Staff Backend Engineer

Inflection Managing Partner, Inc.; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 225,500 - 265,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

401(k) plan and match

Flexible time off

Professional development stipend

Job summary

A leading tech company in San Francisco is seeking a Staff Backend Engineer to focus on building decentralized technologies for their cutting-edge World ID platform. In this role, you'll architect scalable backend systems while providing technical leadership and mentorship to engineering teams. You will tackle complex challenges and shape the technical roadmap, collaborating with stakeholders to drive impactful solutions. This position offers a competitive salary range of $225,500 - $265,000 with a robust benefits package.

Qualifications

• Experience in senior technical leadership positions.
• Proven experience leading complex initiatives from start to finish.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and guide engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Architect and build scalable backend systems.
• Provide technical leadership to cross-functional projects.
• Mentor junior engineers and collaborate with stakeholders.
• Shape the technical roadmap for the platform.

Skills

Backend system design

Distributed systems

Technical leadership

Mentorship

Communication

Job description

Staff Backend Engineer

San Francisco — World ID

About the Company:

World is building a real human network designed to accelerate people in the age of AI. As bots and autonomous agents reshape the internet, people, institutions, and applications need a trusted way to confirm who is a real human while preserving privacy. Our products make this possible: the Orb verifies real people, World ID proves it privately, and World App enables and distributes the new applications made possible by this technology. Together, they form a new layer for AI internet.

We’re one of the fastest-growing networks in tech. More than 17 million people across 160 countries have verified with World ID, and we complete over 350,000 verifications each week. World App is already among the most used wallets globally. Developers are integrating World ID to build safer online experiences and create spaces where real people can participate, earn, and be recognized in ways AI simply can’t replicate.

World was founded in 2019 and launched globally in 2023. We are more than 400 people across hardware, software, AI, cryptography, mobile engineering, and global operations. Our teams come from OpenAI, Tesla, SpaceX, Apple, Google, Stripe, Meta, Coinbase, Palantir and MIT Media Lab. We’re backed by leading investors, including a16z, Khosla Ventures, Bain Capital Crypto, Blockchain Capital, Variant, Tiger Global, and Coinbase Ventures, as well as prominent operators and founders across fintech and AI.

World has been featured on the cover of TIME Magazine, highlighted in Fast Company’s Next 5 in Fintech, and explored in a Bloomberg deep dive. The New York Times, Bankless and TechCrunch have all recognized our progress in identity, cryptography, AI, and global‑scale hardware deployment. Our leadership is also named to the Time AI 100. Learn more about the newest product launches from our Unwrapped event.

About the Team:

World ID is a digital identity system and proof of humanity for everyone, designed to be a foundational identity protocol for the internet in the era of AGI. It is built to be self‑custodial, secure, decentralized and open, setting new standards for privacy and transparency.

At the heart of World ID are groundbreaking innovations in hardware and software—spanning distributed systems, cryptography, sensors, biometrics, machine learning and blockchain technology.

As part of the team behind World ID, you’ll work on defining and building the decentralized platform that underlies World ID, product experiences and partner integrations. You'll help shape the future of technologies needed to realize this ambitious vision.

About the Opportunity:

As a Staff Software Engineer, you will focus on building core technologies and infrastructure to drive scale, utility and decentralization for World ID protocol and its ecosystem.

Your work will span critical technology areas including issuance and registration of credentials, decentralized cloud platform for applications and authenticators lifecycle using MPC systems and blockchain, zero‑knowledge proving systems, biometric verification and recovery systems, World network integration platforms and building products using technologies that would delight users.

Your responsibilities include:

• Architecting and Building: You will take ownership of the design, development, and scaling for mission‑critical software, including architecting decentralized, privacy‑preserving, secure, scalable and reliable backend systems.
• Technical Leadership: You will provide technical guidance to the engineering team and lead complex, cross‑functional projects. Your work will ensure the team delivers elegant and effective solutions for a variety of novel challenges some of which have never been done before.
• Mentorship and Collaboration: You will mentor junior engineers and work closely with senior leadership, product managers and other XFN stakeholders to deliver impactful solutions that advance the World network.
• Strategic Impact: You will play a key role in shaping the technical roadmap and strategy for the World ID platform. You are expected to identify the most important tasks and drive them to completion. Your ability to collaborate and stay organized in a fast‑paced environment is key.

About you:

You have a proven track record of designing and developing exceptional backend systems and solving complex problems, preferably with experience in distributed systems or identity management platforms. You are a fast learner who can quickly master and apply new knowledge and skills. You can communicate clearly and concisely, and your colleagues consistently vouch for your ability to collaborate effectively in ambiguous and changing environments. You are great at building software and are motivated by the challenge of realizing this ambitious vision.

Requirements for this role

• Experience in senior technical leadership positions.
• Proven experience leading complex initiatives from start to finish.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and guide engineering teams to help them level up and increase their impact.
• Deep expertise in designing and implementing software systems that are both reliable and scalable, with a strong grasp of fundamentals.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, for technical and non‑technical audiences.

By submitting your application, you consent to the processing and internal sharing of your CV within the company, in compliance with the GDPR.

Pay transparency statement (for CA based roles):

The reasonably estimated salary for this role at TFH ranges from $225,500 - $265,000, plus a competitive long term incentive package. Actual compensation is based on factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience. In addition, TFH offers a wide range of best in class, comprehensive and inclusive employee benefits for this role including healthcare, dental, vision, a 401(k) plan and match, life insurance, flexible time off, commuter benefits, professional development stipend and much more!

Apply Now

Worldcoin participates in the E-Verify Program

Worldcoin is an Equal Opportunity / affirmative action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. Worldcoin is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.