Senior Software Engineer, Product Foundations

Metropolis; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

401(k) plan

Stock option plan

Bonus plans

Job summary

Metropolis in Seattle is hiring a Senior Software Engineer for the Product Foundations team. You will architect and build core services of Metropolis Web Services, solving complex distributed systems challenges at scale.

Ideal candidates have 8+ years of backend experience focused on distributed systems, with strong Java skills. The role involves collaborating across teams to develop remarkable user experiences while maintaining high operational standards.

Salary range: $150,000 to $200,000 annually, with additional perks and benefits including a 401(k) plan and healthcare coverage.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of backend software engineering experience with a focus on distributed systems.
• Expert-level Java proficiency and concurrent programming knowledge.
• Experience with microservices architecture and cloud platforms, especially AWS.

Responsibilities

• Design and build core services of Metropolis Web Services.
• Maintain service mesh infrastructure for secure communication.
• Create developer tooling and CI/CD pipelines for efficient code delivery.

Skills

Java proficiency

Distributed systems expertise

Microservices architecture

Kubernetes

AWS

Observability practices

Database knowledge

Technical communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Git

GitHub

Kafka

Job description

Senior Software Engineer, Product Foundations

Seattle, Washington, United States

Who we are

The real world is the next frontier, and at Metropolis, we are creating the artificial intelligence to make it responsive. We are pioneering the Recognition Economy — a future where mundane repetition disappears and being known unlocks access, comfort, and belonging everywhere you go. From transforming parking into a seamless drive-in, drive-out experience for millions of Members to expanding our intelligence layer across retail and hospitality, we are building a world that feels instinctive and magical. The future isn’t coming; it’s here, and we need builders, innovators, and problem solvers to help us create it.

Who you are

Metropolis is seeking a Senior Software Engineer for our Product Foundations team to architect and build Metropolis Web Services (MTWS), the composable, foundational services serving as the substrate for all current and future products across the company. In this role, you will solve complex distributed systems challenges at scale and build the technical foundation enabling us to expand into new markets and support new verticals from the ground up. Working alongside highly technical hypernerds who live and breathe distributed systems, performance optimization, developer productivity, and reliability engineering, you will collaborate across multiple technical teams including Application Development, Infrastructure, and our Advanced Technologies group to deliver remarkable, checkout-free real-world experiences.

What you’ll do

• Design and build the core services of Metropolis Web Services, the composable platform that will power multiple mobility businesses including IAM, notifications, message processing, and other critical infrastructure components
• Build and maintain our service mesh infrastructure, enabling secure, reliable, and observable communication between hundreds of microservices at scale
• Create sophisticated developer tooling, CI/CD pipelines, and platform automation that enables product teams to ship code safely and efficiently while maintaining high operational standards
• Make critical technical decisions about service boundaries, API design, data consistency patterns, and system reliability that affect the entire platform and multiple business lines
• Architect and optimize systems for high throughput and low latency to support millions of transactions across our global platform as we scale to new markets
• Establish monitoring, alerting, and reliability practices that ensure 99.99% uptime for mission‑critical mobility infrastructure
• Drive architectural discussions, establish engineering best practices, and mentor other engineers while contributing directly to complex technical implementations

What we’re looking for

• 8+ years of backend software engineering experience with deep focus on distributed systems and platform infrastructure
• Demonstrate expert‑level Java proficiency with deep understanding of JVM performance, concurrency, and ecosystem tooling
• Possess production experience with microservices architecture, container orchestration (Kubernetes), and cloud platforms (AWS)
• Exhibit strong systems thinking with a proven ability to design and implement large‑scale, high‑availability distributed systems that handle significant load
• Demonstrate observability expertise including hands‑on production experience with metrics, logging, tracing, and alerting systems in high‑load environments
• Utilize database and data systems knowledge including relational databases, event streaming (Kafka, SQS), caching strategies, and data consistency patterns
• Show experience with AI‑powered development tools such as Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, or similar agentic coding tools for enhanced productivity, specifically context engineering
• Maintain excellent technical communication with the ability to design and document complex systems, lead technical discussions, and collaborate across multiple teams

While not required, these are a plus

• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field
• Possess Scala experience and security compliance expertise, particularly in authentication, authorization, secrets management, and regulatory compliance for financial transactions
• Demonstrate experience with high‑growth environments where you have scaled systems through rapid expansion and increasing load
• Showcase open source contributions or technical blog writing that demonstrates depth of technical expertise in distributed systems
• Exhibit performance optimization experience with profiling, benchmarking, and system tuning at hyperscale

Our Stack

• Languages + Frameworks: TypeScript, React, Scala (principally), Java (limited)
• Cloud: AWS
• Version control: Git & GitHub
• AI Tooling: Copilot on GitHub and Claude Code

4 Days in Office: Metropolis values in‑person collaboration to drive innovation, strengthen culture, and enhance the Member experience. Our corporate team members hold to our office‑first model, which requires employees to be on‑site at least four days a week, fostering organic interactions that spark creativity and connection

When you join Metropolis, you’ll join a team of world‑class product leaders and engineers, building an ecosystem of technologies at the intersection of parking, mobility, and real estate. Our goal is to build an inclusive culture where everyone has a voice and the best idea wins. You will play a key role in building and maintaining this culture as our organization grows. The anticipated base salary for this position is $150,000.00 USD to $200,000.00 USD annually. The actual base salary offered is determined by a number of variables, including, as appropriate, the applicant's qualifications for the position, years of relevant experience, distinctive skills, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and the location of residence and/or place of employment. Base salary is one component of Metropolis's total compensation package, which may also include access to or eligibility for healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan, short‑term and long‑term disability coverage, basic life insurance, a lucrative stock option plan, bonus plans, and more.

Metropolis Technologies is an equal opportunity employer. We make all hiring decisions based on merit, qualifications, and business needs, without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, or pregnancy), national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law.