Remote opportunity at
AffirmStaff Software Engineer, Backend (Search)
Affirm operates a financial technology platform offering transparent payment options for consumers. The organization is currently forming a brand-new group dedicated to search, recommendations, merchant value,…
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About This Role
Affirm operates a financial technology platform offering transparent payment options for consumers. The organization is currently forming a brand-new group dedicated to search, recommendations, merchant value, and monetization features to enhance its marketplace and advertising platform. This initiative also aims to establish the groundwork for an agentic platform. The company seeks a Staff Software Engineer, Backend (Search) to shape technical direction over a one-year horizon. This position involves partnering with…
Job Description
Affirm operates a financial technology platform offering transparent payment options for consumers. The organization is currently forming a brand-new group dedicated to search, recommendations, merchant value, and monetization features to enhance its marketplace and advertising platform. This initiative also aims to establish the groundwork for an agentic platform.
The company seeks a Staff Software Engineer, Backend (Search) to shape technical direction over a one-year horizon. This position involves partnering with design, product management, and analytics teams to manage technical trade-offs and risks. The successful candidate will act as a multiplier by driving technical solutions, establishing code review guidelines, addressing operational readiness, and mentoring team members.
This role suits an experienced engineer who thrives in ambiguous environments and can navigate complex systems ranging from low-level idioms to large-scale architecture. The position operates on a remote-first basis within the United States, offering candidates flexibility alongside equity rewards, healthcare coverage, and regular monthly spending stipends.
Responsibilities
- Formulate a year-long technical strategy and connect it to business-critical objectives for the search team.
- Partner with product, design, and analytics departments throughout the product development cycle.
- Define and promote optimal technical approaches and operational procedures across the engineering group.
- Oversee team availability and operations by implementing effective monitoring, alerting, playbooks, testing, and on-call rotations.
- Establish code review and design benchmarks to cultivate a strong culture of quality and ownership.
- Guide and mentor engineering talent by providing constructive feedback and leading by example.
Requirements
- Minimum of 8 years of background designing, building, and releasing large-scale backend systems using Kotlin or Python.
- Extensive history of engineering highly available distributed systems utilizing tools like Kubernetes, AWS, MySQL, and Spark.
- At least 2 years of experience working directly in search technology or related recommendation engines.
- Demonstrated capability in launching major features or deprecating existing components via structured technical and execution planning.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills suitable for global cross-functional teamwork.
Qualifications
- Hands-on experience building consumer-facing interfaces utilizing UI frameworks like React.
- Either a Bachelor's degree in a related technical discipline or equivalent practical working experience.
Core Skills
Benefits
- Fully subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums for employees and their dependents.
- Monthly stipends allocated for wellness, health needs, and technology setup.
- Flexible time off combined with generous holiday schedules.
- Participation in an employee stock purchase plan allowing discounted stock purchases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this position remote?
Yes, Affirm operates as a remote-first enterprise, allowing most positions to be performed from almost anywhere within the country of employment.
What is the salary range for this role?
The source posting provides regional base pay ranges, such as $230,000 to $290,000 for the USA Pacific region (CA, WA, NY, NJ, CT) and $204,000 to $264,000 for all other U.S. states.
What level of experience is required?
Candidates must have at least eight years of experience building scalable backend systems in Python or Kotlin, plus two or more years working in search or recommendation engines.
Sample Interview Questions
AI-generated questions tailored to this specific role — a preview of the full practice set.