Staff Backend Engineer: AI-Driven FinTech Platform

Airwallex; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Airwallex is seeking an experienced Staff Backend Engineer based in San Francisco. You will design the backbone of our intelligent finance systems, ensuring scalable services and resilient APIs. The ideal candidate has over 8 years of backend experience with Python and a deep understanding of database design.

This role offers the opportunity to tackle complex challenges at the intersection of systems and AI, building intelligent products that drive global financial operations.

Qualifications

• 8+ years backend experience with Python at scale.
• Deep knowledge of SQL/NoSQL database design.
• Experience with distributed systems, event‑driven architectures, or microservices.
• Familiarity with GCP services (Pub/Sub, Cloud Run, Cloud SQL, BigQuery, KMS, etc.).
• Strong grasp of security and compliance best practices.
• Passion for building the backend that powers intelligent products.

Responsibilities

• Design and operate distributed, event‑driven systems that process high‑volume, high‑sensitivity financial data.
• Build typed, production‑grade APIs and services in Python (FastAPI + Pydantic).
• Own data architecture end‑to‑end schema design and event models.
• Develop resilient infrastructure primitives that enhance reliability.
• Work at the intersection of systems and AI to improve product data continuously.
• Ship platform foundations, not one‑off features.
• Partner closely with ML + product teams to productionize ideas.
• Help define the architecture of an AI‑native financial stack.

Skills

Backend experience with Python at scale

SQL/NoSQL database design

Distributed systems

Event-driven architectures

Microservices

Familiarity with GCP services

Security and compliance best practices

Job description

Airwallex is seeking an experienced Staff Backend Engineer based in San Francisco. You will design the backbone of our intelligent finance systems, ensuring scalable services and resilient APIs. The ideal candidate has over 8 years of backend experience with Python and a deep understanding of database design.

This role offers the opportunity to tackle complex challenges at the intersection of systems and AI, building intelligent products that drive global financial operations.