Remote opportunity at
AffirmStaff Software Engineer, Backend (Online Storage)
Affirm is seeking a Staff Software Engineer, Backend for its Online Storage team on a remote basis. Affirm operates as a financial services provider that offers…
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About This Role
Affirm is seeking a Staff Software Engineer, Backend for its Online Storage team on a remote basis. Affirm operates as a financial services provider that offers clear, predictable payment options for consumers without hidden fees. Within the Data and Storage Services organization, the Online Storage group delivers managed database platforms that persist information across every Affirm service, handling crucial financial transactions, data science models, and various persistence demands. This position…
Job Description
Affirm is seeking a Staff Software Engineer, Backend for its Online Storage team on a remote basis. Affirm operates as a financial services provider that offers clear, predictable payment options for consumers without hidden fees. Within the Data and Storage Services organization, the Online Storage group delivers managed database platforms that persist information across every Affirm service, handling crucial financial transactions, data science models, and various persistence demands. This position suits an experienced backend professional who wants to design scalable datastore platforms, establish long-term technical strategies, and collaborate closely with product, infrastructure, and reliability engineering units.
In this function, the engineer will build control planes for self-service database management, automating functions like schema migrations, disaster recovery, sharding, and performance tuning for hundreds of databases at scale. The role involves setting high engineering standards through code reviews and technical writing while operating as a mentor for other team members. Candidates should thrive in ambiguous environments and possess deep familiarity with distributed systems, cloud-based database operations, and database fundamentals. Affirm functions as a remote-first organization, welcoming applicants residing in specified Canadian provinces.
Responsibilities
- Establish yearly technical strategies and connect them to critical business projects for the team
- Design and construct scalable, multi-region, horizontally scalable, and globally available datastore platforms
- Build control planes enabling self-service management and automation for hundreds of databases
- Partner with product management, design, and analytics teams to evaluate technical sustainability, trade-offs, and risks
- Set code review and design standards while acting as a technical advocate and mentor across the engineering organization
- Own operational availability, monitoring, triage rotations, playbooks, and testing protocols
Requirements
- Have 8+ years of professional backend system design, development, and launch experience using Python or Kotlin
- Demonstrate an extensive track record building highly available distributed systems with AWS, MySQL, Spark, and Kubernetes
- Possess 5+ years of direct database expertise optimizing performance, data integrity, and access patterns in Relational or Distributed SQL systems like MySQL, PostgreSQL, TiDB, or Vitess
- Bring deep understanding of database fundamentals including schema design, query optimization, partitioning, sharding, and capacity planning
- Show experience delivering major features, system components, or deprecation plans through execution strategies
Qualifications
- Hold a Bachelor's degree in a related discipline or possess equivalent practical experience
Core Skills
Benefits
- 100% subsidized medical coverage, dental, and vision for employees and their dependents
- Monthly stipends supporting health, wellness, and tech spending
- Flexible time off and generous holiday calendars
- Eligibility for equity rewards from Affirm Holdings, Inc. and participation in an employee stock purchase plan
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this position remote?
Yes, this is a remote-first role open exclusively to candidates residing in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, or Saskatchewan.
What is the salary for this job?
The Canadian base pay range is listed as $181,000 to $241,000 CAD per year, though specific pay depends on factors like location, experience, and job-related skills.
What are the core technical requirements?
Applicants must have 8+ years of backend development experience using Python or Kotlin, 5+ years of hands-on database expertise with relational or distributed SQL, and a strong background in distributed systems using AWS, MySQL, Spark, and Kubernetes.
What employment type is this?
The posting specifies that this is a full-time, permanent position for an existing vacancy.
Sample Interview Questions
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