Staff Software Engineer: OpenMined

USA Lync; United States; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

US healthcare benefits

Flexible work hours

Flexible paid time off

Holidays recognition

Equity in salary across regions

Open-source contributions

Job summary

OpenMined is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to lead the Network Sourced AI squad. This fully remote role in the United States within ET +/- 1 hour focuses on architecture ownership and production readiness.

You will guide a small team, shaping scalable roadmaps and delivery with strong Python and distributed systems expertise. Applicants should have 8+ years of professional software engineering experience, proficiency in Python, FastAPI, and Docker orchestration, and experience with

Qualifications

• Proficiency in Python and FastAPI, with strong async programming skills.
• Experience designing scalable APIs and distributed systems.
• Hands-on experience deploying and operating production-grade systems.

Responsibilities

• Own Network Sourced AI squad architecture from design to production.
• Lead a team of two to four engineers and conduct regular one-to-one feedback.
• Ensure production readiness, monitoring, error handling, and robust runbooks.

Skills

Python

FastAPI

Async programming

Distributed systems

API design

Retrieval-augmented generation

Written communication

Team leadership

Tools

Docker

Vector databases

Job description

# Staff Software Engineer: OpenMined**OpenMined**Start Date09/16/2026Full-TimeOpenMined's Staff Software Engineer role is a full-time, fully remote position for work across the United States within Eastern Time plus or minus one hour. The engineer leads the Network Sourced AI squad and owns its technical architecture from design through production operation. The role includes responsibility for a team of two to four engineers and requires at least eight years of professional software engineering experience.OpenMined is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to build a public network for non-public data. The position covers production readiness, deployment monitoring, error handling, operational runbooks, and engineering quality. Python, FastAPI, asynchronous programming, Docker orchestration, distributed systems, API design, and retrieval-augmented generation are central technical requirements. The work also calls for strong written communication across a global team working over a six-hour or greater time-zone spread.* **Role:** Staff Software Engineer* **Employer:** OpenMined* **Location:** Fully remote in the United States within Eastern Time plus or minus one hour* **Employment type:** Full-time* **Salary:** Not provided by the employer* **Experience:** 8+ years of professional software engineering experienceApply for Staff Software Engineer RoleCandidates applying for the role should be prepared to address production systems they have built, shipped, and operated, along with their experience leading technical work. Their materials should make Python, distributed systems, API design, written communication, and people-management experience easy to evaluate.## Network Sourced AI EngineeringThe engineer owns the Network Sourced AI squad's technical architecture and works with the product lead on realistic, scalable roadmaps. Quarterly engineering goals, resource management, and shared technology primitives sit within the role's scope. The squad's production work includes deployment monitoring, error handling, graceful degradation, and operational runbooks.OpenMined's products include Syft Space and Syft Hub. Syft Space is a local node that lets data owners publish content under their own terms and pricing. Syft Hub is a network layer for AI labs, agents, and application developers to find nodes and query across them in real time. The staff engineer's systems work connects to those products through the Network Sourced AI squad.## Technical Leadership And Production SystemsThe staff engineer leads software delivery through engineering tools, development processes, methodologies, individual development, and code reviews. The role also establishes practices for modularity, security, reliability, scalability, code quality, and production delivery. The staff engineer's full-time engineering work has both architectural and people-management responsibilities.Management duties cover two to four engineers, including one-to-one meetings, feedback, development plans, and performance reviews. Technical documentation and knowledge-transfer processes are part of the operating model. The role combines hands-on system ownership with the routines that help a small engineering team deliver consistently.* Own technical architecture and production readiness.* Set quarterly engineering goals and manage resources.* Lead code reviews, delivery practices, and documentation.* Manage two to four engineers through feedback and development planning.* Partner with product leadership on scalable roadmaps.## Python Distributed Systems And RetrievalStrong Python proficiency is required, including FastAPI, asynchronous patterns, and Docker orchestration. Distributed systems and API design experience are also required. Practical experience with retrieval-augmented generation, vector databases, retrieval pipelines, embedding strategies, and aggregation forms a major part of the technical profile.Vue 3 and TypeScript, Rust and Tauri, cross-platform desktop applications, and networking or peer-to-peer applications are beneficial. The role's broader software systems work requires technical judgment in an environment with ambiguity and resource constraints. Async fluency and clear written communication support coordination across the global team.## Remote Work And OpenMined's MissionOpenMined is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to keep data access open, equitable, and accessible. Its stated goal is to unlock substantially more information across scientific fields and industry while allowing data owners to retain control over their data. The Network Sourced AI squad works within that mission through open data infrastructure.The role includes US healthcare benefits, flexible work hours, flexible paid time off, recognition of local national holidays, and equity in salary across regions. Open-source contribution opportunities and a collaborative global team are also part of the employment package. Fully remote work and a results-driven culture are stated features of the position.## Questions About The Staff Software Engineer Role### What experience does OpenMined require?The role requires at least eight years of professional software engineering experience and a record of personally building, shipping, and operating production systems at meaningful scale.### Which programming experience is required?Strong Python, FastAPI, asynchronous programming, and Docker orchestration experience are required. Distributed systems, API design, and retrieval-augmented generation experience are also part of the qualification profile.### How large is the managed engineering group?The role manages two to four engineers. Management includes one-to-one meetings, feedback, development plans, and performance reviews.### Is the position remote?The position is fully remote in the United States within Eastern Time plus or minus one hour. Flexible work hours are included in the employment package.OpenMined's role joins architecture ownership with direct team leadership, so a candidate's record needs to cover both system delivery and engineering management. Production operations, written communication, and practical decision-making under constraints are part of the role's day-to-day scope.The position centers on the Network Sourced AI squad, with Syft Space and Syft Hub providing the product context. Candidates who can connect reliable production systems with open data infrastructure will be addressing the role's stated technical and organizational responsibilities.