Software Development Engineer III at CLEAR, New York NY

Neolife Updates; New York (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Catered daily lunches

Fully stocked kitchens

Learning & development stipends

Reimbursement programs

Job summary

CLEAR seeks a Senior Software Development Engineer III in New York, NY to own end-to-end, high-impact backend and full-stack work across identity, security, and data services. You will partner with product, design, security, and operations to deliver scalable, reliable solutions and mentor teammates.

The role emphasizes architectural ownership, strong cloud and container experience, and a builder mindset in a fast-paced, security-minded environment.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of backend software development experience in Java.
• Cloud-based application development experience including AWS, Docker and Kubernetes.
• Proficient with CI/CD and deployment tooling (GitHub, Argo, Jenkins).

Responsibilities

• Own complex technical problems from design through deployment.
• Deliver full-stack code and promote testing, documentation, and observability best practices.
• Collaborate with Product and stakeholders to uncover requirements and drive solutions.
• Take architectural ownership and drive continuous improvement in technology and processes.

Skills

Java

Kafka

Postgres

AWS

Docker

Kubernetes

CI/CD

GitHub

Argo

Jenkins

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

GitHub

Argo

Jenkins

ECS

EKS

Job description

CLEAR's secure identity platform serves more than 43 million Members, transforming how people live, work, and travel — from airport checkpoints to stadium entrances. The Software Development Engineer III role at CLEAR in New York, NY is a senior fullstack opportunity to build the next generation of that platform across travel, enterprise, healthcare, and financial services.

Role Overview: Software Development Engineer III at CLEAR

As a senior-level engineer, you will own complex technical problems from design through deployment, partnering closely with Product, Design, Security, and Operations to deliver reliable, scalable solutions. CLEAR is building a secure, networked digital identity that enables seamless experiences well beyond verification.

Level and team matching happens late in the interview process, with open roles across the three pillars that make up Technology at CLEAR: Core Identity, CLEAR1, and CLEAR Travel.

Tech Stack Highlights

• Java / Kafka / Postgres
• AWS cloud infrastructure

Key Responsibilities

• Advance capabilities across privacy, security, data modeling, and architecture domains
• Deliver full-stack code while driving engineering excellence through best practices in testing, documentation, and observability
• Partner with Product and other stakeholders to uncover requirements, innovate, and solve complex problems
• Take architectural ownership and champion continuous improvement in technology and processes

What You're Great At: Required Qualifications

• 6+ years of backend software development experience in Java
• Fluency in cloud-based application development, including:
  • Cloud providers: AWS
  • Containerization: Docker, Kubernetes
  • CI/CD and deployment tooling: GitHub, Argo, Jenkins
• Ability to articulate technical concepts to mixed audiences of technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Collaboration and mentorship of less experienced team members
• Comfort with ambiguity and a builder mindset
• Curiosity about technology and belief in constant learning

Compensation and Benefits

At CLEAR, when you're at your best, the company is at its best. Offices are bright and energetic with an open concept, casual co-working spaces, catered daily lunches, and fully stocked kitchens. CLEAR also invests in your well-being and learning & development through stipends and reimbursement programs.

Application Tips for Engineering Candidates

• Highlight distributed systems work: CLEAR's platform processes millions of identity transactions. Showcase Kafka event-streaming or Postgres data-modeling experience with specific metrics on scale and throughput.
• Demonstrate AWS depth: Go beyond listing services. Describe architecture decisions involving ECS/EKS, IAM policies, or multi-AZ deployments and the trade-offs behind them.
• Showcase CI/CD maturity: Prepare examples of pipeline optimizations using Argo or Jenkins that reduced deployment time or improved rollback reliability — this signals production-readiness for senior roles.
• Prepare a system design discussion: Expect to whiteboard identity verification flows. Practice designing secure, low-latency APIs with Kafka producers/consumers and Postgres schema strategies.
• Emphasize security mindset: Given CLEAR's identity focus, reference experience with data encryption at rest and in transit, PII handling, and compliance frameworks like SOC 2 or GDPR.

This full-time role was posted on September 25, 2026, with an application deadline of November 25, 2026. Qualified applicants receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.