Backend Engineer II — AI-Driven Mail & AntiSpam

Yahoo Holdings Inc. in; Reston (VA); Hybrid; USD 111,000 - 231,000; Full time

Job summary

Yahoo is seeking a Backend Software Dev Engineer II for Yahoo Mail AntiSpam/Delivery to design, build, and operate high-performing backend systems. The role emphasizes reliable spam detection, scalable message delivery, and close collaboration with AI-assisted tooling to improve accuracy and efficiency.

You will work on distributed services, deploy code to production, and help optimize performance in a large-scale cloud environment, with a focus on Unix/Linux platforms and cross-team

Qualifications

• BS/MS in Computer Science or a related field with strong fundamentals in data structures, algorithms, OS, and networking.
• Proficiency with AI-assisted development tools such as Claude, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, or Codex with sound judgment on correctness and security.
• 3+ years of backend software development in Java, Go, or C++ (team primarily Java, some in Go).
• Solid understanding of cloud computing concepts: IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS.
• Machine learning knowledge with hands-on AI coding experience.
• Experience with a public cloud (GCP or AWS).
• Experience with containers (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes), preferably on GCP.
• Experience designing high-performing, complex server apps on Unix/Linux.
• Strong troubleshooting and debugging skills, including performance tuning.
• Clear communicator, constructive under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Build and operate distributed systems for inbound protection, entity reputation, traffic shaping, and message delivery.
• Use AI-assisted development tools as part of daily workflow, validating and refining outputs.
• Translate technical requirements into correct, testable code and deploy to production.
• Troubleshoot software failures and tune performance across high-throughput services.
• Design and simplify existing components under minimal guidance.
• Review peers' code, provide feedback, and assist with estimation.

Skills

Java

Go

C++

AI-assisted tools

Distributed systems

Unix/Linux

Troubleshooting

Communication

Cloud concepts

Education

BS/MS in Computer Science

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

GCP

AWS

GitHub Copilot

Claude

Cursor

Codex

Job description

Yahoo is seeking a Backend Software Dev Engineer II for Yahoo Mail AntiSpam/Delivery to design, build, and operate high-performing backend systems. The role emphasizes reliable spam detection, scalable message delivery, and close collaboration with AI-assisted tooling to improve accuracy and efficiency.

You will work on distributed services, deploy code to production, and help optimize performance in a large-scale cloud environment, with a focus on Unix/Linux platforms and cross-team