Staff Backend Engineer – Search and Discovery Product Engineering

Coupang; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 194,000 - 243,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision/Life insurance

401K Plan with Company Match

PTO 18-21 days per year

12 paid holidays

FSA & HSA

Pre-tax commuter benefits

Electric car charging station

Job summary

Coupang is seeking a Backend Engineer for its Search & Discovery AI Product Engineering team in the United States. You will help evolve Coupang’s most vital interfaces, enabling millions of customer transactions through scalable, low-latency services.

With 5+ years in distributed systems and backend work, you will tackle architectural constraints and build cutting-edge solutions. A strong emphasis on collaboration with Product and Design teams is expected.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of distributed systems and backend engineering experience.
• Deep knowledge of core algorithms, system architecture, and large-scale distribution.
• Experience with high-availability API platforms and scaling challenges.
• React Web experience is a significant advantage.
• Advanced degree in CS or related technical field.

Responsibilities

• Identify and resolve architectural constraints within the search system framework.
• Design and implement solutions to eliminate performance bottlenecks.
• Develop user-centric products for the search and discovery ecosystem.
• Scale and optimize mission-critical services for superior customer experience.
• Collaborate with Product Managers and Designers to deliver a unified UX.
• Apply engineering skills to create consumer-facing mobile solutions.

Skills

Distributed systems

Backend engineering

System architecture

High-traffic scaling

Code performance optimization

Strong communication

Education

BS in Computer Science or related field

MS/PhD preferred

Tools

Java

Go

React

Job description

We exist to wow our customers. We know we’re doing the right thing when we hear our customers say, “How did I ever live without Coupang?” Born out of an obsession to make shopping, eating, and living easier than ever, we are collectively disrupting the multi-billion-dollar commerce industry from the ground up and establishing an unparalleled reputation for being leading and reliable force in South Korean commerce.

We are proud to have the best of both worlds — a startup culture with the resources of a large global public company. This fuels us to continue our growth and launch new services at the speed we have been since our inception. We are all entrepreneurs surrounded by opportunities to drive new initiatives and innovations. At our core, we are bold and ambitious people that like to get our hands dirty and make a hands-on impact. At Coupang, you will see yourself, your colleagues, your team, and the company grow every day.

Role Overview

The Search & Discovery AI Product Engineering team is crafting a visionary search and discovery experience for Coupang users, making product navigation seamless and enriching lives through better discovery. We seek brilliant, driven individuals with deep ownership mindset.

If you want your technical contributions to impact millions and you thrive on high-stakes challenges, lets connect! As a backend engineer on this team, you will drive the evolution of Coupang’s most vital interfaces—surfaces facilitating over 60% of all customer transactions.

What you’ll do

• Identify and resolve architectural constraints within the existing search system framework.
• Design and implement cutting-edge solutions utilizing advanced system technologies to eliminate performance bottlenecks.
• Develop innovative user-centric products for the Coupang search and discovery ecosystem.
• Scale and optimize mission-critical services to ensure a consistently superior customer experience.
• Partner cross-functionally with Product Managers and Designers to deliver a unified and intuitive experience for our users.
• Apply expert-level engineering skills to create pioneering consumer-facing mobile solutions.

Basic Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional expertise in distributed systems, systems programming, and backend engineering.
• 5+ years of deep experience with core algorithms, system architecture, and large-scale distribution.
• Prior React Web experience is a significant advantage.
• 5+ years of rigorous coding proficiency in Java, Go, or other languages.
• Advanced degree (BS/MS/PhD) in Computer Science or a related technical field.
• Proven track record of managing high-availability API platforms and resolving intricate scaling, latency, and performance hurdles in high-traffic environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Exceptional communication abilities paired with a sharp product intuition.
• Intense drive for building impactful products.
• High degree of autonomy; startup background is highly valued.
• Resilience in the face of ambiguity and a desire to solve complex, messy problems.
• A scrappy, risk‑taking attitude focused on results.

Pay & Benefits

Our compensation reflects the cost of living across several US geographic markets. At Coupang, your base pay is one part of your total compensation.

The base pay for this position ranges from $194,000/year in our lowest geographic market to $243,000/year in our highest geographic market. Pay is based on several factors including market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

General Description of All Benefits

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life, AD&D insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) & Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Long‑term/Short‑term Disability
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) program
• 401K Plan with Company Match
• 18-21 days of the Paid Time Off (PTO) a year based on the tenure
• 12 Paid Holidays
• Pre‑tax commuter benefits
• MTV - [Free] Electric Car Charging Station

General Description of Other Compensation

“Other Compensation” includes, but is not limited to, bonuses, equity, or other forms of compensation that would be offered to the hired applicant in addition to their established salary range or wage scale.

Recruitment Process

• Application Review - Phone Interview - Onsite (or Virtual Onsite) Interview – Offer
• The exact nature of the recruitment process may vary according to the specific job and may be changed due to scheduling or other circumstances.
• Interview schedules and the results will be informed to the applicant via the e-mail address submitted at the application stage.

Details to Consider

• This job posting may be closed prior to the stated end date for application if all openings are filled.
• Coupang has the right to rescind an offer of employment if a candidate is found to have submitted false information as part of the application process.
• Those eligible for employment protection (recipients of veteran’s benefits, the disabled, etc.) may receive preferential treatment for employment in accordance with applicable laws.

Privacy Notice

Your personal information will be collected and managed by Coupang as stated in the Application Privacy Notice located below: https://www.coupang.jobs/privacy-policy/

Coupang is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or gender (including pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, transgender status), national origin, age, disability, medical condition, HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis C status, marital status, military or veteran status, use of a trained dog guide or service animal, political activities, or affiliations, citizenship, or any other characteristic or class protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation in the recruiting process due to a disability, please contact us at [e-mail].