Senior Backend Engineer (Content, Security & Trust)

Scribd, Inc.; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 152,000 - 202,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading company as a Senior Software Engineer specializing in content security. You'll enhance systems that protect digital content while ensuring compliance and trust. Ideal candidates have extensive experience in application security and backend systems, with a strong focus on collaboration and innovative problem-solving.

Benefits

Healthcare Insurance Coverage

12 weeks paid parental leave

401k/RSP matching

Learning & Development allowance

Mental Health support & resources

Free subscription to Scribd

Company-wide events

Flexible Sick Time

Vacation & Personal Days

Paid Holidays

Qualifications

• 7+ years of software engineering experience.
• Experience in application security and backend systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and implementation of security solutions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance security.

Skills

Collaboration

Problem Solving

Communication

Tools

AWS

Ruby

Go

Python

Job description

At Scribd (pronounced “scribbed”), our mission is to spark human curiosity. Join our team as we create a world of stories and knowledge, democratize the exchange of ideas and information, and empower collective expertise through our three products: Everand, Scribd, and Slideshare.

We support a culture where our employees can be real and be bold; where we debate and commit as we embrace plot twists; and where every employee is empowered to take action as we prioritize the customer.

When it comes to workplace structure, we believe in balancing individual flexibility and community connections. It’s through our flexible work benefit, Scribd Flex, that employees – in partnership with their manager – can choose the daily work-style that best suits their individual needs. A key tenet of Scribd Flex is our prioritization of intentional in-person moments to build collaboration, culture, and connection. For this reason, occasional in-person attendance is required for all Scribd employees, regardless of their location.

So what are we looking for in new team members? Well, we hire for “GRIT”. The textbook definition of GRIT is demonstrating the intersection of passion and perseverance towards long term goals. At Scribd, we are inspired by the potential that this can unlock, and ask each of our employees to pursue a GRIT-ty approach to their work. In a tactical sense, GRIT is also a handy acronym that outlines the standards we hold ourselves and each other to. Here’s what that means for you: we’re looking for someone who showcases the ability to set and achieve Goals, achieve Results within their job responsibilities, contribute Innovative ideas and solutions, and positively influence the broader Team through collaboration and attitude.

About The Team & Role

At Scribd, our Content Engineering teams ensure that millions of pieces of digital content are securely managed, delivered, and enjoyed by our users. We develop and maintain large-scale systems for content ingestion, rights management, security, and content safety across our brands. We’re seeking a seasoned software engineer with experience in application security to take a leading role in enhancing and evolving these systems.

As a Senior Software Engineer, Content Security & Trust, you will play a pivotal role in protecting Scribd’s content ecosystem, ensuring compliance with licensing agreements, and maintaining trust in our platform. You’ll design and implement security-first solutions that safeguard content while enabling seamless access for authorized users. This role requires a strong technical foundation, a security-first mindset, and the ability to drive cross-functional efforts across teams.

As a Senior Engineer, you will:

• Own and drive technical initiatives: Lead the design, implementation, and scaling of security solutions for content ingestion, storage, distribution, and access control.

• Apply security best practices: Implement and refine DRM, encryption, and threat detection strategies to mitigate unauthorized access and emerging security risks.

• Collaborate across teams: Work closely with Infrastructure Security, ML Engineering, Frontend, Data Science, and Product teams to build solutions that balance security, performance, and user experience.

• Improve content safety: Partner with ML and moderation teams to develop AI-driven safety mechanisms that detect and mitigate risks related to generative AI misuse, explicit content, hate speech, PII exposure, spam, and fraud.

• Influence content security strategy: Contribute to Scribd’s broader content security and trust strategy, identifying gaps, proposing new initiatives, and improving existing frameworks.

• Mentor and lead: Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and guidance to engineers across the organization, driving secure coding best practices.

This role offers an opportunity to shape and build the future of content security and safety at Scribd. If you thrive in complex problem spaces and want to make a tangible impact on digital content protection, we’d love to hear from you.

Who You Are

• You have 7+ years of professional software engineering experience, with expertise in backend systems and content or application security.

• You have hands-on experience or familiarity with content encryption, DRM systems, secure API design, authentication methods, or industry-standard security practices, with the ability and willingness to deepen your expertise in these areas.

• You have worked with AWS cloud services, including Lambda, SQS/SNS, S3

• You are proficient in one or more server-side programming languages (Ruby, Go, Python) and have experience with distributed systems, microservices architectures, and database design.

• You excel in troubleshooting complex technical challenges and are skilled at designing scalable, high-performance, and resilient solutions.

• You communicate clearly and effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders, comfortably creating documentation and delivering presentations in a remote-first environment

• You enjoy mentoring junior engineers, value diverse perspectives, and thrive in collaborative team environments.

At Scribd, your base pay is one part of your total compensation package and is determined within a range. Our pay ranges are based on the local cost of labor benchmarks for each specific role, level, and geographic location. San Francisco is our highest geographic market in the United States. In the state of California, the reasonably expected salary range is between $146,000 [minimum salary in our lowest geographic market within California] to $227,000 [maximum salary in our highest geographic market within California].

In the United States, outside of California, the reasonably expected salary range is between $120,000 [minimum salary in our lowest US geographic market outside of California] to $216,500 [maximum salary in our highest US geographic market outside of California].

In Canada, the reasonably expected salary range is between $152,000 CAD[minimum salary in our lowest geographic market] to $202,000 CAD[maximum salary in our highest geographic market].

We carefully consider a wide range of factors when determining compensation, including but not limited to experience; job-related skill sets; relevant education or training; and other business and organizational needs. The salary range listed is for the level at which this job has been scoped. In the event that you are considered for a different level, a higher or lower pay range would apply. This position is also eligible for a competitive equity ownership, and a comprehensive and generous benefits package.

Are you currently based in a location where Scribd is able to employ you?
Employees must have their primary residence in or near one of the following cities. This includes surrounding metro areas or locations within a typical commuting distance:

United States:

Atlanta | Austin | Boston | Dallas | Denver | Houston | Jacksonville | Los Angeles | Miami | New York City | Phoenix | Portland | Sacramento | Salt Lake City | San Diego | San Francisco | Seattle | Washington D.C.

Canada:

Ottawa | Toronto | Vancouver

Mexico:

Mexico City

Benefits, Perks, and Wellbeing at Scribd

*Benefits/perks listed may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Scribd and the geographical location where you work.

• Healthcare Insurance Coverage (Medical/Dental/Vision): 100% paid for employees

• 12 weeks paid parental leave

• Short-term/long-term disability plans

• 401k/RSP matching

• Onboarding stipend for home office peripherals + accessories

• Learning & Development allowance

• Learning & Development programs

• Quarterly stipend for Wellness, WiFi, etc.

• Mental Health support & resources

• Free subscription to Scribd + gift memberships for friends & family

• Referral Bonuses

• Book Benefit

• Sabbaticals

• Company-wide events

• Team engagement budgets

• Vacation & Personal Days

• Paid Holidays (+ winter break)

• Flexible Sick Time

• Volunteer Day

• Company-wide Employee Resource Groups and programs that foster an inclusive and diverse workplace.

Access to AI Tools: We provide free access to best-in-class AI tools, empowering you to boost productivity, streamline workflows, and accelerate bold innovation.

Want to learn more about life at Scribd? www.linkedin.com/company/scribd/life

We want our interview process to be accessible to everyone. You can inform us of any reasonable adjustments we can make to better accommodate your needs by emailing [e-mail] about the need for adjustments at any point in the interview process.

Scribd is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We encourage people of all backgrounds to apply, and believe that a diversity of perspectives and experiences create a foundation for the best ideas. Come join us in building something meaningful.