Senior Software Engineer

Forage; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 185,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

Team lunches

Equity

Job summary

Forage in New York City and San Francisco is seeking a Product Engineer who thrives on building features that delight users while maintaining high technical standards. The ideal candidate has 4-8 years of hands-on experience with Python and Django, and a strong focus on backend development.

Beyond coding, you will partner with product managers and designers to shape features from concept to launch, lead medium-scale projects, and contribute to scalable, reliable services on AWS.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.
• 4-8 years of experience in product engineering backend roles.
• Strong understanding of cloud platforms (ideally AWS) and their services.
• Proficient in Python and Django.
• Excellent communication skills to collaborate with development teams and advocate for infrastructure needs.
• Experience leading medium-scale projects involving another engineer.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional partners like product managers and solutions engineering.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with product leaders to implement company objectives.
• Contribute to innovation related to the team’s mission of quality and scalability.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to team members on product engineering best practices.
• Serve on the on-call rotation to support high availability goals.

Skills

Python

Django

AWS

Backend development

Communication

Leadership

Problem-solving

Scripting

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

About Us

Forage is building the modern payments stack that powers inclusive commerce. Our technology enables grocers, delivery platforms, and point-of-sale systems to seamlessly accept EBT payments both online and in-store. Beyond infrastructure, we’re helping SNAP EBT shoppers stretch their grocery budgets every week, making healthy food more affordable and accessible to the 42 million Americans on food assistance.

Backed by leading fintech investors, Forage is a fast-growing startup with a clear vision and real-world impact, feeding tens of thousands of families daily. Our team is made up of kind, driven individuals who take ownership, move quickly, and collaborate closely. We value humility, curiosity, and a shared commitment to making a difference.

We’re not just building payments infrastructure — we’re helping feed tens of thousands of families each day, and transforming grocery access for millions more. Watch our story and see why we do what we do.

• Build tech that matters. Play a direct role in putting food on the tables of millions of families, and help make grocery access more equitable through better payments infrastructure.
• Join a rocket ship with purpose. We’ve grown revenue 100x in two years, with the capital, traction, and runway to keep going — all while staying mission-first.
• Work with exceptional people. Collaborate daily with ‘Foragers’ from companies like Stripe, Instacart, Google, affirm, Uber, and beyond — a tight-knit team with deep experience and low ego.
• Disrupt a massive market. Help modernize a $100B+ system and shape the future of inclusive commerce as we scale toward a $1B+ business.
• Accelerate your career. Thrive in a talent-dense environment backed by top investors in fintech (like Nyca, PayPal Ventures, and more), where ownership and growth are the norm.

What We Are Looking For

We're seeking a Product Engineer who thrives on building features that delight users while maintaining high technical standards. The ideal candidate has 4-8 years of hands-on experience crafting user-facing products, with expertise in modern web technologies, Python, and frameworks like Django. You understand how to balance technical trade-offs with customer needs with a focus on backend development.

Beyond coding, we value engineers who can effectively partner with product managers and designers to shape features from concept to launch. You should have experience leading medium-scale projects and a track record of breaking down complex product requirements into clear technical specifications. We're looking for someone who enjoys the full product development lifecycle - from user research and prototyping to implementation and iteration.

Communication is essential in this product engineering role, as you'll collaborate closely with our product and design teams to understand user needs and translate them into elegant technical solutions. You should be comfortable giving and receiving feedback during product reviews and design critiques, while also being able to clearly explain technical constraints and opportunities. A passion for great user experience and a natural curiosity about how your code impacts real users will help you thrive in this position.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience
• 4-8 years of experience in product engineering backend roles
• Strong understanding of cloud platforms (ideally AWS) and their services.
• Proficient in scripting and automation using languages, ideally Python
• Experience with web frameworks like Django
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and in a team
• Excellent communication skills to collaborate with development teams and advocate for infrastructure needs
• Experience leading medium-scale projects involving another engineer
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional partners like product managers and solutions engineering

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with product leaders to implement company objectives
• Contribute to innovation related to the team’s mission of quality and scalability.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to team members on product engineering best practices.
• Serve on the on-call rotation to support high availability goals

Our Offer

This role is Hybrid in New York or San Francisco , we will consider remote within North America on a case-by-case basis. We define hybrid as 2-3 days in office.

Your base salary would fall within the bands below. Please keep in mind that the equity portion of your offer is not included in these numbers and represents a significant part of your total compensation.

• Expected salary range: $185k-$220k USD base salary, plus equity and benefits. Depending on Experience
• Meaningful work that makes a positive impact on our society.
• 100% of Medical, Dental and Vision premium coverage for yourself and dependents.
• Enjoy regular team lunches at our New York or San Francisco offices, fostering collaboration and connection over great food.
• A fun and caring environment that prioritizes transparency, growth, and ownership.
• A talented, high-achieving, and humble team with diverse backgrounds and viewpoints.

Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries at our headquarters in San Francisco, California. Individual pay is determined by work location, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

We aim to review every application within 4 business days of submission and provide feedback on each of your interviews within 2 business days of completion. If you don't hear from us, please reach out to your recruiter or careers[at]joinforage[dot]com directly to get an update on your candidacy.

Integrity & Fairness

To maintain a fair and equitable hiring process for all candidates, we require that interviews and exercises be completed without the use of AI-powered tools. We assess candidates based on their direct experience, judgment, and communication.

Please note: Forage is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role. Applicants must have work authorization that does not require visa sponsorship now or in the future.

E-Verify Notice

Forage participates in E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility for all newly hired employees. Learn more by reviewing the E-Verify Participation Poster.