Staff Software Engineer - Golang

Kai; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salaries

Equity options

Supportive work environment

Job summary

Kai in San Jose, CA is seeking a Staff/Senior Staff Engineer to lead the design and delivery of critical initiatives. This hands-on role requires 8–12+ years in software engineering, expertise in microservices and cloud-native architecture, and ability to mentor engineers. Candidates should be proficient in Kubernetes, Docker, and CI/CD practices. Kai offers a supportive work environment with competitive salaries and equity options.

Qualifications

• 8–12+ years in software engineering with cloud-native experience.
• Proven record of driving technical projects end‑to‑end.
• Strong hands-on background in microservices architecture.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end delivery of major platform initiatives.
• Design, develop, and optimize distributed microservices in Golang.
• Collaborate across teams to align architecture with business objectives.

Skills

Software engineering

Cloud-native architecture

Microservices architecture

Kubernetes

Docker

CI/CD pipelines

Communication

Leadership

Tools

Azure

gRPC

Message queues

Job description

About Kai

Kai is the AI company rebuilding cybersecurity for the machine‑speed era. Founded by second‑time founders and trusted by Fortune 500 enterprises, Kai is building a future where security has no categories, no silos, and no human speed bottlenecks. The Kai Agentic AI Platform replaces fragmented, human‑limited workflows with agentic AI systems that continuously contextualize, assess, reason, and execute security work at machine speed—making human defenders superhuman.

As a Staff / Senior Staff Engineer, you’ll be a technical leader and hands‑on contributor driving critical initiatives from concept to production. You’ll architect, build, and mentor while partnering cross‑functionally with Product, AI, and Security. This is a high‑impact role where you’ll influence technical direction, mentor engineers, and ensure delivery of scalable, secure services that meet enterprise‑grade expectations.

What You’ll Do

• Own end‑to‑end delivery of major platform initiatives, from design through deployment and post‑launch success.
• Design, develop, and optimize distributed microservices in Golang for scale, reliability, and performance.
• Collaborate across teams—Product, AI, and Customer Success—to align architecture with business objectives.
• Drive engineering excellence through code quality standards, design reviews, automation, and CI/CD best practices.
• Serve as a mentor and multiplier, guiding software engineers through architecture decisions, trade‑offs, and delivery.
• Partner with leadership to align engineering strategy with product objectives and technical roadmap.

What We’re Looking For

• 8–12+ years in software engineering with cloud‑native architecture experience.
• Proven record of driving technical projects end‑to‑end, coordinating across teams and stakeholders.
• Strong hands‑on background in microservices architecture, distributed systems, and API‑driven design.
• Expertise in Kubernetes, Docker, and CI/CD pipelines in a cloud environment (Azure preferred).
• Familiarity with modern databases, gRPC, message queues, and DevOps automation.
• Strong problem‑solving, communication, and leadership skills—comfortable leading discussions from code to business impact.
• (Bonus) Understanding or interest in cybersecurity, AI‑driven systems, or threat intelligence.

Benefits

We offer competitive salaries, equity options, and a supportive work environment.

Work Location

This is a 5‑day a week in‑office role based in North San Jose, CA.