Senior/Staff Software Engineer (Backend), Growth

Airwallex2 months ago

Location

US - San Francisco

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 140,000 – 230,000

Level

Senior

Role

Backend Engineer

Posted

Jan 13, 2026

Full TimeSenior

The role

Summary

Senior/Staff Backend Engineer role focused on building scalable Growth platform systems at Airwallex, a $8B fintech unicorn. The position involves architecting microservices, data pipelines, and A/B testing infrastructure to drive user acquisition and global expansion, requiring 5+ years experience with Java/Kotlin, distributed systems, and cloud platforms.

What you'll do

System Architecture: Design and build scalable microservices architecture in Java/Kotlin for high-traffic, high-availability global systems

Data Platform Development: Collaborate with data scientists and product managers to design data pipelines, analytics platforms, and event-driven architectures

Cross-functional Collaboration: Work with Frontend, Product, Design, and Marketing teams to translate business requirements into scalable backend solutions

A/B Testing Infrastructure: Develop services supporting rapid A/B testing, feature toggles, and real-time performance monitoring

Security Implementation: Integrate secure coding practices and frameworks to protect user data and maintain global regulatory compliance

Technical Leadership: Participate in architectural reviews, code reviews, and strategy sessions to elevate backend service quality and performance

Performance Optimization: Continuously improve backend functionalities to reduce friction, increase user engagement, and drive conversions

What we look for

Technical

Backend Development5+ years of experience in modern engineering practices with continuous integration and quality engineering

Computer Science FundamentalsStrong CS fundamentals with solid understanding of object-oriented programming concepts

Distributed SystemsDeep working experience with high throughput, low latency, high availability distributed systems

System Design PatternsExperience with domain-driven design and event-driven architectures

Cloud PlatformsCloud experience with GCP (preferred) or AWS including EC2, RDS, ELB, CloudFront

ContainerizationHands-on experience with Docker and Kubernetes for container orchestration

ObservabilityFamiliarity with monitoring tools such as Splunk, Grafana, and Prometheus

Education

Bachelor's DegreeBachelor's degree or above in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical majors

Experience

Senior Engineering Experience5+ years of professional software development experience with focus on backend systems

High-Scale SystemsProven experience building and maintaining distributed systems at scale

Technical LeadershipExperience as a technical bar raiser, setting high standards and mentoring team members

Skills

Required skills

Java/KotlinExpert-level proficiency in JVM-based languages for backend development

Microservices ArchitectureExperience designing and implementing scalable microservices systems

Distributed SystemsDeep understanding of high-throughput, low-latency distributed architectures

Cloud PlatformsProduction experience with GCP or AWS cloud infrastructure

System DesignDomain-driven design and event-driven architecture patterns

DevOpsContainer orchestration with Docker and Kubernetes

MonitoringObservability tools including Splunk, Grafana, and Prometheus

Nice to have

Spring FrameworkExperience with Spring Boot and Spring ecosystem for Java development

Go-to-Market OperationsEnd-to-end experience solving GTM operations challenges

Data AnalyticsKnowledge of data warehousing, customer segmentation, and analytics tools

AI/ML IntegrationExperience building products with AI and large language models

Fintech DomainUnderstanding of financial technology and payment systems

A/B TestingExperience with experimentation platforms and feature flag systems

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 140,000 – 230,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Equity Package

Stock options in a $8B valued fintech unicorn with world-leading investors

Global Impact

Opportunity to work on products used by over 200,000 businesses worldwide

Professional Growth

Accelerated learning and career development in a fast-growing fintech environment

Innovation Culture

Work with cutting-edge technologies including AI and machine learning

Collaborative Environment

Join a team of 2,000+ innovative professionals across 26 global offices

Equal Opportunity

Inclusive workplace with strong commitment to diversity and equal opportunity

Interview process

1
Application Review — Initial screening of resume, portfolio, and technical background
2
Recruiter Phone Screen — 30-minute conversation about background, motivation, and role fit
3
Technical Phone Interview — 45-60 minute coding interview focusing on algorithms, data structures, and system design
4
System Design Interview — 60-minute session designing scalable backend systems for growth scenarios
5
Behavioral Interview — 45-minute interview assessing leadership, collaboration, and cultural fit
6
Team Interview — Technical discussion with Growth team members about architecture and problem-solving approach
7
Final Interview — Meeting with senior leadership to discuss vision, impact, and long-term growth