Staff Software Engineer: AI & Distributed Systems Leader

AppFolio Inc; Goleta (CA); On-site; USD 167,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

AppFolio in Goleta, CA is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to lead the architectural evolution of the Leasing Engineering Domain and drive next-generation agentic AI products. This hands-on, full-stack leadership role owns system architecture and ensures scalable, production-grade SaaS infrastructure.

You will bridge ML, product, and UX, mentor engineers, influence roadmaps, and shape decisions that impact reliability, security, and time-to-value for customers.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience developing and scaling web-based applications, preferably SaaS.
• Experience leading architectural discussions and technical decision-making.
• Experience integrating AI/ML technologies into production-grade applications.
• Ability to translate strategy into scalable systems.
• Proactive, pragmatic approach to technology and refactoring.
• Focus on long-term maintainability and clean architecture.
• Balance intensity with sustainable work-life practices.

Responsibilities

• Drive the technical vision and strategy across the Leasing teams, influencing the product roadmap and making key architectural decisions that align with business goals
• Lead the design and implementation of complex, distributed systems that power our agentic AI, balancing rapid innovation with the reliability and security our customers depend on.
• Raise the bar for engineering quality through hands-on leadership in design and code, while establishing the standards and patterns that enable the entire team to ship with confidence.
• Act as a force multiplier by coaching engineers and fostering a high-trust, autonomous culture where continuous learning and ownership are the norms.
• Collaborate as a peer with Product, Design, and Machine Learning leaders to bridge the gap between what's possible in AI and what's valuable for our customers.
• Operate in a highly autonomous team that owns the full lifecycle of solutions you build, from discovery to development to production
• Proactively research, share, and apply new technologies and patterns that improve system quality and accelerate delivery.

Skills

Web applications

Distributed systems

Architectural leadership

AI/ML integration

Full-stack development

SaaS

Ruby on Rails

React

AWS

Education

Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in CS or related

Tools

Ruby on Rails

React

AWS

SOA architectures

Job description

AppFolio in Goleta, CA is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to lead the architectural evolution of the Leasing Engineering Domain and drive next-generation agentic AI products. This hands-on, full-stack leadership role owns system architecture and ensures scalable, production-grade SaaS infrastructure.

You will bridge ML, product, and UX, mentor engineers, influence roadmaps, and shape decisions that impact reliability, security, and time-to-value for customers.