Staff Software Engineer, Data Platform

Discord; San Francisco (CA); Remote; USD 304,000 - 342,000; Full time

Job summary

Join an innovative team at the forefront of gaming technology! As a Senior Staff Software Engineer, you will lead the Data Platform team in designing and optimizing scalable data infrastructures. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver cutting-edge solutions that drive insights and innovation. With your extensive experience in software engineering and large-scale distributed systems, you'll shape the future of gaming on a platform used by millions. Embrace the opportunity to mentor junior engineers and influence best practices in data governance. If you’re passionate about gaming and technology, this role is your chance to make a significant impact!

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering with a focus on large-scale data systems.
• Expertise in building scalable data platforms and data ingestion pipelines.
• Strong knowledge of cloud infrastructure and microservices architecture.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the technical vision for Discord's data platform.
• Design and optimize data infrastructure to process petabytes of data.
• Promote best practices in data governance and security across the organization.

Skills

Software Engineering

Large-Scale Distributed Systems

Data Infrastructure

Python

Java

Rust

Data Governance

Cloud Infrastructure

Communication Skills

Tools

Kafka

Spark

Flink

Airflow/Dagster

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Discord is used by over 200 million people every month for many different reasons, but there’s one thing that nearly everyone does on our platform: play video games. Over 90% of our users play games, spending a combined 1.5 billion hours playing thousands of unique titles on Discord each month. Discord plays a uniquely important role in the future of gaming. We are focused on making it easier and more fun for people to talk and hang out before, during, and after playing games.

We are seeking an accomplished and experienced Senior Staff Software Engineer to join our dynamic team. As a leader and the most senior individual contributor of the Data Platform team, you will be responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining our data infrastructure and services. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, including data engineers, data scientists, software engineers, and product managers, to deliver modern and bleeding-edge solutions that drive business insights and innovation. This role reports to our Director of Engineering, Data Platform.

To learn more about Discord’s Data Platform, read our engineering blog — including how we built our modern data stack leveraging open-source tools!

What You'll Be Doing

• Define and execute the technical vision for Discord's data platform, enabling scalable, reliable, and performant data systems.
• Design, implement, and optimize data infrastructure to process and analyze petabytes of data across millions of users.
• Develop innovative data architectures to support analytics, machine learning, and operational insights.
• Build monitoring, logging, and alerting systems to ensure the health and performance of data services.
• Partner with data scientists, data engineers, product managers, and leadership to align technical solutions with business goals.
• Promote and drive best practices in data governance, security, and compliance across the organization.
• Provide technical leadership, mentor junior engineers, and foster a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.
• Stay up-to-date with industry trends and emerging technologies in data platform.

What You Should Have

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering with a focus on large-scale distributed systems or data infrastructure.
• Expertise in building and maintaining scalable data platforms, including data ingestion pipelines, stream processing, and batch processing systems.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, Java, Rust, or similar.
• Proficiency with open source data projects and experience working with open source communities.
• Hands-on experience with modern data technologies such as Kafka, Spark, Flink, Airflow/Dagster, or similar.
• Deep understanding of database systems (e.g., SQL, NoSQL, columnar storage) and data modeling principles.
• Strong knowledge of cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, or Azure), containerization tools (Docker, Kubernetes), and microservices architecture.
• Excellent communication skills with a demonstrated ability to collaborate and influence across teams and levels.
• Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.

Bonus Points

• A strong passion for Discord and gaming.
• Open source contributions to data-related projects.

#LI-Remote

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $304,000 to $342,000+ equity + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role and level. Within the range, individual pay is determined by additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include equity, or benefits.

Why Discord?

Discord plays a uniquely important role in the future of gaming. We're a multiplatform, multigenerational and multiplayer platform that helps people deepen their friendships around games and shared interests. We believe games give us a way to have fun with our favorite people, whether listening to music together or grinding in competitive matches for diamond rank. Join us in our mission! Your future is just a click away!

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