Distributed Systems Software Engineer, GovCloud - Senior/Lead

salesforce.com, inc.; Herndon (VA); On-site; USD 148,500 - 260,100; Full time

Job summary

Salesforce.com, inc. is seeking a Distributed Systems Software Engineer - GovCloud (Senior/Lead) to join our US government-focused cloud team in Herndon, VA.

You will design and operate resilient distributed systems across data centers, using Java, Golang, Python, and Ruby, with AI-enabled development workflows and containerized microservices on Kubernetes and related tech. You will contribute to infrastructure automation, DevOps practices, and on-call rotations, while balancing live-site

Qualifications

• A related technical degree is required.
• 5+ years backend software development experience.
• Deep knowledge of Java, Golang, Python, or Ruby.
• Experience owning and operating multiple instances of a critical service.
• Experience with Agile development and Test Driven Development.
• Experience with monitoring, alerting, logging, and reporting applications.
• Experience with distributed databases and relational databases like PostgreSQL.

Responsibilities

• Deliver cloud infrastructure automation tools, frameworks, workflows, and validation platforms.
• Design, develop, debug, and operate resilient distributed systems across data centers.
• Build and ship production-grade software using modern engineering practices with AI components.
• Develop Infrastructure-as-Code using Terraform.
• Write microservices on Kubernetes, Docker, and Mesos.
• Evaluate code (Human or AI-generated) for quality, security, and performance.
• Participate in on-call rotations to keep services highly available.

Skills

Backend development

Java

Golang

Python

Ruby

Distributed systems

Agile / TDD

Monitoring / logging

AI-first engineering

AI tools (Claude, Copilot)

Education

Related technical degree

Tools

Spinnaker

Zookeeper

Terraform

Kubernetes

Docker

Mesos

Job description

To get the best candidate experience, please consider applying for a maximum of 3 roles within 12 months to ensure you are not duplicating efforts.

Job Category: Software Engineering

About Salesforce

Salesforce is the #1 AI CRM, where humans with agents drive customer success together. Here, ambition meets action. Tech meets trust. And innovation isn't a buzzword - it's a way of life. The world of work as we do not know it is changing and we're looking for Trailblazers who are passionate about bettering business and the world through AI, driving innovation, and keeping Salesforce's core values at the heart of it all.

Ready to level-up your career at the company leading workforce transformation in the agentic era? You're in the right place! Agentforce is the future of AI, and you are the future of Salesforce.

Applications for this position will be accepted on an ongoing basis.

Must be a U.S. Citizen operating on U.S. Soil with ability to meet customer and government screening standards applicable to this role, including a Criminal Justice Information Services screening with fingerprint scan. Due to the citizenship requirement for this role, which supports U.S. federal, state, and/or local government customers, citizenship will be verified through two of the following REAL ID Act documents: U.S. Passport, Passport Card, REAL Driver's License, Global Entry Card, U.S. Government CAC/PIV.

Distributed Systems Software Engineer - GovCloud (Senior/Lead)

Your Impact

• Deliver cloud infrastructure automation tools, frameworks, workflows, and validation platforms on our public cloud platforms such as AWS, GCP, Azure, or Alibaba
• Designing, developing, debugging, and operating resilient distributed systems that run across thousands of compute nodes in multiple data centers
• Build and ship high-quality, production-grade software using modern engineering practices, with AI as a core part of your development workflow by pushing the boundaries of AI development tools (Cursor, Windsurf, Claude, OpenAI API) to deliver secure, optimized, and high-quality code.
• Using and contributing to open source technology (Spinnaker, Zookeeper, etc.)
• Developing Infrastructure-as-Code using Terraform
• Writing microservices on containerization frameworks such as Kubernetes, Docker, Mesos
• Design and orchestrate complex systems where AI agents integrate seamlessly into human workflows, driving efficiency and innovation at scale.
• Contribute to building and maintaining the shared system context, an explicit repository of system designs, constraints, and standards that enables AI to operate accurately and reliably.
• Critically evaluate code (Human or AI-generated) for correctness, quality, security, and performance
• Resolving complex technical issues and drive innovations that improve system availability, resilience, and performance
• Eat, sleep, and breathe services. You have experience balancing live-site management, feature delivery, and retirement of technical debt
• Participate in the team's on‑call rotation to address complex problems in real‑time and keep services operational and highly available

Required Skills

• A related technical degree required
• 5+ years backend software development experience
• Deep knowledge of programming in Java, Golang, Python, or Ruby
• Experience owning and operating multiple instances of a critical service
• Experience with Agile development methodology and Test Driven Development
• Experience with critical infrastructure services including monitoring, alerting, logging, and reporting applications
• Experience with distributed database system and relational databases like postgres is a plus.
• A demonstrated, genuine AI-first approach to engineering. Using AI to move faster, build fluency across the stack, and contribute well beyond your core specialty.
• Experience using AI tools (e.g., Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Codex, Cursor, etc.) in development workflows
• Advanced prompt engineering skills and the ability to write precise, structured prompts and cultivate the system context that makes AI outputs reliable, secure, and production-ready.

Benefits & Perks

Check out our benefits site which explains our various benefits, including wellbeing reimbursement, generous parental leave, adoption assistance, fertility benefits, and more.

Salesforce Information

Check out our Salesforce Engineering Site.

Accommodations

If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please submit a request via this Accommodations Request Form.

Posting Statement

Salesforce is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a policy of non-discrimination with all employees and applicants for employment. Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal. Any employee or potential employee will be assessed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications - without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, transgender status, age, disability, veteran or marital status, political viewpoint, or other classifications protected by law. This policy applies to current and prospective employees, no matter where they are in their Salesforce employment journey.

In the United States, compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, job level, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Certain roles may be eligible for incentive compensation, equity, and benefits. Salesforce offers a variety of benefits to help you live well including: time off programs, medical, dental, vision, mental health support, paid parental leave, life and disability insurance, 401(k), and an employee stock purchasing program. More details about company benefits can be found at https://www.salesforcebenefits.com. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, Salesforce will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. At Salesforce, we believe in equitable compensation practices that reflect the dynamic nature of labor markets across various regions. The typical base salary range for this position is $148,500 - $260,100 annually. In select cities within the San Francisco and New York City metropolitan area, the base salary range for this role is $178,900 - $285,800 annually. The range represents base salary only, and does not include company bonus, incentive for sales roles, equity or benefits, as applicable.