth.
• The role offers opportunities to experiment with new approaches to software development.
• The position requires a strong sense of responsibility for the long-term health of the platform.
• The candidate should be comfortable working independently with minimal supervision.
• The role supports the development of technical skills in emerging areas.
• The position requires active engagement in the software development lifecycle.
• The candidate will contribute to the creation of robust and maintainable codebases.
• The role involves collaborating with security teams to ensure compliance.
• The position requires a dedication to delivering solutions that meet user needs.
• The candidate should be prepared to participate in technical design reviews.
• The role supports the creation of documentation for systems and processes.
• The position requires a commitment to fostering a collaborative team environment.
• The candidate will contribute to the improvement of engineering tools and processes.
• The role involves supporting the technical needs of other teams.
• The position requires a strong understanding of cloud infrastructure and services.
• The candidate should be prepared to engage in knowledge sharing across the organization.
• The role supports the development of innovative solutions to technical challenges.
• The position requires a commitment to the success of the platform and its users.
• The candidate will contribute to the evolution of the technical roadmap.
• The role offers the opportunity to make significant contributions to the platform's future.
• The position requires a strong alignment with the company's mission and values.
• The candidate should be prepared to take on increasing responsibility over time.
• The role supports the growth of the platform team and its capabilities.
• The position requires a dedication to excellence in software engineering.
• The candidate will contribute to the long-term success of the platform group.
• The role offers a chance to work with talented engineers on challenging problems.
• The position requires a commitment to the continuous delivery of value.
• The candidate should be prepared to embrace the challenges of a growing platform.
• The role supports the development of a robust and scalable platform.
• The position requires a strong partnership with product and design teams.
• The candidate will contribute to the improvement of the developer experience.
• The role involves supporting the technical needs of the business.
• The position requires a dedication to the highest standards of software quality.
• The candidate should be prepared to take ownership of complex technical issues.
• The role supports the achievement of strategic technical objectives.
• The position requires a commitment to the conti