Staff Software Engineer, Backend (Virtual Cards Platform)

Affirm; Cleveland (OH); Remote; USD 100,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative company is seeking a Staff Software Engineer for their Backend Virtual Cards Platform. This role involves setting technical strategies, collaborating across teams, and ensuring operational excellence. With a focus on backend systems at scale, candidates should have extensive experience in Python or Kotlin, and familiarity with AWS and distributed systems. The company values quality and ownership, fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Join a forward-thinking team that is redefining financial technology and making credit more accessible for consumers, all while enjoying the flexibility of a remote-first work environment.

Benefits

Health care coverage

Flexible stipends for technology

Generous vacation and holiday policies

Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in backend systems design and development.
• Experience with distributed systems and payment technologies.

Responsibilities

• Set technical strategy and align with business projects.
• Collaborate across teams to ensure technical sustainability.
• Develop talent through feedback and guidance.

Skills

Python

Kotlin

AWS

MySQL

Spark

Kubernetes

Communication Skills

Problem Solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a related field

Job description

Staff Software Engineer, Backend (Virtual Cards Platform)

Join to apply for the Staff Software Engineer, Backend (Virtual Cards Platform) role at Affirm.

Affirm is reinventing credit to make it more honest and friendly, giving consumers the flexibility to buy now and pay later without any hidden fees or interest.

The Virtual Cards (VCN) Platform Engineering team powers all of Affirm's products that depend on one-time-use cards. Virtual cards enable consumers to leverage Affirm’s financial products at any merchant that accepts card payments, supporting online ecommerce, physical in-store, and digital wallet integrations like Apple Pay and Google Pay. The team provides systems that connect Affirm with external credit networks like Visa, crucial for scaling Affirm’s network.

What You'll Do

• Set technical strategy for your team on a yearly basis and align it with critical, business-impacting projects.
• Collaborate across teams in the product development lifecycle with product management, design, and analytics to ensure technical sustainability and manage risks and trade-offs.
• Act as a force-multiplier through defining and advocating for technical solutions and operational processes.
• Take ownership of your team’s operations and availability, ensuring monitoring, triage, playbooks, policies, testing, and alerting are in place for reliable service and on-call support.
• Foster a culture of quality and ownership by setting code review and design standards and advocating for them through writing and tech talks.
• Develop talent by providing feedback, guidance, and leading by example.

What We Look For

• 7+ years of experience designing, developing, and launching backend systems at scale using languages like Python or Kotlin.
• Experience with highly available distributed systems using AWS, MySQL, Spark, and Kubernetes.
• Proven track record of delivering major features or system components, with high-quality, understandable code.
• Comfort with ambiguity, from low-level language idioms to large system architecture.
• Strong ability to gather and iterate on feedback from peers and cross-functional teams.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills for effective collaboration globally.
• Experience in the card network landscape, building or launching card products or related payment technologies.
• Practical experience or a Bachelor’s degree in a related field.

Base Pay Grade: P

Equity Grade: 13

Compensation includes base pay, equity, stipends, and benefits such as medical coverage, dental, vision, and more, with salary ranges depending on location.

Location: Remote - US. Affirm is a remote-first company, with most roles fully remote and some requiring occasional office visits.

Benefits

• Health care coverage for you and dependents.
• Flexible stipends for technology, food, lifestyle, and family expenses.
• Generous vacation and holiday policies.
• Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP).

Affirm is committed to an inclusive hiring process and provides accommodations for candidates with disabilities.

Additional Details

• Seniority level: Mid-Senior level
• Employment type: Full-time
• Job function: Engineering and IT