Senior Staff Software Engineer, Backend (Identity Engineering)

Affirm; San Jose (CA); Remote; USD 232,000 - 310,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative company is seeking a Senior Staff Software Engineer to lead Identity Engineering. This role involves defining technical direction, fostering innovation, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to develop scalable solutions. You will influence architectural decisions and drive initiatives while mentoring engineers. This remote-first organization offers a competitive salary and a commitment to inclusivity, making it an exciting opportunity for those passionate about delivering honest financial products.

Benefits

Health coverage

Flexible stipends for technology

Generous vacation and holiday policies

Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)

Qualifications

• Proven experience in delivering impactful multi-year projects.
• Strong system design and software engineering skills.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute multi-year technical strategies.
• Architect and develop next-generation Identity services.
• Mentor engineers and promote engineering excellence.

Skills

System Design

Software Engineering

Distributed Systems

Kotlin Development

Leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor's Degree in related field

Job description

Senior Staff Software Engineer, Backend (Identity Engineering)

Join to apply for the Senior Staff Software Engineer, Backend (Identity Engineering) role at Affirm.

Affirm is reinventing credit to make it more honest and friendly, giving consumers the flexibility to buy now and pay later without any hidden fees or interest.

We are seeking a Senior Staff Software Engineer to lead in Identity Engineering, defining technical direction and fostering innovation. This role involves working closely with engineering leaders, cross-functional teams, and stakeholders to develop scalable, reliable, and high-performing solutions. You will influence architectural decisions, establish best practices, and drive critical initiatives, requiring strong technical, leadership, and communication skills.

Identity Engineering manages systems for onboarding consumers and handling their authentication and verification across Affirm’s products. You will need to deeply understand business, product, and engineering contexts to define requirements, vision, and roadmaps for the Identity area. Leading the team, you will align with business stakeholders and engineering partners to deliver the vision incrementally over multiple years.

What You'll Do

• Define and execute multi-year, multi-team technical strategies through implementation and leadership.
• Architect and develop next-generation Identity services supporting high availability and low latency for Affirm’s financial products.
• Collaborate with cross-functional leaders, guided by domain expertise and engineering insight.
• Mentor engineers and promote engineering excellence across teams.
• Clarify complex engineering, product, and business challenges, navigating ambiguity effectively.

What We Look For

• Proven experience delivering impactful, multi-year projects with cross-functional collaboration.
• Strong system design and software engineering skills, capable of synthesizing complex requirements.
• Deep understanding of distributed systems and their architectural impacts on performance and maintainability.
• Excellent communication skills, especially in asynchronous formats like RFCs, design documents, and project plans.
• Passion for working with Product, Analytics, and Business teams.
• Kotlin development experience is a plus.
• Alignment with Affirm’s mission to deliver honest financial products.
• Practical experience or a Bachelor’s degree in a related field.

Base Pay Grade: R

Equity Grade: 15

Our pay structure is transparent and considers factors like location, experience, and skills. Total compensation may include equity, stipends, and benefits such as health coverage, dental, and vision.

USA base pay range (CA, WA, NY, NJ, CT): $260,000 - $310,000
USA base pay range (other states): $232,000 - $282,000

Affirm is a remote-first company, with most roles allowing remote work nationwide. Some roles may require occasional office presence.

Benefits

• Health coverage—Affirm covers premiums for you and dependents.
• Flexible stipends for technology, food, lifestyle, and family expenses.
• Generous vacation and holiday policies.
• Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP).

We are committed to an inclusive hiring process and provide accommodations for candidates with disabilities. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered, in accordance with local laws.

By submitting your application, you acknowledge reading Affirm's Privacy Notice and consent to data processing.

Additional Details

• Seniority level: Mid-Senior level
• Employment type: Full-time
• Job function: Engineering and IT

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