Staff Engineer, Desktop Platform

Postman; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical coverage

Flexible PTO

Wellness reimbursement

Monthly lunch stipend

Team-building events

Job summary

A leading technology company is seeking a Staff Engineer for their Electron-based desktop application. This role involves shaping the desktop experience across multiple operating systems, focusing on architecture, performance, and security. The ideal candidate has a strong track record in cross-platform development, particularly in desktop applications, and is capable of leading and mentoring other engineers. The company offers a flexible hybrid work model and comprehensive employee benefits.

Qualifications

• Proven track record as a Staff, Principal, or Lead engineer building cross-platform desktop applications.
• Strong understanding of cross-platform packaging and OS-level integration.
• Experience improving performance and security in large-scale desktop applications.
• Proficiency in C++ for writing native modules or integrations.
• Familiarity with Win32 APIs and macOS APIs for native integration and platform-specific optimizations.
• Demonstrated ability to set technical direction, mentor engineers, and influence peers across teams.
• Comfortable acting as the technical anchor for a lean team, with the ability to shape its future growth.

Responsibilities

• Own the architecture for Postman’s Electron-based desktop application.
• Design and implement core desktop features, including installers and auto-updates.
• Drive security best practices for Electron apps.
• Collaborate across engineering to ensure a consistent, performant, and secure desktop experience.
• Drive security best practices for Electron apps, including sandboxing and safe updates.
• Keep Postman current with Electron releases.
• Partner with Client SDK and Build/Release teams to align architecture and delivery.
• Shape technical direction across engineering by collaborating with other platform teams and aligning them on desktop needs.

Skills

C++

Cross-platform development

Systems thinking

Mentorship

Problem-solving

Mentorship

Win32/macOS APIs

Job description

Overview

Postman is seeking a Staff Engineer, Desktop Platform to lead the technical direction of our Electron-based desktop application used by more than 40 million developers worldwide. You will shape the architecture, performance, and security of the desktop experience across Windows, macOS, and Linux. This is an IC-first role where you design, build, and mentor, guiding how Postman evolves across desktop operating systems.

What You’ll Do

• Own the architecture for Postman’s Electron-based desktop application.
• Design and implement core desktop features, including installers, auto-updates, and OS integrations.
• Improve performance across desktop platforms, from startup time to memory and CPU usage.
• Collaborate across engineering to ensure a consistent, performant, and secure desktop experience.
• Drive security best practices for Electron apps, including sandboxing and safe updates.
• Keep Postman current with Electron releases.
• Partner with Client SDK and Build/Release teams to align architecture and delivery.
• Shape technical direction across engineering by collaborating with other platform teams and aligning them on desktop needs.

Traits That Will Make You Successful

• Hands-on leadership: You lead by building and guide others through influence and mentorship.
• Systems thinker: You understand how desktop platforms fit together, from OS APIs to Electron internals to shared client frameworks, and design solutions with the whole system in mind.
• Influential partner: You work effectively across engineering teams to drive the right technical outcomes.
• Bias for clarity: You make technical direction and trade-offs easy for others to understand.
• Pragmatic problem solver: You balance performance, security, and user experience with delivery speed.
• High standards: You care deeply about quality and raise the bar for others.

Your Experience

• Proven track record as a Staff, Principal, or Lead engineer building cross-platform desktop applications.
• Strong understanding of cross-platform packaging, auto-update systems, and OS-level integration (Windows, macOS, Linux).
• Experience improving performance and security in large-scale desktop applications.
• Proficiency in C++ for writing native modules or integrations.
• Familiarity with Win32 APIs and macOS APIs for native integration and platform-specific optimizations.
• Demonstrated ability to set technical direction, mentor engineers, and influence peers across teams.
• Comfortable acting as the technical anchor for a lean team, with the ability to shape its future growth.

What Else?

Postman offers a pay-for-performance philosophy, a flexible schedule, comprehensive benefits including full medical coverage, flexible PTO, wellness reimbursement, and a monthly lunch stipend. We support wellness programs, team-building events, and a donation-matching program to support causes you care about. We’re building a long-term company with an inclusive culture where everyone can be the best version of themselves.

Hybrid Work Model

For roles based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and New York, employees are expected to come into the office 3 days a week. Our hybrid model balances flexibility and collaboration, with in-person knowledge sharing and relationship building.

Our Values

We value curiosity, transparency, and honest communication about successes and failures. We focus on specific goals that contribute to a larger vision and foster an inclusive culture where everyone is valued as part of the final product.

Equal Opportunity

Postman is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. Applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status. We do not accept unsolicited resumes from headhunters or agencies at this time.