Senior Staff Software Engineer, Backend (Cards)

Affirm; Sioux Falls (SD); Remote; USD 236,000 - 296,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage for you and dependents

Tech setup stipends

Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)

Job summary

Aff is seeking a senior engineering leader to drive the technical direction for the Cards platform. You will lead from the front on AI-led initiatives, champion architectural excellence, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver scalable solutions.

The role emphasizes ownership, mentoring engineers, and guiding teams across organizational boundaries to achieve company-wide outcomes. This is a remote-first role with high-impact responsibilities.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience driving backend architecture and cross-functional delivery.
• Proven ability to lead large engineering teams and multi-project initiatives.
• Experience shaping technical strategy and improving reliability and responsiveness.
• Strong ownership mindset and effective communication with stakeholders.
• Mentor and grow engineers to Staff level across teams.

Responsibilities

• Define the technical direction, roadmap, and strategic initiatives for Cards.
• Lead from the front using AI to build fast, high-quality solutions.
• Collaborate with engineering leaders and stakeholders to deliver scalable, reliable systems.
• Shape best practices and guide architectural choices across full-stack teams.
• Mentor engineers and foster ownership, accountability, and scale.

Skills

Architecture

Leadership

Full-stack

Mentoring

Cross-functional

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

React Native

Kotlin

JavaScript

Job description

At Aff endlessly exist for the moments that matter—giving people a clear, predictable way to pay over time, with no hidden fees, no surprises, and no tradeoffs on what matters most.

We are reinventing credit cards entirely. We are working directly with card issuers to change how credit is used throughout the world, creating new types of cards that work for both their everyday lives and large purchases with extremely straightforward, flexible terms.

You will lead from the front on AI while holding the bar high on quality. You'll collaborate with engineering leaders, create and implement technical strategy across full-stack teams, and coordinate closely with stakeholders to build scalable, reliable, and high-performing solutions. You'll help shape best practices, guide architectural choices, and drive the successful delivery of critical initiatives.

This role requires a high level of technical ability, leadership and project management skills, strong cross-functional communication, and a customer-first mindset.

What You'll Do

• Lead the vision – Define the technical direction, long-term technical roadmap, and strategic initiatives in Cards.
• Be a role model - Lead from the front as an example in using AI to build fast, take initiative, and revolutionize how we work.
• Stay close to industry leaders in FinTech, learning from what is happening in the market to build our team.
• Work closely with stakeholders across all teams at Aff to champion and implement technical excellence in conjunction with business results.
• Create and influence a strong ownership culture across teams, with high accountability and investment for building for scale and efficiency.
• Architect and contribute to decisions on the right platform, tools, and technologies to support consistency and reliability.
• Mentor and lead – Guide a strong group of engineers by championing best practices, and helping them grow.

What We Look For

• 10+ years of experience working across the stack, driving architectural improvements in the backend. Bonus points using languages like React Native, Javascript, or Kotlin.
• Experience driving change across large engineering organizations.
• Track record of successfully leading critical projects and leveraging multiple engineering teams across organizational boundaries for company-wide results.
• Extensive experience developing and implementing technical strategy that drove prominent change in reliability and responsiveness.
• You embody an ownership mindset and help influence a similar culture to those around you.
• Collaborative partnership across engineering teams and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Experience mentoring and growing engineers up to Staff level.
• You have strong verbal and written communication skills that can help influence and share critical decisions with stakeholders.
• This position requires either equivalent practical experience or a Bachelor's degree in a related field.

Base Pay Grade

- R

Equity Grade

- 15

Employees new to Aff typically come in at the start of the pay range. Aff focuses on providing a simple and transparent pay structure which is based on a variety of factors, including location, experience and job-related skills.

Base pay is part of a total compensation package that may include equity rewards, monthly stipends for health, wellness and tech spending, and benefits (including 100% subsidized medical coverage, dental and vision for you and your dependents.)

USA base pay range (CA, WA, NY, NJ, CT) per year: $265,000 - $325,000

USA base pay range (all other U.S. states) per year: $236,000 - $296,000

Remote-first with flexibility built in

Aff is proud to be a remote-first company. Most roles can be done from almost anywhere within the country of employment. Some positions may occasionally require in-person work at an Aff office, and a few are office-based due to the nature of the work. All new hires will be invited to attend an in-person onboarding experience.

Benefits Designed For You

Our benefits reflect our commitment to care, transparency, and flexibility. Here are a few highlights:

• Health coverage at no cost: We cover 100% of premiums for employees and their dependents.
• Spending stipends: Monthly stipends support your tech setup, and the ability to choose health and wellness options that are right for you.
• Time off to recharge: Flexible time off and generous holiday calendars help you rest when you need to.
• Own a piece of what you build: Our employee stock purchase plan (ESPP) lets you buy Aff stock at a discount.

We're committed to providing an inclusive interview process, including accommodations for candidates with disabilities. If you need support, we're happy to help.

For positions based in San Francisco or Los Angeles: Aff considers qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, as required by law.