Senior Staff Software Engineer – Monetization

Nextdoor

. Define technical strategy and architecture for Nextdoor’s monetization platform .

Posted 11/3/2026full-timeSan Francisco • California • United StatesSenior💰 $281,000 - $374,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in defining technical strategy and architecture for monetization platforms, with a strong focus on building scalable and reliable systems. Proven ability to lead complex initiatives and mentor technical leaders while collaborating with cross-functional teams.

Highest-signal resume keywords

System Design SkillsBuilding Scalable Distributed SystemsExpertise in Java, Kotlin, or PythonExperience with Apache Kafka or Apache FlinkMentoring Senior Engineers

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

System DesignBuilding Scalable SystemsDistributed SystemsJavaKotlinPythonApache KafkaApache FlinkReal-Time Data PipelinesAI-Powered Development Workflows

Soft Skills

MentoringCollaborationRelationship BuildingLeadership

Industry Keywords

Monetization PlatformAdvertising PlatformsNative Ad-Serving SystemsAdvertising Optimization EnginesSMB Subscription Products

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

ApacheDistributed SystemsJavaKafkaKotlinPython

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Define technical strategy and architecture for Nextdoor’s monetization platform
Lead complex initiatives from concept through measurable outcomes
Build scalable, reliable, secure, and privacy-preserving systems supporting advertising and SMB subscription products
Partner with Product, Machine Learning, Data Science, and Engineering to shape roadmaps, navigate tradeoffs, and deliver value
Raise engineering standards and address gaps in quality, reliability, observability, release safety, and developer productivity
Remain hands-on across architecture, critical implementation, design reviews, debugging, launches, and production operations
Participate in in-person Nextdoor events
Build in-person relationships with team members and contribute to company culture

Requirements

What you’ll need

Exceptional system design skills
Proven record of building scalable, reliable, high-performance distributed systems
Deep experience building advertising platforms
Strong understanding of large-scale native ad-serving systems
Expert-level proficiency in at least one of Java, Kotlin, or Python
Extensive experience building large-scale, real-time data pipelines using Apache Kafka, Apache Flink, or Kafka Streams
Strong record of mentoring senior engineers and developing technical leaders
Experience using AI-powered development workflows
Preferred: experience developing or productionizing machine-learning models with ML engineers and data scientists
Preferred: strong understanding of advertising optimization engines, including pacing, bidding, ranking, and budget allocation

Benefits

Comp & perks

Meaningful equity grant with quarterly vesting
First vest date within 3 months of start date
Variety of health plans
100% covered employee-only health plan option
OneMedical membership for concierge care
Hybrid employment model blending in-office and work-from-home experience
Participation in in-person trainings, off-sites, volunteer days, and team-building exercises