Senior Software Engineer, Data Layer

Coinbase; Annapolis (MD); Hybrid; USD 186,000 - 219,000; Full time

Job summary

Coinbase is seeking a Senior Software Engineer for the Data Layer to shape the API platform connecting client applications to backend services. You will own critical systems that route and serve API requests at scale, enabling reliability and performance across Consumer, Base, and Institutional products.

You will design high-reliability, low-latency systems, improve observability, and mentor engineers while collaborating with cross-functional teams to evolve the platform for broader use.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional engineering experience with production-grade distributed systems.
• Backend languages (Go, Java) and designing microservices.
• Deliver end-to-end projects from scoping to production.
• Decompose complex systems into clean APIs; on-call ownership.
• Align technical decisions with cross-functional stakeholders.
• Responsible use of generative AI with human oversight.

Responsibilities

• Own and deliver projects end to end, from scoping and system design through implementation, rollout, and production validation.
• Design high-reliability, low-latency systems serving millions of users, including caching and service optimization at scale.
• Build and improve the API framework and tooling used by hundreds of engineers.
• Drive operational excellence: set SLOs, improve observability, lead incident response, reduce toil.
• Partner with product engineering teams to design API schemas and support service launches.
• Set technical direction via code/design reviews and mentor engineers.

Job description

Ready to do the most impactful work of your career? At Coinbase, we are uncompromising on our mission to increase economic freedom. The bar is high, the environment is intense, and we like it that way. This isn't a place for complacency, it’s a place to be pushed past your perceived limits. If you're ready to build the future of finance alongside people who refuse to settle for "good enough," you belong here. Coinbase is a remote-first, but not remote-only company. Expect to get together quarterly for intense in-person working sessions called “surges.” learn more about working at Coinbase.

Senior Software Engineer, Data Layer

As a Senior Software Engineer on the Data Layer team within the Platform group, you'll shape the API (GraphQL) platform that connects every client application to Coinbase's backend services, handling the majority of user traffic across Consumer, Base, and Institutional products. You'll own the critical systems that route and serve API requests at scale, improving reliability, performance, and developer experience for hundreds of engineers building on this foundation layer.

What you'll do:

• Own and deliver projects end to end, from scoping and system design through implementation, rollout, and production validation, driving measurable progress on the team's highest-priority initiatives.
• Design and build high-reliability, low-latency systems serving millions of users, tackling challenges like caching, upstream service optimization, and efficient connection management at scale.
• Build and improve the API framework and tooling that hundreds of engineers depend on, making it fast and easy for teams across the company to build, test, and ship independently.
• Drive operational excellence across T0 services: own SLOs, improve observability, lead incident response, and reduce operational toil so the team can invest in high-leverage work.
• Partner cross-functionally with product engineering teams to design API schemas, support service launches, and ensure the platform evolves to meet their needs.
• Set the technical bar through code and design reviews, mentor engineers across the team, and contribute to architectural direction.

Required Skills and Experience:

• 5+ years of professional engineering experience with demonstrated ownership of complex, production-grade distributed systems.
• Deep proficiency in backend languages (Go, Java, or similar) with hands-on experience designing microservices, API platforms, and high-availability systems.
• Track record of delivering projects end to end, including scoping, architecture, implementation, monitoring, and iteration, in environments where reliability and performance are non-negotiable.
• Experience decomposing complex systems into clean APIs and abstractions adopted by multiple consuming teams, with comfort owning on-call responsibilities and driving incident response across multi-service architectures.
• Demonstrated ability to align technical decisions with cross-functional stakeholders, translating platform capabilities into actionable plans with frontend engineers, product teams, and platform consumers.
• Utilizes generative AI responsibly, maintaining human oversight to deliver business-ready outputs and drive measurable improvements in workflow efficiency, cost, and quality.

*Pay Transparency Notice:** *Base salary varies by location (see range below). Total compensation may also include equity and bonus eligibility, and benefits (medical, dental, vision, 401(k)).

Annual base salary range (excluding equity and bonus):

$186,065—$218,900 USD

• *Application Limit: *Candidates may submit a maximum of 3 applications within a 6-month period.
• *Equal Opportunity Employer: *Coinbase is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information. Applicants with criminal histories will be considered consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
• *US Applicants: *View Employee Rights, Know Your Rights, and E-Verify Notice of Participation.
• *Accommodations: *If you are an individual with a disability who needs a reasonable accommodation, email us your request and contact info at accommodations[at]coinbase.com.Need screen reading technology? Click here to download a free compatible screen reader and view the tutorial.
• *Data Privacy & Arbitration: *By submitting your application, you agree to our Candidate Privacy Notice. US applicants: By submitting your application, you agree to Arbitration of Disputes.