Full Stack Software Engineer

About the role

The role centers on designing and shipping features that empower creators to build sustainable businesses while fostering genuine connections with their audiences. You will own the full lifecycle of product development from initial discovery through polished production delivery. The position requires fluency in both frontend and backend systems, occasionally extending into mobile implementations to serve diverse user needs. You will work closely with multidisciplinary partners including designers, writers, support staff, and researchers to shape solutions that are both technically sound and human centered. Operating within a small, generalist team, you will be expected to act with high ownership and independent judgment in how you solve complex problems. This role is defined by autonomy, craft, and a relentless focus on delivering delightful experiences for creators and readers on the Substack platform.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Architect and implement frontend and backend components, plus occasional mobile touchpoints, that enable creators to manage communities and users to connect deeply.
• Partner with designers, writers, support staff, and researchers from initial product concept through research, implementation, and deployment to ensure solutions are thoughtful and robust.
• Operate with high autonomy, taking full ownership of your work and driving it independently within a small, generalist team.
• Translate complex product requirements into clean, scalable, and maintainable codebases using modern tools and best in class practices.
• Write tests, perform code reviews, and refine production systems to meet high standards of reliability, performance, and security.
• Collaborate across disciplines, incorporating diverse perspectives and your own unique experience to shape product outcomes.
• Investigate and integrate emerging ML technologies where appropriate to enhance the capabilities of the platform for creators and readers.
• Maintain a deep understanding of user workflows to identify friction points and drive improvements that increase creator success and retention.
• Contribute to technical documentation and knowledge sharing so the team can move quickly and stay aligned on architecture and decisions.
• Champion the product vision for Substack, aligning daily work with the mission to build a better business model for writing.
• Continuously evaluate tools, libraries, and frameworks to make informed tradeoffs that balance speed, quality, and long term maintainability.
• Support on call responsibilities and troubleshoot production incidents with urgency and care to minimize impact on users.
• Mentor and collaborate with peers, offering constructive feedback and elevating the overall quality of the codebase.
• Explore opportunities to optimize frontend performance, backend throughput, and mobile experiences to serve a global creator community.

Requirements

• You need At least 7+ years of software engineering experience.
• You need Independent and autonomous; able to own work and lead.
• Hold self and others to high standards on production systems.
• You need Pride in building elegant and delightful product experiences.
• You need Collaborate with diverse thinkers while contributing unique experience.
• Believe in Substack's mission to build a better business model for writing.
• You need Experience with TypeScript, Node/Express, React, Postgres.
• You need Experience with ML technology is beneficial.

Skills & tools

You will use TypeScript. You will use Node. You will use Express. You will use React. You will use Postgres. You will use ML technology.

Relevant systems

The work touches Substack. The work touches Substack Chat.

Practical notes

Note: Cash compensation salary range: $140,000 - $260,000. Note: Final offer varies by candidate experience and expertise. Note: Equity and exceptional benefits included. Note: About the company

Substack is building a new economic engine for culture, giving the brightest, most interesting and creative people on the internet the power of their own publishing platform. It empowers creators with financial autonomy, ownership and a direct connection to their communities.

Build frontend and backend (and sometimes mobile) features for creators to manage communities and users to connect deeply.

Collaborate with designers, writers, support staff, and others from product concept through research, implementation, and deployment.

Own work and operate autonomously in a small, generalist team.

For , At least 7+ years of software engineering experience.

For , Independent and autonomous; able to own work and lead.

Hold self and others to high standards on production systems.

For , Pride in building elegant and delightful product experiences.

For , Collaborate with diverse thinkers while contributing unique experience.

Believe in Substack's mission to build a better business model for writing.

For , Experience with TypeScript, Node/Express, React, Postgres.

For , Experience with ML technology is beneficial.

For , TypeScript.

For , Node.