Staff Software Engineer, Backend (Continuous Integration)

Affirm; Toronto; Remote; CAD 181,000 - 241,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote-first

Health coverage

Equity rewards

ESPP

Job summary

Affirm is seeking a Staff Software Engineer, Backend (CI) to drive our CI pipelines across services. This remote Canada role focuses on reliability, scalability, and developer productivity, enabling engineers to ship high-quality software quickly.

You will own design and optimization of build systems, mentoring CI engineers and evangelizing CI/CD practices across the organization. Remote-first with flexibility, Canada-based candidates encouraged to apply.

Qualifications

• Proven experience driving CI/build systems and developer productivity.
• Experience with modern build tools like GitHub, Buildkite, Artifactory.
• Knowledge of cloud-native environments (AWS, Kubernetes) and IaC.
• Strong programming background in Python, Kotlin, or Java.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience with monorepos and large-scale CI is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own design, scalability, and reliability of CI pipelines across services.
• Optimize build times, test coverage, and reporting.
• Implement monitoring, alerting, and incident response for CI systems.
• Mentor CI engineers and drive tooling improvements.
• Collaborate with engineering leadership to align CI with product goals.

Skills

CI/Build systems

Dev productivity

Python / Java / Kotlin

AWS

Kubernetes

Open source

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

GitHub

Buildkite

Artifactory

Job description

Staff Software Engineer, Backend (Continuous Integration)

Remote Canada

At Affirm, we exist for the moments that matter—giving people a clear, predictable way to pay over time, with no hidden fees, no surprises, and no tradeoffs on what matters most.

We are seeking a seasoned Staff Engineer to help drive our Continuous Integration (CI) team. This role is critical in ensuring the reliability, scalability, and efficiency of our development pipelines, enabling engineers across the company to ship high-quality software quickly and confidently. The Staff Engineer will help drive the design, implementation, and optimization of systems that support automated testing, build orchestration, and deployment.

What you’ll do

• Systems & Operations
  
• Own the design, scalability, and reliability of build and pipelines across multiple services and platforms.
• Ensure fast, reliable feedback cycles for developers by optimizing build times, test coverage, and reporting.
• Implement monitoring, alerting, and incident response processes for CI systems to minimize downtime.
  
• Work closely with across engineering to ensure smooth integrations and deployment workflows.
• Identify developer pain points and lead initiatives to improve productivity through tooling, automation, and best practices.
• Evangelize CI/CD practices across the organization to raise engineering efficiency standards.
  
• Contribute to and help drive the vision for continuous integration and developer productivity infrastructure.
• Lead and mentor other CI engineers, fostering a culture of ownership, collaboration, and technical excellence.
• Partner with engineering leadership to align CI systems with broader product and platform goals.

What we look for

• Proven experience driving and leading engineering efforts in CI, build systems, or developer productivity domains.
• Strong background in modern build systems (e.g. GitHub, Buildkite, Artifactory).
• Familiarity with cloud-native environments (AWS, Kubernetes) and infrastructure-as-code practices.
• Solid programming background (Python, Kotlin, Java, or similar) and ability to guide technical decision-making.
• Excellent problem-solving skills, with the ability to balance long-term vision with short-term impact.
• This position requires either equivalent practical experience or a Bachelor’s degree in a related field
• Proficiency with managing build systems and frameworks for large monorepos.
• Active contributor to open source projects or previous experience with large-scale software development at a leading tech company is a plus.

About You:

• You are driven by a passion for CI/CD and possess a deep commitment to enhancing developer experiences.
• You excel in a collaborative team setting, valuing diverse perspectives and contributions.
• You are proactive, taking initiative to solve complex systems challenges and drive impact across the organization.
• Demonstrates curiosity about AI tools and emerging technologies, with a willingness to learn and leverage them to enhance productivity, collaboration, or decision-making.

Pay Grade - P
Equity Grade - 7
Employees new to affirm typically come in at the start of the pay range. affirm focuses on providing a simple and transparent pay structure which is based on a variety of factors, including location, experience and job-related skills.
Base pay is part of a total compensation package that may include monthly stipends for health, wellness and tech spending, and benefits (including 100% subsidized medical coverage, dental and vision for you and your dependents). In addition, the employees may be eligible for equity rewards offered by affirm holdings, inc. (parent company).
CAN base pay range per year: $181,000 - $241,000
This posting is for an existing vacancy.

#LI Remote

Remote-first with flexibility built inAffirm is proud to be a remote-first company. Most roles can be done from almost anywhere within the country of employment. Some positions may occasionally require in-person work at an affirm office, and a few are office-based due to the nature of the work. All new hires will be invited to attend an in-person onboarding experience.

Benefits designed for youOur benefits reflect our commitment to care, transparency, and flexibility. Here are a few highlights:

• Health coverage at no cost: We cover 100% of premiums for employees and their dependents.
• Spending stipends: Monthly stipends support your tech setup, and the ability to choose health and wellness options that are right for you.
• Time off to recharge: Flexible time off and generous holiday calendars help you rest when you need to.
• Own a piece of what you build: Our employee stock purchase plan (espp) lets you buy affirm stock at a discount.

We’re committed to providing an inclusive interview process, including accommodations for candidates with disabilities. If you need support, we’re happy to help.

For positions based in San Francisco or Los Angeles: affirm considers qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, as required by law.