Senior Software Engineer, Backend - Platform

Rippling; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 159,000 - 278,000; Full time

Job summary

Rippling is seeking a Senior Software Engineer, Backend for the Platform team in Seattle. You will own design and implementation of core backend services powering critical product capabilities, focusing on reliability and security at scale.

You will collaborate with product, frontend, and platform teams, mentor engineers, and help raise engineering standards. 5+ years of experience in Python or Go and a track record of building distributed systems are highly valued.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of production experience with Python or Go
• Distributed systems architecture and data modeling
• Experience with relational databases and performance optimization
• Strong communication with cross-functional teams

Responsibilities

• Design and implement core backend services and APIs
• Ensure high-volume scale, reliability, and security
• Collaborate with product, frontend, and platform teams
• Lead code and design reviews and mentor engineers

Skills

Backend design

Distributed systems

Relational databases

CS fundamentals

Communication skills

Tools

Python

Go

Job description

Senior Software Engineer, Backend - Platform

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 Platform Team

The Platform Engineering team is the invisible engine that powers all of Rippling's integrated products—HR, IT, and Finance. Our mission is to build the core infrastructure, tools, and shared services that allow every other engineering team to ship highly reliable, secure, and globally scalable features with maximum velocity. We manage the foundational components that ensure Rippling's single, unified platform operates efficiently and securely.

Our Scope: Foundational Systems for 1,000+ Engineers

Operating as a critical scaled team, we own and operate a variety of mission‑critical systems that directly support close to 1,000 engineers building products and internal platforms across Rippling. We deliver the most foundational shared systems inside the Platform organization.

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 defined 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: 159,000 - 278,250 USD per year(US Tier 1)