Staff Software Engineer

📋 Description

• Serve as a technical thought leader, establishing high standards for engineering excellence.

• Engage directly in coding for new features, prototyping, and refactoring existing code to adhere to best practices.

• Lead design discussions and conduct architecture reviews for significant projects.

• Work collaboratively with product, design, and research teams to define and refine user-facing functionalities that have a tangible impact on developers.

• Carefully assess trade-offs regarding performance, scalability, complexity, and cost while advocating for clear and maintainable solutions.

• Mentor and guide fellow engineers, aiding their professional growth and enhancing the overall technical maturity of the team.

• Shape the engineering culture by promoting best practices in testing, observability, security, and cloud architecture.

⛳️ Requirements

• Over 10 years of experience in software engineering involving multiple large-scale, production-level systems.

• Proficient in at least one of the following programming languages: JavaScript, Python, Rust, or JVM-based languages (Java/Kotlin), with expertise in at least two.

• Proven experience in building and scaling distributed systems with an emphasis on reliability and performance, covering both compute and data layers, including best practices for observability.

• Strong foundation in cloud architecture and infrastructure design, particularly in AWS or Google Cloud environments.

• Proven ability to simplify complex systems and minimize unnecessary technical debt while balancing the urgency to move quickly in a competitive landscape.

• Excellent communication skills, with a history of aligning stakeholders, leading cross-functional initiatives, and influencing others without direct authority.

• A strong shift-left mentality throughout the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC), integrating security, automated testing, and CI/CD pipelines early on.

• Extensive knowledge of AI assistants, a solid understanding of the evolving AI landscape, and the capability to translate trends and functionalities into actionable product enhancements.

• A sense of curiosity, practicality, and a readiness to question assumptions.

• Experience or a keen interest in developing collaborative, real-time systems is advantageous.

🏝️ Benefits

• Shape the Future of Software Creation: We’re not just enhancing how developers write code — we’re transforming how ideas become reality. By bridging the gap between concept and execution, we’re developing tools that will impact every industry reliant on software.

• Massive Impact, Real Ownership: At Zencoder, you’ll gain full insight into how your contributions advance both the product and the company. You’ll deliver meaningful features, observe the immediate effects of your decisions, and receive rapid feedback from users.

• ICs Are the Core: Individual Contributors hold the highest status at Zencoder. Our culture honors those who lead through action — creating momentum, inspiring others, and transforming ideas into delivered products.

• High-Caliber Team & Founder: Collaborate with outstanding AI and software engineers, and learn directly from Andrew Filev, founder of a unicorn startup, who possesses extensive expertise in scaling top-tier technology companies.

• Global & Flexible: We seek talent, not location. Work from wherever you feel happiest and most productive — as long as you bring the energy, focus, and results.

• Aligned Incentives: Our equity plan ensures that your success is tied to the company’s success. Your contributions will grow in value as the company expands.