Software Engineer II, Backend

Affirm, Inc.; United States; Remote; USD 146,000 - 206,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Job summary

Affirm is hiring a software engineer to design, build, and scale backend systems in a remote-first environment. You will break complex initiatives into actionable tasks, collaborate with product, design, and analytics, and help keep systems reliable through on-call duties and monitoring.

Strong communication and ownership are essential. The role emphasizes hands-on coding with Python or Kotlin, expertise in distributed architectures, and a product-focused mindset suitable for a rapidly evolving

Qualifications

• 1.5+ years of software engineering experience.
• Experience designing, developing and launching backend systems with Python or Kotlin.
• Familiar with distributed systems and technologies like AWS, MySQL and Kubernetes.
• Able to translate simple business problems into multi-component solutions with clean, well-tested code.
• Comfortable navigating large code bases and providing feedback via code reviews.
• Growth mindset with proactive feedback to peers and leadership.
• Strong verbal and written communication for global collaboration.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.

Responsibilities

• Break down projects into tasks and deliver in phases with cross-team collaboration.
• Collaborate with product, design and analytics to align on constraints and trade-offs.
• Maintain operations and availability of team artifacts; monitor metrics and participate in on-call.
• Contribute to team culture and growth through interview processes and mentorship.

Skills

Python

Kotlin

Distributed systems

AWS

MySQL

Kubernetes

Code reviews

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience

Tools

AWS

MySQL

Kubernetes

Job description

At affirm, we 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.

The Engineering team builds systems that power affirm’s mission. We take pride in our craft, building reliable, performant, and scalable solutions that touch every part of the business. Whether we’re enabling new ways to pay, ensuring our platforms can scale to the most demanding levels in the industry, or developing seamless servicing experiences, our focus is on solving complex problems through exceptional engineering.

You will be matched with a team after completing the interview evaluation process. Your recruiter will work closely with you throughout the process to understand your interests and experience to find the strongest team fit.

What you’ll do

• With the support of your team’s tech lead and manager, you will break down larger projects into individual tasks, deliver them in multiple phases, and collaborate with others to ensure timely delivery of your work.
• You will support your peers and stakeholders in the product development lifecycle by collaborating with product management, design & analytics by participating in ideation, articulating technical constraints, and partnering on decisions that properly consider risks and trade-offs.
• You will support the operations and availability of your team’s artifacts by creating and monitoring metrics, escalating when needed, and supporting “keep the lights on” & on-call efforts.
• You will contribute to a sense of community on your team by engaging in growth and development activities such as participation in the interview process.

What we look for

• You have a total of 1.5+ years of experience as a software engineer.
• You have experience designing, developing and launching backend systems and are proficient in one of Python or Kotlin.
• You are familiar with the building blocks of distributed systems, and the technologies like AWS, MySQL and Kubernetes.
• You have mastered taking a simple problem or business scenario into a solution that interacts with multiple software components, and executing on it by writing clear, easily understood, well tested and extensible code.
• You are comfortable navigating a large code base, debugging others’ code, and providing feedback to other engineers through code reviews.
• Your experience demonstrates that you take ownership of your growth, proactively seeking feedback from your team, your manager, and your stakeholders.
• You have strong verbal and written communication skills that support effective collaboration with our global engineering team.
• This position requires either equivalent practical experience or a Bachelor’s degree in a related field.

Base Pay Grade - L

Equity Grade - 6

Employees new to typically come in at the start of the pay range. affirm 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: 165,000 - 225,000 USD

USA base pay range (all other U.S. states) per year: 146,000 - 206,000 USD

Remote-first with flexibility built inAffirm 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 affirm 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 youOur 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 affirm 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: affirm considers qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, as required by law.

Demographic Survey Statement (US-based roles)

Affirm is dedicated to building an inclusive culture where affirmers belong and have an equal opportunity to thrive.

To help us assess our outreach efforts, we invite candidates to voluntarily share information through a short demographic survey. This information is:

• Completely optional
• Anonymized and stored in aggregate
• Not accessible to recruiters or hiring managers at the individual level
• Never used in any hiring decision

Your decision to provide or withhold this information will not impact your candidacy in any way.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in affirm’s equal employment opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.