Opportunity at
PinterestSr. Staff Software Engineer, Merchants
Pinterest operates a digital platform dedicated to helping people discover creative concepts, visualize new possibilities, and plan future projects. The company is currently hiring a Sr.…
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About This Role
Pinterest operates a digital platform dedicated to helping people discover creative concepts, visualize new possibilities, and plan future projects. The company is currently hiring a Sr. Staff Software Engineer for its Merchants organization in San Francisco. In this role, the engineer will drive high-impact technical initiatives at the intersection of commerce platforms, catalog systems, and artificial intelligence. The Merchants group focuses on merchant presence, catalog quality, onboarding, activation, and advertising…
Job Description
Pinterest operates a digital platform dedicated to helping people discover creative concepts, visualize new possibilities, and plan future projects. The company is currently hiring a Sr. Staff Software Engineer for its Merchants organization in San Francisco.
In this role, the engineer will drive high-impact technical initiatives at the intersection of commerce platforms, catalog systems, and artificial intelligence. The Merchants group focuses on merchant presence, catalog quality, onboarding, activation, and advertising upsell. The successful candidate will design and evolve catalog architectures, integrate machine learning and generative artificial intelligence tools to boost metadata quality and operational efficiency, and guide technical choices across revenue, conversion, and engagement.
This position requires a seasoned individual contributor who can mentor senior engineers, establish strong technical standards, and collaborate closely with product managers, data scientists, and engineering managers. Applicants must be situated within a commutable distance to either the San Francisco or Palo Alto offices, as the position requires in-person collaboration one to two times per month.
Responsibilities
- Manage end-to-end technical delivery for cross-functional initiatives, covering everything from initial problem framing and architecture to rollout and iteration
- Develop and scale catalog and integration systems to ensure merchant data remains accurate, fresh, and actionable across various formats
- Design and improve machine learning, generative AI, and AI-assisted merchant tools with robust validation and safety guardrails
- Contribute to merchant onboarding and activation pathways to streamline approval processes and improve time to value
- Collaborate on organic attribution, merchant insights, and data-driven bridges connecting organic success to paid offerings
- Guide technical decisions by balancing trade-offs regarding revenue, catalog health, engagement, and conversion metrics
- Provide mentorship to senior engineers to elevate technical design, production readiness, and engineering quality
- Leverage artificial intelligence to accelerate personal workflows while maintaining accountability for final results
Requirements
- Over 10 years of software engineering experience, including substantial time operating at a Staff, Senior Staff, or equivalent individual contributor level
- Demonstrated background in commerce, marketplaces, ads, or related large-scale technical domains
- Extensive background in systems design, API development, and data-intensive architecture
- Hands-on experience building or integrating machine learning, artificial intelligence, or generative AI systems responsibly
- Strong communication capabilities with the ability to influence technical direction across teams
- Must be able to commute to either the San Francisco or Palo Alto office for in-person collaboration 1 to 2 times per month
Qualifications
- Experience working with catalogs, integrations, or merchant platforms
- Background in growth initiatives, measurement, funnel optimization, or organic-to-paid ecosystems
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience
Core Skills
Benefits
- Base salary ranging from $245,402 to $429,454 USD
- Eligibility for equity compensation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the location and remote work policy for this role?
The position is based in San Francisco and requires working from the San Francisco or Palo Alto office for in-person collaboration one to two times per month.
What is the salary range for the Sr. Staff Software Engineer position?
The base salary range for this US-based role is $245,402 to $429,454 USD, and the position is also eligible for equity.
What level of experience is required?
Applicants must have 10 or more years of software engineering experience, including meaningful time as a Staff, Senior Staff, or equivalent-level individual contributor.
Is relocation assistance available?
No, this position is not eligible for relocation assistance.
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