Senior Software Engineer (Ruby/Rails), MVR

Checkr; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 131,000 - 218,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Equity compensation

Fertility/adoption reimbursement and育n

Flexible PTO

Wellness stipend

Relocation stipend possible

Job summary

Checkr is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join the MVR team in San Francisco. You will own design and evolution of services powering motor vehicle record screenings, building reliable, scalable systems from data sources through processing and delivery in reports.

You’ll mentor engineers, collaborate with product and operations, and embrace AI-assisted tooling to improve accuracy, speed, and compliance in a fast-growing data platform.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience building scalable backend systems.
• Proven distributed systems experience with microservices and CI/CD.
• Ability to reason about an entire platform end to end.
• Experience integrating with external data providers and APIs.
• Strong ownership and clear communication with engineering and non-engineering partners.
• Bias for action with an AI-first mindset.

Responsibilities

• End-to-End Ownership: lead the lifecycle for complex MVR features from design to release.
• System-Level Strategy: drive architectural improvements for reliability and speed.
• Cross-Functional Partnership: align with Data Supply Chain, Product, and Ops.
• Engineering Excellence: deliver high-performance, accurate, secure services.
• Operational Reliability: identify risks, lead incident response and fixes.
• Technical Leadership: mentor engineers and promote best practices.
• AI-First Mindset: leverage AI tooling to amplify impact.

Skills

5+ years backend

Distributed systems

Systems thinking

Data integration

Ownership & communication

AI mindset

Job description

Senior Software Engineer (Ruby/Rails), MVR

About Checkr

Checkr is building the data platform to power safe and fair decisions. Over 140,000 companies and millions of people rely on Checkr for AI verification in the moments that matter most: getting a new job, a new place to live, a car ride, childcare, even a date. Customers include Uber, Pennymac, Airbnb, Doordash, and Anthropic.

We’re a team that thrives on solving complex problems with innovative solutions that advance our mission. Checkr is recognized on Forbes Cloud 100 2025 List and is a Y Combinator 2024 Breakthrough Company.

As a Senior Software Engineer on the MVR team, reporting to the Engineering Manager, you will build and evolve the systems that power Checkr's motor vehicle record screenings, helping customers make safe, fair, and fast decisions about the drivers on their platforms. You will lead the design and execution of reliable, scalable services across the MVR lifecycle, from how records are ordered and retrieved from data sources to how they are processed, normalized, and delivered in customer reports. You will partner closely with Product, Supply Chain Operations, Product, and Business Operations to shape the platform's long-term architecture and ensure MVR screenings scale alongside Checkr's growth.

What you’ll do

• End-to-End Ownership: Lead the development lifecycle for complex MVR features, from ideation and technical design through implementation, release, and ongoing operation.
• System-Level Strategy: Define and drive the technical direction for MVR systems, identifying architectural improvements that increase reliability, reduce turnaround time, and make the platform easier to extend.
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Partner with Data Supply Chain, Supply Chain Operations, Product, and Operations to translate data provider realities and customer needs into scalable technical solutions.
• Engineering Excellence: Design, build, and maintain high-performance services that meet the highest standards for data accuracy, security, and compliance.
• Operational Reliability: Proactively identify systemic risks across MVR data flows, lead incident response and root-cause analysis, and drive durable fixes that prevent recurrence.
• Technical Leadership: Mentor engineers on the team and across the organization, raising the bar on code quality, design reviews, and engineering practices.
• AI-First Mindset: Embrace an engineering culture where AI tooling is standard practice, leveraging the latest AI-assisted tools, models, and assistants to amplify your impact.

What you bring

• Senior Backend Expertise: 5+ years of experience building scalable backend systems, with strong proficiency in at least one modern programming language and a deep understanding of relational databases, ORMs, and RESTful APIs.
• Distributed Systems Experience: A proven track record of designing and maintaining reliable distributed systems, including hands-on experience with microservices, CI/CD, and asynchronous or event-driven architectures.
• Systems Thinking: The ability to reason about a platform end to end, weigh architectural trade-offs, and design solutions that hold up as data sources, volume, and product requirements change.
• Data Integration & Quality: Experience integrating with external data providers or third-party APIs, and building pipelines that handle inconsistent, delayed, or incomplete data with accuracy and resilience.
• Ownership & Communication: Full-cycle ownership of your work and the ability to communicate technical decisions clearly to both engineering and non-engineering partners.
• An A-player mindset with a strong bias for action: you raise the bar, move with urgency, stay resilient through ambiguity, and take ownership to deliver meaningful outcomes.

Pay Transparency Disclosure

We use geographic cost of labor as an input to develop ranges for our roles and as such, each location where we hire may have a different range. If this role is remote, we have listed the top to the bottom of the possible range, but we will specify the target range for an exact location when you are selected for a recruiting discussion. For more information on our compensation philosophy, see our website.

On-target Earnings OR Base Salary range (San Francisco, CA)

$185,000 - $218,000 USD

What We Offer

• A fast-paced and collaborative environment
• Learning and development allowance
• Competitive cash and equity compensation, and opportunity for advancement
• 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Up to $25K reimbursement for fertility, adoption, and parental planning services
• Flexible PTO policy
• Monthly wellness stipend

At Checkr, we believe an in office work environment strengthens collaboration, drives innovation, and encourages connection. Our hub locations are Denver, CO; San Francisco, CA; Nashville, TN; and Santiago, Chile. Individuals are expected to work from the office 3+ days a week. In-office perks are provided, such as lunch five times a week, a commuter stipend, and an abundance of snacks and beverages. A relocation stipend may be available for those willing to relocate to a Checkr hub location.

Equal Employment Opportunities at Checkr

Checkr is committed to building the best product and company, which requires hiring talented and qualified individuals with a diverse set of perspectives and lived experiences. Checkr believes in hiring people of all backgrounds, including those whose histories are impacted by the justice system in accordance with local, state, and/or federal laws, including the San Francisco’s Fair Chance Ordinance.

Applicant Privacy Policy

If you are a California resident or are located in Alberta or British Columbia, our Applicant Privacy Policy applies to our collection and processing of your personal information when you apply for a role with us or otherwise participate in our recruitment process.

For applicants in Massachusetts:

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.