Senior Software Engineer

Appian; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan with company match

Flexible time off

Paid parental leave

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision plans

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Wellness programs

Flexible spending accounts

Health savings account contributions

Employee referral bonus program

Learning and development resources

Job summary

Appian is seeking a performance-focused Mid to Senior Software Engineer to build tools that tackle complex performance problems and high-performance, real-time, distributed data systems. You’ll join a team that values intensity and excellence as we push for scalable software solutions.

Ideal candidates have 4+ years of experience, deep JVM and Linux knowledge, and experience with Java and Python, CI/CD, and observability tooling.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience building and delivering software applications.

Responsibilities

• Develop simple yet elegant solutions to complex technical problems in a small scrum team.
• Leverage Prometheus, OpenTelemetry, Loki, Grafana, ElasticSearch, and Kubernetes to ensure platform performance.
• Assist with customer performance issue investigations and remediation.
• Build custom performance tooling to aid in solving performance issues.
• Enable automated performance testing through libraries, frameworks and infrastructure.
• Respond to and resolve emergent problems; write software and automation to prevent recurrence.

Skills

4+ years experience

JVM fundamentals

Linux fundamentals

Java

Python

CI/CD

Monitoring/Observability

Production issue debugging

BS in Computer Science

Education

BS in Computer Science

Tools

Gitlab

Jenkins

Docker

Kubernetes

Locust

Job description

Here at Appian, our values of Intensity and Excellence define who we are. We set high standards and live up to them, ensuring that everything we do is done with care and quality. We approach every challenge with ambition and commitment, holding ourselves and each other accountable to achieve the best results. When you join Appian, you’ll be part of a passionate team dedicated to accomplishing hard things, together.

At Appian, we’re not only about building awesome software, but also about growing our culture of passion, energy, and innovation — great people, great software! As a performance-focused Mid to Senior level Software Engineer at Appian you will help build tools to solve complex performance problems and tackle our most challenging technical problems alongside other brilliant engineers.

About you:

• You have 4+ years experience building and delivering software applications.
• You possess deep knowledge about the JVM, including Garbage Collection and Heap Dump analysis, Java, Application Server technologies (like Tomcat and Spring), and Databases.
• You have expertise in Linux System fundamentals (including Threading, Context Switching, etc.) and Linux basics.
• You have experience with programming languages like Java, Python, and/or other Interpreted Languages (C or C++ considered).
• You are passionate about Performance Optimization, identifying and building new tools and technologies to solve complex performance problems.
• You are familiar with CI/CD experience, Test Automation, and tools such as Gitlab, Jenkins, Docker, and Kubernetes/Infrastructure.
• You have experience with Monitoring/Debugging tools, Observability, and Tracing, including specialized tools like Locust.
• You are prepared for Production Issue Debugging and Rapid Response Team scenarios.
• You thrive on solving labyrinthine problems within large, high-performance, real-time, distributed data systems.
• You hold a BS in Computer Science and/or equivalent years of experience writing code.

How You’ll Contribute:

• Develop simple yet elegant solutions to complex technical problems at the intersection of Engineering and IT in a small scrum team.
• Leverage a modern and diverse array of tools including Prometheus, OpenTelemetry, Loki, Grafana, ElasticSearch, and Kubernetes to ensure that our platform is built with performance in mind, and that our customers' applications are performant.
• Assist with customer performance issue investigations and remediation.
• Build custom performance tooling to assist with solving performance issues.
• Enable automated performance testing through creation of libraries, frameworks and infrastructure.
• Respond to and resolve emergent problems; write software and build automation to prevent problem recurrence

Preferred Experience Level:

• 4+ years of relevant experience, building and delivering software applications.

Education:

• B.S. in Computer Science, or a related field

This role is based at our headquarters in McLean, Virginia. Appian was built on a culture of in-person collaboration, which we believe is a key driver of our mission to be the best. Employees hired for this position are expected to be in the office 5 days a week to foster that culture and ensure we continue to thrive through shared ideas and teamwork. We believe being in the office provides more opportunities to come together and celebrate working with the exceptional people across Appian.

The base salary range represents a good faith and reasonable estimate of the range at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant work experience, qualifications, internal peer equity, and market and business conditions that exist when extending an offer. A discretionary bonus may be awarded in recognition of individual and company performance.

• 401(k) plan with company match
• flexible time off
• paid parental leave
• medical
• dental
• vision plans
• life insurance
• disability insurance
• wellness programs
• flexible spending accounts
• health savings account contributions
• an employee referral bonus program
• learning and development resources
• Certain positions may be eligible for equity awards.

Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation, commission, bonus, or benefit plans.

Base Salary Range: $125,000 USD - $250,000 USD

Tools and Resources

• Training and Development: During onboarding, we focus on equipping new hires with the skills and knowledge for success through department-specific training. Continuous learning is a central focus at Appian, with dedicated mentorship and the First-Friend program being widely utilized resources for new hires.
• Growth Opportunities: Appian provides a diverse array of growth and development opportunities, including our leadership program tailored for new and aspiring managers, a comprehensive library of specialized department training through Appian University, skills based training, and tuition reimbursement for those aiming to advance their education. This commitment ensures that employees have access to a holistic range of development opportunities.
• Community: We’ll immerse you into our community rooted in respect starting on day one. Appian fosters inclusivity through our 8 employee-led affinity groups. These groups help employees build stronger internal and external networks by planning social, educational, and outreach activities to connect with Appianites and larger initiatives throughout the company.

Appian offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, wellbeing, and financial future.

• health coverage
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with free mental health support
• life and disability insurance
• an Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP)
• a retirement/pension plan
• wellness dollars
• tuition reimbursement
• family-forming benefits and more

Benefits vary by country—please ask your Talent Acquisition contact for details specific to the location you are applying to.

About Appian

Appian provides AI automation for mission-critical work. We automate complex processes in large enterprises and governments. Our platform is known for its unique reliability and scale. We’ve been automating processes for more than 25 years and understand enterprise operations like no one else. For more information, visit appian.com. [Nasdaq: APPN]

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Appian is an equal opportunity employer that strives to attract and retain the best talent. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Appian provides reasonable accommodations to applicants in accordance with all applicable laws. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email [e-mail]. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.

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