Software Engineer - Platform

Plaid2 weeks ago

Location

San Francisco

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 150,000 – 220,000

Level

Mid

Role

Platform Engineer

Posted

Mar 2, 2026

Full TimeMid

The role

Summary

Plaid is seeking a Platform Software Engineer to design and maintain critical infrastructure that powers financial technology innovations. The ideal candidate will build scalable, secure, and high-performance backend systems that support Plaid's mission of transforming financial interactions through robust platform engineering.

What you'll do

Scalable System Design: Build and maintain core platform services focusing on performance, reliability, and scalability for distributed backend systems serving millions of users.

Infrastructure Development: Develop and improve data storage and processing infrastructure, including high-performance databases and modern data processing frameworks to support Plaid's growth.

Developer Productivity Enhancement: Create internal tools, frameworks, and automation to improve engineering efficiency, including CI/CD pipelines, observability systems, and self-service infrastructure platforms.

Security and Compliance: Integrate security and privacy best practices into platform infrastructure, implementing data encryption, access controls, and audit logging to protect sensitive financial data.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with product engineering teams to understand requirements, translate them into platform capabilities, and facilitate smooth feature integration.

Technical Leadership: Uphold engineering standards through code reviews, testing, documentation, and mentoring junior engineers while driving technical best practices.

What we look for

Technical

Programming LanguagesProficiency in Go, Python, Java, or C++, with strong preference for Go. Ability to write clean, efficient, and maintainable code.

Distributed SystemsExperience designing, building, and operating distributed systems or microservices architectures at scale.

Database TechnologiesFamiliarity with relational and NoSQL databases like MySQL/TiDB, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and experience with data pipeline frameworks.

Education

Computer Science FoundationStrong computer science fundamentals, typically demonstrated through a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related technical field.

Experience

Backend System Development2-4 years of software engineering experience with proven track record of building and shipping complex backend systems or platforms.

System DesignDeep understanding of system design, algorithms, and ability to debug complex production issues.

Skills

Required skills

Distributed SystemsHands-on experience with designing and scaling distributed backend systems

Backend EngineeringAbility to build complex, performant backend services

Cross-Functional CommunicationStrong collaborative skills with ability to work effectively across engineering teams

Nice to have

Go ProgrammingExperience with Go programming language

Big Data ProcessingExperience with frameworks like Spark or Databricks

Financial Technology ExperienceBackground in fintech or financial systems infrastructure

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 150,000 – 220,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Health Insurance

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

Equity Compensation

Stock options to share in company's growth and success

Professional Development

Ongoing learning and career growth opportunities

Inclusive Culture

Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace

Interview process

1
Initial Screening — Phone or video call with recruiting team to discuss background and role fit
2
Technical Phone Screen — Technical interview focusing on coding skills, system design, and problem-solving abilities
3
Onsite/Virtual Interviews — Multiple rounds of technical interviews, including system design, coding challenges, and team fit assessments
4
Final Interview — Meeting with senior leadership to discuss team alignment and long-term potential