Staff Software Engineer, Backend – Observability

Affirm

. Own the architecture of Affirm’s telemetry pipeline, balancing reliability, query performance, and cost at 200+ TB/day .

Posted 10/28/2026full-timeRemote • United StatesLead💰 $204,000 - $290,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in designing and operating high-volume telemetry systems, with a strong focus on backend system architecture, reliability, and performance. Proven ability to mentor engineering teams and drive cross-functional projects while advocating for technical standards and operational processes.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Backend System DesignHigh-Volume Telemetry SystemsAWSPythonKubernetes

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Backend System DevelopmentDistributed SystemsTelemetry SystemsCode Review StandardsTechnical Strategy

Soft Skills

MentoringFeedback GatheringCommunication

Tools & Technologies

OpenTelemetryKafkaTerraformMySQLFlink

Certifications & Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree in Related Field

Industry Keywords

Observability PracticesIncident SignalSamplingCardinality ManagementSLOs

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

AWSDistributed SystemsKafkaKotlinKubernetesMySQLPythonTerraform

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Own the architecture of Affirm’s telemetry pipeline, balancing reliability, query performance, and cost at 200+ TB/day
Design log-sampling strategies to reduce volume and cost while preserving incident signal
Shape observability practices for agentic development so AI coding agents and code review identify instrumentation gaps
Set technical strategy for the team on a year-long horizon
Drive cross-functional, business-impacting projects with product management, design, and analytics
Define and advocate for technical solutions and operational processes
Own team operations and availability, including monitoring, triage rotations, playbooks, policies, testing, alerting, and on-call efforts
Set code-review and design standards and advocate for them through writing and tech talks
Mentor and develop a team of six engineers through feedback, guidance, and leadership by example

Requirements

What you’ll need

8+ years of experience designing, developing, and launching backend systems at scale using languages such as Python or Kotlin
Extensive experience developing highly available distributed systems
Experience with AWS, MySQL, Flink, and Kubernetes
Experience building or operating high-volume telemetry systems using metrics, logs, and/or traces
Experience with OpenTelemetry, Kafka, and Terraform
Knowledge of structured and wide events, sampling, cardinality management, and SLOs
Experience driving adoption of platform standards across engineering teams
Experience delivering major features, system components, or deprecating existing functionality through technical and execution plans
Ability to write high-quality, understandable code
Ability to work across low-level language idioms and large-system architecture
Strong feedback-gathering and iteration skills
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Equivalent practical experience or a Bachelor's degree in a related field

Benefits

Comp & perks

Equity rewards may be included in total compensation
Monthly stipends for health, wellness, and tech spending
100% subsidized medical coverage for employees and dependents
Dental and vision coverage for employees and dependents
Flexible time off
Generous holiday calendars
Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP) allowing employees to buy Affirm stock at a discount
Inclusive interview process with accommodations for candidates with disabilities
Remote-first flexibility
In-person onboarding experience for all new hires