Staff Software Architect

Taskrabbit; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401k match

Generous paid time off

Product stipends

Wellness & education stipends

IKEA discounts

Reproductive health support

Job summary

Taskrabbit is seeking a Staff Software Architect to drive platform modernization and TSA alignment across engineering teams. You will work hands-on with developers, applying AI-assisted development and Spec-Driven practices to deliver scalable backend components.

The role is hybrid with in-office days in San Francisco or NYC. You will influence architecture decisions, write design docs, and mentor teams while advancing modernization initiatives at scale.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional software development experience, backend focus.
• Experience with distributed systems and event-driven architecture.
• TypeScript/Node.js or equivalent strongly typed language background.
• Experience with containerization and deployments.
• Interest in AI tooling and AI-assisted development in practice.
• Strong communication and field-crossing collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Represent Architecture team to assigned engineering groups for TSA-aligned modernization.
• Apply AI tooling and Spec-Driven Development to modernize platform areas.
• Pair with engineers and tech leads to unblock work and transfer patterns.
• Advise on migration approach, sequencing and risk in design discussions.
• Speak up for TSA-consistent solutions in technical forums.
• Collaborate with a small team to maintain platform-wide consistency.
• Draft and review Technical Design Documents and RFCs; mentor authors.
• Define standards for tooling, coding, processes, AI usage and docs.

Skills

Platform modernization

Distributed systems

TypeScript/Node.js

Containerization

AI tooling

Communication

Leadership vision

Hands-on collaboration

Pairing with engineers

Kubernetes

NestJS

Helm

OpenAPI/AsyncAPI

ArgoCD

Datadog

Tools

K8s

Spec-Driven Development tools

SpecKit/OpenSpec/Intent

Kiro

Job description

About Taskrabbit:

Taskrabbit is a marketplace platform that conveniently connects people with Taskers to handle everyday home to-do’s, such as furniture assembly, handyman work, moving help, and much more.

At Taskrabbit, we want to transform lives one task at a time. As a company we celebrate innovation, inclusion and hard work. Our culture is collaborative, pragmatic, and fast-paced. We’re looking for talented, entrepreneurially minded and data-driven people who also have a passion for helping people do what they love.Together with IKEA, we’re creating more opportunities for people to earn a consistent, meaningful income on their own terms by building lasting relationships with clients in communities around the world.

Taskrabbit is a hybrid company with employees distributed across the US and EU and a Built In — Best Places to Work (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) continually ranked across multiple national and regional categories. Join us at Taskrabbit, where your work will be meaningful, your ideas valued, and your potential unleashed!

Prior to applying please note:

• This role is hybrid, requiring 2 days in office at our San Francisco or NYC hub every Tuesday & Wednesday.

About the Role:

The Architecture Team drives Taskrabbit's Platform Modernization efforts, guiding engineering teams toward our Target State Architecture (TSA). As a Staff Software Architect, you'll serve as an embedded representative of the Architecture team, partnering with engineering teams across the platform to accelerate their modernization work.

You'll operate as a subject matter expert on platform modernization within a small team of architects, applying AI-assisted and Spec-Driven Development (SDD) practices to help teams build new components using our Target State Architecture stack of technologies. This role is hands-on and results-oriented: pairing directly with engineers and technical leads, not just advising from the sidelines.

You will be:

• Acting as the Architecture team's representative to assigned engineering teams, driving platform modernization projects in accordance with the TSA.
• Applying AI tooling and Spec-Driven Development practices to help teams modernize the parts of the platform they own.
• Pairing with engineers and technical leadership to unblock modernization work and transfer architectural patterns directly into team practice.
• Serving as a subject matter expert on platform modernization, advising on migration approach, sequencing, and risk.
• Advocating for TSA-aligned solutions in technical discussions, including working through design discussions with engineering leads and other stakeholders.
• Collaborating with a small team of architects to maintain consistency across modernization efforts platform-wide.
• Writing and reviewing Technical Design Documents (TDDs) and RFCs, and coaching authors to strengthen their proposals.
• Defining standards for tooling, coding, processes, AI usage, and documentation strategies that make modernization repeatable across teams.

This is not a purely consultative role. You're expected to engage directly with projects and drive results forward — TDDs, code, and outcomes.

You should have:

• 8+ years of professional experience in software development, with a primary focus on building and scaling backend systems.
• Demonstrated experience with distributed systems and event-driven architecture.
• TypeScript/Node.js experience preferred; candidates with a background in another strongly typed language (e.g., Java, .NET) will also be considered.
• Experience with containerization and containerized application deployment.
• An enthusiast for AI tooling and AI-assisted development practices, with a proven track record of applying them professionally.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to build consensus and keep technical design discussions professional and productive, even when opinions differ strongly.
• Willingness to lead, speak up, and be visible and vocal in Architecture and team design meetings.
• Comfort pairing directly with engineers and technical leadership, not just producing documentation or recommendations.

Bonus Criteria:

• Experience with Kubernetes (K8s).
• Experience with the NestJS framework.
• Experience designing or using Helm charts.
• Experience with Spec-Driven Development tools such as SpecKit, OpenSpec, Intent, Kiro, or similar.
• Experience with ArgoCD.
• Experience with Datadog.
• Experience with contract-first design using OpenAPI and AsyncAPI.

Compensation & Benefits:

At Taskrabbit, our approach to compensation is designed to be competitive, transparent, and equitable. Total compensation consists of base pay + bonus + benefits + perks. The base pay range for this position is $150,000 - $200,000. This range is representative of base pay only, and does not include any other total cash compensation amounts, such as company bonus or benefits. Final offer amounts may vary from the amounts listed above and will be determined by factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience, qualifications, geography, and level.

You’ll love working here because:

• Taskrabbit is a Hybrid Company. We value flexibility and choice but also stay committed to regular in‑person connection.
• The People. You will be surrounded by some of the most talented, supportive, smart, and kind leaders and teams -- people you can be proud to work with!
• The Diverse Culture. We believe that we make better decisions when our workforce reflects the diversity of the communities in which we operate. Women make up half of our leadership team and our diversity representation is above that of the tech industry average.
• The Perks. Taskrabbit offers our employees with employer-paid health insurance and a 401k match with immediate vesting for our US based employees. We offer all of our global employees generous and flexible time off with 2 company-wide closure weeks, Taskrabbit product stipends, wellness + productivity + education stipends, IKEA discounts, reproductive health support, and more. Benefits vary by country of employment.

Taskrabbit’s commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:

An Active Commitment to Equity within our Company and Platform. We are an inclusive community where all who share our mission and values belong. Our diverse team represents the communities we serve, breaking down systemic barriers, and transforming lives- one action at a time.

Taskrabbit is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, military/veteran status, or disability status. Taskrabbit is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to applicants with physical and mental disabilities. Taskrabbit will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law.

AI-Assisted Prescreening Notice [US Based Candidates Only]: As part of our hiring process, we may use artificial intelligence tools to assist with the initial prescreening of applications and responses. This tool does not make hiring decisions — every application and response is reviewed by a member of our recruiting team to determine fit for the role. If you would prefer not to have your application processed using this tool, you may opt out by selecting 'opt out' in the application form or by emailing [e-mail], and your application will be reviewed manually with no impact on your candidacy.