Senior Staff Software Engineer, Data Governance and Metadata Systems

Webflow; Canada; Remote; CAD 228,000 - 329,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading web technology company is seeking a Senior Staff Software Engineer, Data Governance and Metadata Systems. This remote role focuses on building intelligent data systems, ensuring data compliance, and enhancing platform capabilities. Ideal candidates have over 10 years of experience and expertise in data infrastructure, ML/AI applications, and governance workflows. Excellent benefits and a commitment to diversity and inclusion are offered.

Benefits

Equity ownership (RSUs)

100% employer-paid healthcare

Flexible PTO

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in backend or infrastructure engineering.
• Hands-on expertise in metadata systems and data catalog platforms.
• Understanding of data compliance implications.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement Webflow's Central Data Catalog.
• Architect privacy-aware infrastructure for compliance.
• Lead governance strategy with legal and security teams.

Skills

Backend or infrastructure engineering expertise

Metadata systems and data catalog platforms

Knowledge of modern data infrastructure (Kafka, Spark)

Experience with ML/AI on infrastructure

Tools

EKS

Kafka

Airflow

Job description

Senior Staff Software Engineer, Data Governance and Metadata Systems

CA Remote (BC & ON only); U.S. Remote

At Webflow, our mission is to bring development superpowers to everyone. As the pioneer of the Website Experience Platform (WXP), we’re redefining how teams Build, Manage, and Optimize for the web — combining visual development, powerful content management systems, AI-driven personalization, seamless hosting, and end-to-end analytics in a single, unified platform. With AI at the core, Webflow helps teams move faster, create more performant digital experiences, and scale without heavy engineering support. From independent designers and creative agencies to global enterprises, hundreds of thousands of organizations use Webflow to turn ideas into reality — and to power what’s possible on the web.

We’re looking for a Senior Staff Software Engineer, Data Governance and Metadata Systems to help us build the foundation for trusted, secure, and intelligent data systems that power governance, enable self-service, and unlock AI-driven insights across Webflow.

About the role:

• Location: Remote-first (United States; BC & ON, Canada; Ireland; United Kingdom; Mexico)
• Full-time
• Permanent
• Exempt
• The cash compensation for this role is tailored to align with the cost of labor in different geographic markets. We\'ve structured the base pay ranges for this role into zones for our geographic markets, and the specific base pay within the range will be determined by the candidate’s geographic location, job-related experience, knowledge, qualifications, and skills.
• United States (all figures cited below are in USD and pertain to workers in the United States)
  • Zone A: $200,200 - $288,500
  • Zone B: $188,400 - $271,600
  • Zone C: $176,500 - $254,300
• Canada (All figures cited below in CAD and pertain to workers in ON & BC, Canada)
  • CAD 228,400 - CAD 328,500

This role is also eligible to participate in Webflow's company-wide bonus program. Target amounts are a percentage of base salary and vary by career level. Payouts are based on company performance against established financial and operational goals.

Please visit our Careers page for more information on which locations are included in each of our geographic pay zones. However, please confirm the zone for your specific location with your recruiter.

• Reporting to the Senior Engineering Manager

As a Senior Staff Software Engineer, Data Governance and Metadata Systems, you’ll …

• Design, implement, and evolve Webflow’s Central Data Catalog, delivering the foundation for metadata ingestion, lineage, classification, access control, and policy enforcement - enabling trust, discoverability, and governance at scale.
• Architect privacy-aware infrastructure to meet regulatory requirements (e.g., EU/US residency, PII detection, audit logging, policy-as-code) and advance Webflow’s compliance readiness.
• Lead our governance and compliance strategy, partnering with legal, security, and analytics to embed metadata-driven enforcement into the platform.
• Apply ML/AI techniques to platform features, including RAG-based natural language search, vector similarity search, and AI-generated documentation for the data catalog. Bring experience with vector databases, embedding models, and LLM integration.
• Scale and harden our distributed data infrastructure - including Kafka, Airflow, EMR on EKS, Clickhouse - ensuring performance, reliability, and elasticity across batch, streaming, and ML workloads.
• Drive architectural improvements across networking (VPC), compute (EKS), observability (OpenSearch, Datadog), and CI/CD - optimizing for security, cost-efficiency, and high availability.
• Build infrastructure APIs and automation frameworks that enable secure, self-service onboarding of pipelines, datasets, and streaming resources such as Kafka topics and connectors.
• Mentor and uplevel engineers across the team, shaping engineering standards, reviewing designs, and guiding delivery on high-impact, cross-functional initiatives.

In addition to the responsibilities outlined above, at Webflow we will support you in identifying where your interests and development opportunities lie and we'll help you incorporate them into your role.

About you:

You’ll thrive as a Senior Staff Software Engineer, Data Governance and Metadata Systems if you:

• Bring 10+ years of backend or infrastructure engineering experience, with a track record of leading large-scale, high-impact platform initiatives.
• Have hands-on expertise in metadata systems and data catalog platforms (e.g., OpenMetadata, DataHub), with experience building lineage and governance workflows.
• Understand the architectural and legal implications of data compliance and translate requirements into scalable, automated enforcement mechanisms.
• Are deeply familiar with modern data infrastructure - Kafka, Spark, Iceberg, Airflow (MWAA), S3, EMR on EKS, Clickhouse, Druid - and the trade-offs involved in scaling them.
• Have designed secure, production-grade environments using EKS, VPCs, Pulumi/Terraform, and observability tooling like OpenSearch and Datadog.
• Have applied ML/AI to infrastructure or platform features - including embedding pipelines, vector search, or RAG - and understand how to build with LLMs and vector databases.
• Thrive in ambiguity and enjoy working at the intersection of infrastructure, compliance, and enablement - where cross-functional alignment and long-term thinking are key.
• Stay curious and open to growth - actively building fluency in emerging technologies like AI to unlock creativity, accelerate progress, and amplify impact.

Our Core Behaviors:

• Build lasting customer trust. We build trust by taking action that puts customer trust first.
• Win together. We play to win, and we win as one team. Success at Webflow isn\'t a solo act.
• Reinvent ourselves. We don\'t just improve what exists, we imagine what\'s possible.
• Deliver with speed, quality, and craft. We move fast because the moment demands it, and we do so without lowering the bar.

Benefits & wellness

• Equity ownership (RSUs) in a growing, privately-owned company
• 100% employer-paid healthcare, vision, and dental insurance coverage for full-time employees (working 30+ hours per week) and their dependents. Full-time employees may also be eligible for voluntary insurance options where applicable in the respective country of employment
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave for both birthing and non-birthing caregivers, as well as an additional 6-8 weeks of pregnancy disability leave for birthing parents to be used before child bonding leave (note: where local requirements are more generous, employees receive the greater benefit); full-time employees also have access to family planning care and reimbursement
• Flexible PTO for all locations and sabbatical program
• Access to mental wellness and professional coaching, therapy, and Employee Assistance Program
• Monthly stipends to support work and wellness
• 401k plan or pension schemes (in countries where statutorily required), and other financial wellness benefits, like CPA and financial advisor coverage

Temporary employees may be eligible for paid holiday and time off, statutory leaves of absence, and company-sponsored medical benefits depending on their Fixed Term Contract and their country/state of employment.

Remote, together

At Webflow, equality is a core tenet of our culture. We are an Equal Opportunity (EEO)/Veterans/Disabled Employer and are committed to building an inclusive global team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, beliefs, and experiences. Employment decisions are made on the basis of job-related criteria without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Webflow will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Upon interview scheduling, instructions for confidential accommodation requests will be administered.

To join Webflow, you\'ll need a valid right to work authorization depending on the country of employment.

If you are extended an offer, that offer may be contingent upon your successful completion of a background check, which will be conducted in accordance with applicable laws. We may obtain one or more background screening reports about you, solely for employment purposes.

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