Senior Staff Software Engineer

Tessera Data; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 257,000 - 302,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Learning & development allowance

Equity compensation

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Fertility/adoption support

Flexible PTO policy

Wellness stipend

Relocation stipend

Job summary

Checkr is seeking a Senior Staff Software Engineer to guide the long-term design of core systems and lead cross-organizational initiatives, including the international expansion of our platform and development of an Enterprise Architecture.

In this role, you will work across the entire R&D organization to deeply understand the product’s domain models and customer needs, and work across all teams to ensure that Checkr is architecting a best-in-class, API-first product that can scale into the

Qualifications

• Degree in computer science or related field (Bachelor’s or Master’s).
• 2+ years leading architecture projects across an organization.
• 5+ years in a leadership role.
• 15+ years of experience as a software engineer.
• Experience in Ruby, GoLang, and Python.
• Solid understanding of cloud technologies and backend stacks.
• Deep understanding of microservices design and asynchronous queues.
• Experience designing real-time & batch data pipelines serving billions of data points.
• Experience mentoring engineering and product teams in domain-driven design.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Proactively identify opportunities for impact for the engineering organization.
• Own direction and lead organization-wide technical efforts.
• Hands-on contribution in areas with high business risk.
• Break down complex projects into simple, maintainable systems.
• Create standards of architectural best practices for the org.
• Upskill Staff Engineers to raise quality and scale.
• Inform buy vs build decisions to support broad strategy.
• Understand customer, partner, and product needs, and represent teams in leadership discussions.

Skills

Leadership

Architecture

Cloud Technologies

Microservices

Data Pipelines

Domain-Driven Design

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Mentoring

Communication

Ownership

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in CS or related

Job description

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.

Checkr is looking for an experienced Senior Staff Software Engineer to facilitate the long-term design of Checkr’s core systems and to lead critical cross-organizational initiatives, including the international expansion of our platform and development of an Enterprise Architecture. In this role, you will work across the entire R&D organization to deeply understand the product’s domain models and customer needs, and work across all teams to ensure that Checkr is architecting a best-in-class, API-first product that can scale into the future.

What You’ll Do

• Proactively identify the top opportunities for impact for the engineering organization
• Own direction and lead execution of organization-wide technical efforts
• Hands-on contribution in areas with a high degree of business risk
• Break down very complex projects into simple systems that can be effectively built and maintained by less experienced engineers
• Create documents to set standards of architectural best practices that the broader engineering organization consumes
• Upskill the Staff Engineers in the company to systematically raise the bar for quality and scale
• Inform buy vs build decisions, supporting broad business strategy
• Deeply understand customer, partner, and product team needs, and represent your teams in technical conversations with company leadership

What You Bring

• Degree in computer science or related field (Bachelor’s or Master’s)
• 2+ years leading architecture projects across an organization
• 5+ years of experience in a leadership role
• 15+ years of experience as a software engineer
• Experience developing in Ruby, GoLang, and Python
• Solid understanding of cloud technologies and all layers of backend stacks
• Deep understanding of microservices design and asynchronous queueing models
• Experience designing and maintaining real-time & batch processing data pipelines serving up billions of data points
• Experience mentoring engineering and product teams in domain-driven design
• Experience leading and influencing cross-functional teams
• Strong collaboration, communication, and project management skills
• A strong sense of ownership
• A great desire to learn, collaborate, improve, and innovate

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)

$257,000 - $302,000 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.

• Legitimate Checkr emails will always include our official domain name after the @ symbol (e.g., [e-mail] or [e-mail]).