Senior Software Engineer - AI Tooling

Plaid2 weeks ago

Location

San Francisco HQ

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 190,800 – 262,800

Level

Senior

Role

Senior Software Engineer

Posted

Jul 10, 2026

Full TimeSenior

The role

Summary

As a Senior Software Engineer on Plaid's Intelligent Tooling team, you will design, build, and operate cutting-edge internal systems that empower non-engineering teams to automate workflows with AI. This role offers the unique opportunity to define the first durable AI-native internal tool surface at Plaid, working at the intersection of platform engineering, product development, and AI-powered automation. You will own end-to-end systems from conception through production operation, requiring strong experience building and operating production systems, deep product judgment in ambiguous spaces, and hands-on familiarity with AI-powered development tools and agentic workflows.

What you'll do

Design and operate internal platforms for AI-native workflows: Design, build, and operate internal tools and platform capabilities specifically tailored for high-leverage non-engineering workflows at Plaid. Define the architectural patterns, infrastructure requirements, and user experience paradigms that enable non-technical teams to effectively leverage AI-powered automation. This includes making strategic decisions about platform boundaries, extensibility mechanisms, and integration points with existing systems like Retool and Scaffold.

Translate operational pain points into software products: Conduct discovery with Ops, Support, and other internal teams to identify genuine pain points in their workflows. Synthesize ambiguous requirements into clear product specifications, building judgment around which problems warrant custom solutions versus leveraging existing tools. Deliver the first durable versions of solutions that demonstrate clear value to non-engineering users.

Define platform constraints and safety boundaries: Architect authentication, runtime, storage, deployment, and maintenance constraints that ensure internal tools remain safe and maintainable at scale. Establish clear security boundaries for service accounts, constrained execution environments, and internal access patterns. Partner with the Security and Infrastructure teams to create a defensible platform that non-engineers can safely extend.

Execute with strong product and platform judgment: Balance technical flexibility with clear architectural boundaries, making deliberate decisions about what belongs in Retool (configuration-driven automation), Scaffold (low-code development), versus custom AI-native tooling. Own the product layer decisions that determine how non-engineering teams interact with AI capabilities while maintaining system reliability and security.

Cross-functional partnership and stakeholder alignment: Partner closely with Security, Infrastructure, Operations, and Support teams to ship production systems that are reliable, secure, and operationally sound. Act as the embedded engineering point of contact for non-engineering stakeholders, translating their needs into technical requirements and ensuring tight feedback loops during implementation and rollout.

Own end-to-end system lifecycle: Take complete ownership of systems from initial design through implementation, testing, production rollout, ongoing support, and iterative improvements. Monitor system health, respond to incidents, gather user feedback, and drive continuous refinement based on real-world usage patterns. Establish operational playbooks and documentation that enable sustainable long-term maintenance.

What we look for

Technical

Backend system designExperience designing backend systems including API design, service architecture, database schema design, and system scalability considerations. Understanding of synchronous and asynchronous communication patterns, service boundaries, and deployment architectures.

Full-stack platform developmentProficiency across the full stack including backend services, data persistence, API layers, and user-facing interfaces. Ability to own systems end-to-end rather than specializing in isolated technical domains. Strong general programming fundamentals applicable across languages and frameworks.

Security and authentication systemsSolid understanding of authentication, authorization, service accounts, API security, and access control patterns. Experience implementing least-privilege access models, token management, audit logging, and security boundary enforcement. Understanding of how security requirements translate into architectural constraints.

Observability and production systemsHands-on experience with monitoring, logging, distributed tracing, and alerting systems. Understanding of SLOs, error budgets, and production reliability. Ability to instrument systems for observability and debug complex production issues using telemetry data.

Rapid prototyping and iterationStrong ability to rapidly prototype solutions, validate assumptions with minimal viable implementations, and iterate quickly based on user feedback. Pragmatic approach to technical debt, knowing when to invest in robustness versus shipping quickly to learn from real usage.

Education

Computer Science or related field (or equivalent experience)Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or related discipline. Equivalent practical experience building production systems and demonstrating mastery of software engineering fundamentals is also valued. Plaid values diverse educational backgrounds and encourages applications from self-taught engineers with strong portfolios.

Experience

Professional software engineering experience5+ years of demonstrable professional software engineering experience building real-world systems. This experience should include shipping features and systems to production, understanding the complete software development lifecycle, and having navigated the complexities of deployed systems.

Production systems design and operationStrong hands-on experience building, deploying, and operating production systems at scale. Experience should include designing for reliability, implementing monitoring and observability, responding to production incidents, and iterating systems based on operational learnings. Familiarity with production deployment patterns, rollback procedures, and gradual rollout strategies.

Internal tools and platform developmentDirect experience building internal tools, developer platforms, or workflow automation software. This could include developer experience tools, CI/CD systems, internal dashboards, workflow orchestration platforms, or other systems primarily used by internal teams. Understanding the unique constraints of building for internal audiences versus external customers.

Product judgment in ambiguous environmentsDemonstrated ability to operate effectively with ambiguous requirements, undefined user experiences, and emergent problem spaces. Experience translating vague operational pain points into concrete product solutions, making tradeoff decisions with incomplete information, and building conviction around technical directions in novel domains.

AI-powered tooling and automationHands-on professional experience using AI-powered development tools, agents, or automation in real work contexts. This should include practical familiarity with LLM-based coding assistants, workflow automation, agentic patterns, or similar AI capabilities. Understanding of both the capabilities and limitations of current AI tooling.

First-version product buildingStrong builder mindset with proven ability to create initial versions of product surfaces that lack industry precedent or established templates. Experience making foundational decisions about user interaction patterns, interface paradigms, and extensibility models when best practices are not yet crystallized. Comfort with necessary iteration as the product category matures.

Skills

Required skills

Full-stack software engineeringAbility to design, implement, and deploy complete systems spanning backend services, data layers, APIs, and user interfaces. Demonstrated track record of shipping end-to-end features and products.

Production systems thinkingMindset oriented toward reliability, observability, and operational sustainability. Understanding of deployment strategies, incident response, capacity planning, and long-term system maintenance.

Product thinking and user empathyAbility to think like a product manager: understanding user needs, making tradeoff decisions, prioritizing features, and iterating based on feedback. Strong communication skills for translating between technical teams and non-technical stakeholders.

Platform and internal tools architectureExperience architecting platforms or tools meant for internal user bases. Understanding of how internal tools differ from external products, including different support models, feedback loops, and iteration cycles.

AI workflow understandingFamiliarity with AI-powered automation patterns, LLM capabilities and limitations, agentic workflows, and prompt engineering concepts. Understanding of how to design interfaces and systems that effectively leverage AI capabilities.

Technical communication and collaborationExcellent written and verbal communication skills. Ability to clearly explain technical decisions, document systems, and collaborate effectively across teams with different technical backgrounds. Strong ability to solicit and incorporate feedback.

Nice to have

Developer tooling and DevEx backgroundPrevious experience building developer tooling, internal developer platforms (IDPs), CI/CD systems, or infrastructure automation. Understanding of what makes developer tools effective and the unique considerations for engineering-focused products.

Authentication and authorization systemsDirect professional experience implementing or designing auth systems, including OAuth flows, service-to-service authentication, session management, and fine-grained authorization controls. Understanding of enterprise auth requirements and security isolation patterns.

Constrained runtime environmentsExperience with sandboxed execution environments, container security, resource isolation, or similar systems that run untrusted or partially-trusted code safely. Relevant for designing safe automation execution contexts for non-engineering teams.

Internal product developmentBackground building products or tools primarily intended for non-engineering internal users, such as operations platforms, support tools, business process automation, or cross-functional tools. Understanding of requirements gathering and communication with non-technical stakeholders.

AI and automation workflow designPractical experience designing workflows that integrate AI capabilities, building with LLM APIs, implementing agentic patterns, or creating automation around AI-powered tasks. Understanding of current AI capabilities, limitations, and user expectations.

Fintech or financial systemsBackground working in fintech, financial services, or payments. Understanding of financial data security, regulatory requirements, compliance considerations, and the financial ecosystem. While not required, valuable context for working at Plaid.

Startup or high-ambiguity environmentsExperience in early-stage startups or newly-launched internal teams where scope is ambiguous, best practices are undefined, and the ability to navigate uncertainty is essential. Comfort with building organizational capability from first principles.

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 190,800 – 262,800 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Comprehensive health coverage

Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans with competitive coverage for employees and dependents.

Retirement benefits

401(k) retirement plan to support long-term financial planning.

Equity compensation

Stock options providing meaningful equity ownership and upside participation in Plaid's growth trajectory.

Financial wellness

Access to Plaid's own financial connectivity products and tools for personal financial management and optimization.

Professional development

Support for learning, conference attendance, and professional growth aligned with career development goals.

Inclusive workplace

Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion with reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities and valued diversity of background and experience.

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