Staff Engineer, Core Platform (Hybrid)

Homebase; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

A dynamic technology company in Toronto is seeking a Staff Engineer to define the future architecture of their Core Platform. The successful candidate will lead technical efforts while mentoring engineers across teams. Responsibilities include designing scalable services aligned with architectural vision and solving complex technical problems. The ideal candidate has over 8 years of experience with distributed systems, particularly in Ruby, and a passion for mentoring teams through architectural changes.

Benefits

Stock options + TFSA/RRSP with 4% company match

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision

Flex time off + company holidays

Maternity/Parental Leave EI top-up support

Work From Anywhere Month

Life insurance + disability coverage

Meals provided and team offsites

Required in-office days for collaboration

Qualifications

• Proven experience with distributing systems.
• Experience with legacy Rails applications.
• Familiarity with accounts and billing systems is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical bridge across teams.
• Lead design and implementation of new architectural patterns.
• Mentor engineers to improve their skills.

Skills

Software engineering

Mentoring

Communication

Problem-solving

Education

8+ years of software engineering experience

Tools

Ruby

SOA

Event-driven architectures

Job description

Hi, Future Homie!

At Homebase, you’ll join a team that’s bold, fast-moving, and obsessed with helping small businesses thrive. We build with empathy, act with urgency, and take big swings that drive real-world impact. Here, every Homie shows up to raise the bar, support one another, and celebrate wins as a team.

We’re not just building an app—we’re building unstoppable teams. So what do you say, are you in?

📍Your Impact Starts Here

We’re looking for a Staff Engineer (E5) to help define the architectural future of Homebase’s Core Platform. This role will work across our Identity & Notifications (IN) and Billing & Businesses (BB) teams—two foundational domains that power how customers access, communicate, and transact across Homebase.

As a senior technical leader, you’ll serve as both a hands‑on contributor and a mentor. Reporting directly to the Senior Manager, Core Platform, you’ll partner with engineering managers and ICs to design scalable services aligned to our service-oriented (SOA) and event-driven (EDA) architectural vision. You’ll guide engineers through adoption, coach them on best practices, and identify opportunities to improve reliability, performance, and developer velocity across our systems.

This is a pivotal role for an experienced platform engineer who thrives on enabling teams, evolving architectures, and solving hard system problems that drive product impact at scale.

• Serve as the technical bridge across the Identity & Notifications and Billing & Businesses teams, ensuring architectural coherence and reliability.
• Lead design and implementation of new patterns aligned to SOA and EDA.
• Mentor engineers across both teams, up-leveling their design, debugging, and systems thinking skills.
• Partner with EMs and PMs to clarify technical requirements, scope projects, and sequence foundational work.
• Identify system bottlenecks, propose architectural improvements, and drive pragmatic solutions.
• Guide the technical direction of high-impact initiatives, especially those introducing SOA/EDA patterns into our legacy Rails systems.
• Model AI-first development: leverage AI tools for code quality, design exploration, and delivery velocity.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure scalability, observability, and compliance.

🚀 The Foundation for Success

These are the experiences and strengths that will set you up for success in this role:

• 8+ years of software engineering experience, with significant time spent designing and scaling distributed systems.
• Strong background in Ruby and deep experience in SOA and event-driven architectures.
• Proven experience introducing and evolving architectural patterns within a legacy Rails application.
• Track record of identifying complex technical problems and leading teams to well-reasoned, durable solutions.
• Passion for mentoring engineers and guiding teams through architectural change.
• Strong communication and influence skills across technical and non-technical audiences.
• Familiarity with accounts, authentication, authorization, or billing systems is a plus.
• Commitment to AI fluency: uses AI to improve efficiency, reliability, and developer experience.

🤝 The Homie Way

These principles guide everything we do—from how we work and make decisions to how we show up for each other.

• 💡 Be Customer Obsessed – Solve problems with empathy and creativity.
• ⚡ Move Fast, Learn Fast – Experiment, take action, and grow every day.
• 🎯 Own Your Impact – Think big, focus on what matters, and make decisions you stand behind.
• 🏆 Master Your Craft – Excellence fuels impact—show up, step up, and make your mark.
• 🏅 Win Together – Put goals over roles, lead with trust, and connect to our mission and each other.

What We Offer

• 💰 Ownership & Savings: Stock options + TFSA/RRSP with 4% company match
• 🏥 Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision for you and your dependents
• ⏰ Time Flexibility: Flex time off + company holidays + designated focus periods
• 👶 Family Support: Maternity/Parental Leave EI top-up support offered (after 6 months of service)
• 🌟 Work Your Way: Work From Anywhere Month + meeting-free weeks yearly
• 🛡️ Protection Plans: Life insurance + short/long-term disability coverage
• 🍽️ Workspace Perks: Meals provided, team offsites, and Customer Days
• 💼 Our Hybrid Rhythm: We believe collaboration drives impact. That’s why Tuesdays and Wednesdays are our required in-office days—a time to move faster as a team, build deeper connections, make better decisions, and build together.

What to Expect During the Interview Process

• Meet the Talent Acquisition team, Mavel W.
• Meet the Hiring Manager, Andy M.
• Participate in Technical Interviews
• Meet the VP of Engineering, Andrea C.
• Background Check + Offer Stage
• Welcome to the team, Homie 🎉

💜 Belonging at Homebase

We're committed to fostering a welcoming space where every Homie can be their full self. Experience comes in many forms—so if you're excited about this role, even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications, we encourage you to apply!

Homebase will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

👋 Hey, We’re Homebase

Unstoppable teams start here.

Homebase is the everything app for hourly teams—built to simplify the day-to-day and superpower local businesses. With tools for scheduling, time clocks, payroll, communication, HR, and more, we help teams stay connected and in control. Today, over 100,000 small (but mighty) businesses rely on us to make work radically easier. Together, we’ve tracked over a billion hours for 2.5+ million workers—and we’re just getting started.

At Homebase, we celebrate diversity and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all candidates and do not discriminate based on any legally protected status. If you need accommodations during the hiring process, please let us know—we’re committed to ensuring fair and equitable access for all.