Senior Software Engineer, Backend - HR Product

Rippling; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Rippling in Seattle, WA is seeking a Senior Software Engineer, Backend for the HR Product team. You will own design and implementation of core backend services and APIs powering payroll, benefits, and employee lifecycle tooling.

You will collaborate with product, frontend, and platform teams to deliver high-volume, secure systems, mentor engineers, and elevate technical standards while solving scale and data integrity challenges.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of backend production experience
• Deep expertise in distributed systems architecture and data modeling
• Experience with high-scale systems, security, and reliability
• Strong CS fundamentals and ability to deliver complex projects
• Excellent communication with cross-functional teams

Responsibilities

• Own the design and implementation of core backend services and APIs
• Ensure systems are built for high-volume scale, reliability, and security
• Collaborate with product, frontend, and platform teams to translate feature goals into robust solutions
• Mentor engineers and raise the team’s backend standards

Skills

Python

Go

Distributed systems

Data modeling

Relational databases

Job description

Senior Software Engineer, Backend - HR Product

Rippling Seattle, Washington, United States

About this position

About Rippling

Rippling gives businesses one place to run HR, IT, and Finance. It brings together all of the workforce systems that are normally scattered across a company, like payroll, expenses, benefits, and computers. For the first time ever, you can manage and automate every part of the employee lifecycle in a single system.

Take onboarding, for example. With Rippling, you can hire a new employee anywhere in the world and set up their payroll, corporate card, computer, benefits, and even third-party apps like Slack and Microsoft 365—all within 90 seconds.

Based in San Francisco, CA, Rippling has raised $1.4B+ from the world’s top investors—including Kleiner Perkins, Founders Fund, Sequoia, Greenoaks, and Bedrock—and was named one of America's best startup employers by Forbes.

We prioritize candidate safety. Please be aware that all official communication will only be sent from @ Rippling.com addresses.

About the HR Product Team

The HR Product Engineering team is the foundational layer of Rippling's unified workforce management system. Our mission is to build seamless, global, and compliant systems that power the entire employee lifecycle, from hire to retire.

We operate at the critical intersection of HR, compliance, and enterprise software. Our products manage the most sensitive and essential aspects of a company's relationship with its people, requiring us to solve complex problems related to scale, data security, and multi-product integration.

What We Build

The team is composed of high-impact squads focused on four core domains:

• HRIS (Human Resources Information System): Building the core employee record, organizational structure, and workflows that serve as the single source of truth for all other Rippling products.
• Time: Developing accurate, scalable, and globally compliant Time & Attendance systems, including clocking, time-off accrual, and scheduling, ensuring employees are paid correctly and legally.
• Benefits: Creating and maintaining the marketplace and administration tools for health, retirement, and other employee benefits, handling complex enrollment, eligibility, and provider integrations.
• Talent: Designing products that manage employee growth, performance, and learning, helping companies develop and retain their workforce effectively.

What you will do

• Own the design and implementation of core backend services and APIs that power critical product capabilities and complex business logic.
• Ensure all systems are built for high-volume scale, reliability, and security, making strategic decisions about infrastructure and data integrity.
• Work seamlessly with product, frontend, and platform teams to translate feature goals into robust, high-performance technical solutions.
• Elevate the team's technical standards, lead code and design reviews, and mentor engineers on backend best practices.

What you will need

• 5+ years of experience in a production environment using Python, Go, or a similar high-scale backend language.
• Deep expertise in distributed systems architecture, data modeling, and performance optimization of relational databases.
• You have seen and contributed to systems operating at a significant technical and organizational scale.
• Strong understanding of CS/algorithms fundamentals and experience with complex project delivery.
• Exceptional communication skills with technical and cross-functional stakeholders.

Additional Information

Rippling is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected characteristics, Rippling is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities who need assistance during the hiring process. To request a reasonable accommodation, please email [e-mail]

Rippling highly values having employees working in-office to foster a collaborative work environment and company culture. For office-based employees (employees who live within a 40 mile radius of a Rippling office), Rippling considers working in the office, at least three days a week under current policy, to be an essential function of the employee's role.

This role will receive a competitive salary + benefits + equity. The salary for US-based employees will be aligned with one of the ranges below based on location; see which tier applies to your location here . A variety of factors are considered when determining someone’s compensation - including a candidate’s professional background, experience, and location. Final offer amounts may vary from the amounts listed below.

About the HR Product Team

The HR Product Engineering team is the foundational layer of Rippling's unified workforce management system. Our mission is to build seamless, global, and compliant systems that power the entire employee lifecycle, from hire to retire.

We operate at the critical intersection of HR, compliance, and enterprise software. Our products manage the most sensitive and essential aspects of a company's relationship with its people, requiring us to solve complex problems related to scale, data security, and multi-product integration.

What We Build

The team is composed of high-impact squads focused on four core domains:

• HRIS (Human Resources Information System): Building the core employee record, organizational structure, and workflows that serve as the single source of truth for all other Rippling products.
• Time: Developing accurate, scalable, and globally compliant Time & Attendance systems, including clocking, time-off accrual, and scheduling, ensuring employees are paid correctly and legally.
• Benefits: Creating and maintaining the marketplace and administration tools for health, retirement, and other employee benefits, handling complex enrollment, eligibility, and provider integrations.
• Talent: Designing products that manage employee growth, performance, and learning, helping companies develop and retain their workforce effectively.

What you will do

• Own the design and implementation of core backend services and APIs that power critical product capabilities and complex business logic.
• Ensure all systems are built for high-volume scale, reliability, and security, making strategic decisions about infrastructure and data integrity.
• Work seamlessly with product, frontend, and platform teams to translate feature goals into robust, high-performance technical solutions.
• Elevate the team's technical standards, lead code and design reviews, and mentor engineers on backend best practices.

What you will need

• 5+ years of experience in a production environment using Python, Go, or a similar high-scale backend language.
• Deep expertise in distributed systems architecture, data modeling, and performance optimization of relational databases.
• You have seen and contributed to systems operating at a significant technical and organizational scale.
• Strong understanding of CS/algorithms fundamentals and experience with complex project delivery.
• Exceptional communication skills with technical and cross-functional stakeholders.

Additional Information

Rippling is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected characteristics, Rippling is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities who need assistance during the hiring process. To request a reasonable accommodation, please email [e-mail]

Rippling highly values having employees working in-office to foster a collaborative work environment and company culture. For office-based employees (employees who live within a 40 mile radius of a Rippling office), Rippling considers working in the office, at least three days a week under current policy, to be an essential function of the employee's role.

This role will receive a competitive salary + benefits + equity. The salary for US-based employees will be aligned with one of the ranges below based on location; see which tier applies to your location here . A variety of factors are considered when determining someone’s compensation - including a candidate’s professional background, experience, and location. Final offer amounts may vary from the amounts listed below.

The pay range for this role is:

180,000 - 280,000 USD per year(US Tier 1)