Staff Engineer - Network and Backend

Point One Navigation; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 190,000 - 270,000; Full time

Job summary

Point One Navigation seeks a Staff Engineer for the Backend Services team to shape the architecture of our systems and build services supporting our global corrections network and real‑time location services.

Role focuses on robust backend design, architectural decision records, and roadmap planning for infrastructure advances, while driving performance and reliability for mission‑critical, distributed systems.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of software engineering experience with backend and network systems.
• Advanced proficiency in Java and Go for production systems.
• Experience with distributed messaging systems such as Kafka or RabbitMQ.
• Ability to design complex distributed systems and produce architecture docs.
• Strong technical writing and systems design documentation experience.
• Understanding of network protocols, HA architectures, and microservices.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain robust backend services and network systems using Go and Java.
• Prepare architecture records, design docs, and technical specifications.
• Contribute to strategic infra roadmap and architectural discussions.
• Improve performance and reliability of globally distributed systems.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams on real‑time data processing and corrections delivery.
• Own key backend infrastructure components from design to deployment and monitoring.

Skills

Java

Go

Distributed systems

Technical writing

Tools

Kafka

RabbitMQ

gRPC

PostGIS

AWS

Kubernetes

Job description

About us:

Point One Navigation is building the future of precise location. Our mission is to deliver a unified location platform that enables autonomy, safety, and efficiency across industries from robotics to transportation. We are a high-performance, high-collaboration team that thrives on solving complex problems, moving fast, and delivering impact.

The Role:

We are seeking a Staff Engineer to join our Backend Services team. In this role, you will contribute to the architecture of our systems and develop services that support our global corrections network, real-time location services, and additional initiatives.

Immediate Areas of Focus:

• Design, develop, and maintain robust backend services and network systems utilizing Go and Java.

• Prepare comprehensive systems design documentation, architectural decision records, and technical specifications.

• Participate actively in technical strategy development, architectural discussions, and roadmap planning for infrastructure advancements.

• Drive the optimization of performance and reliability for mission-critical, globally distributed systems.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver complete solutions for real-time data processing and corrections delivery.

• Take ownership of key backend infrastructure components, overseeing their design, deployment, and ongoing monitoring.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 8 years of software engineering experience, with a focus on backend and network systems.

• Advanced proficiency in Java and Go for developing production systems.

• Production experience with distributed messaging systems such as Apache Kafka or RabbitMQ.

• Demonstrated ability to design complex distributed systems and produce detailed architectural documentation.

• Strong technical writing skills, with experience in creating systems design documentation.

• In-depth understanding of network protocols, distributed systems patterns, and high-availability architectures.

• Experience with microservices, real-time data processing, and scalable system design.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Background in GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems).

• Experience with gRPC clients and servers.

• Familiarity with PostGIS and geospatial data processing systems.

• Working knowledge of AWS services, Kubernetes, and cloud-native architectures.

• Experience with containerization, monitoring systems, and DevOps practices.

Our Cultural Foundation

At Point One, our cultural and operating design is built around one guiding principle: we must move with extreme speed and efficiency of effort to stay in a leadership position.

This environment gives people a high level of autonomy and the ability to make a real impact. It also challenges every team member to grow - both professionally and personally. Because we focus on promoting from within rather than relying on external hiring, the opportunities for advancement are tremendous for those who seek them.

That said, growth only comes from delivering in the present. What matters most is the job to be done today, not the job you want tomorrow. When we all focus on today's outcomes with excellence, the path to greater responsibility and growth naturally follows.

We think about our culture in two dimensions:

How We Show Up Every Day

These are the behaviors we expect every team member to bring to work - the foundation of being a consummate, high-output teammate:

• Trust / Assume Best Intent - Trust allows us to move fast. When we start from trust, we spend no time second-guessing or looking for ulterior motives and thus focus all our energy on acting.

• High Output, Action Oriented - Our default posture is "yes." We bias toward action and deliver results quickly, knowing that speed and efficiency compound into impact as we unblock others around us.

• Divine Discontent - We're never satisfied with the status quo and are self-motivated to improve ourselves, our work, and our company. We actively seek feedback in real-time to shorten improvement cycles.

• No Ego, One Team - Collaboration without ego creates leverage. When we win as one team, we eliminate friction and move faster together.

• Self Accountability - Taking ownership is the straightest line to learning, self-improvement, and correcting our course of action. And blaming others around us is a fast path to destroying trust.

Operating Principles

These are the systems and norms that amplify speed and efficiency at the company level:

• Edge Innovation - We bias toward action over approval. Experiment, decide, and move - failure is just a step toward faster learning.

• No Hierarchies - We practice self-prioritization and go direct to the source. Flattening layers reduces drag and maximizes autonomy.

• Customer Experience First - We optimize for the end-to-end customer outcome, not functional or departmental efficiency. This focus cuts waste, aligns priorities, and ensures we spend effort where it matters most.

Location: SF Bay Area (Hybrid) / West Coast Working Hours required