Staff Software Engineer, Backend - Platform (Payment Rails)
WFA Digital Insight
The demand for skilled software engineers in the fintech space continues to soar, with a reported 25% growth in job openings in 2025. Coinbase, a pioneer in digital currency, is at the forefront of this trend. As the company expands its payment rails, it's seeking a seasoned Staff Software Engineer to spearhead the technical strategy and architecture. With the rise of remote work, this role offers the unique opportunity to work with a distributed team and collaborate on high-impact projects. Before applying, candidates should be aware that Coinbase values a culture of innovation, intensity, and collaboration, and is looking for individuals who can drive technical excellence and mentorship.
Job Description
About the Role
As a Staff Software Engineer on the Payment Rails team at Coinbase, you will play a critical role in shaping the architecture of the company's payment network. This network powers fiat on- and off-ramps for individual and institutional customers, handling hundreds of billions of dollars in transaction volume each year. Your expertise will be instrumental in designing and scaling systems that ensure every payment is reliable, efficient, and correct.The Payment Rails team is part of the Platform organization, which is responsible for building the core infrastructure that enables Coinbase to operate at scale. As a Staff Software Engineer, you will be working closely with cross-functional teams, including Product, Risk, Compliance, and Operations, to translate business requirements into technical solutions.
What You Will Do
- Own the technical strategy, architecture, and roadmap for scaling Payment Rails' partner integrations and routing across markets and payment options.
- Build distributed systems that process high-volume payment traffic, designing for fault isolation, graceful degradation, observability, and clear SLOs for Tier-0/Tier-1 services.
- Drive an AI-first approach to engineering workflows, identifying where AI-powered tools can accelerate development, improve code quality, and enhance operational efficiency.
- Partner with Product, Risk, Compliance, and Operations to translate ambiguous business requirements into technical solutions that balance speed, safety, and regulatory needs.
- Lead high-stakes scaling initiatives, anticipating bottlenecks before they occur and driving systematic improvements to how Coinbase moves money.
- Strengthen the engineering bar by establishing paved roads, design patterns, and best practices, and by mentoring engineers through design reviews and coding standards.
- Collaborate with the engineering team to develop and maintain a culture of technical excellence, innovation, and continuous learning.
- Represent the Payment Rails team in org-level forums, influencing technical decisions and driving alignment across the company.
What We Are Looking For
- 8+ years of experience in software engineering, with a focus on building payment systems, financial infrastructure, or high-volume transactional systems.
- Demonstrated track record of architecting fault-tolerant, highly reliable distributed systems that handle billions of dollars in transaction volume.
- Experience leading efforts to turn fragmented services into coherent, reusable platforms (e.g., shared frameworks, unified APIs, multi-tenant architectures).
- Proven ownership of production reliability, including leading high-severity incident response and driving systemic improvements from postmortems.
- History of influencing across teams without direct authority, driving consensus on high-impact technical decisions, and representing your area in org-level forums.
- Utilizes generative AI responsibly, maintaining human oversight to deliver business-ready outputs and drive measurable improvements in workflow efficiency, cost, and quality.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams.
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
Nice to Have
- Experience with cloud-based technologies and containerization (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
- Knowledge of machine learning and AI-powered tools, with a focus on application in software engineering workflows.
- Familiarity with agile development methodologies and version control systems (e.g., Git).
- Experience working in a remote-first environment, with a strong ability to self-manage and prioritize tasks.
Benefits and Perks
- Competitive salary and equity package.
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
- 401(k) matching program.
- Flexible PTO policy and remote work stipend.
- Access to cutting-edge technologies and tools.
- Opportunities for professional growth and development, including conference sponsorships and training programs.
- Collaborative and dynamic work environment with a team of experienced professionals.
How to Stand Out
- Highlight your experience with distributed systems and high-volume payment processing in your resume and cover letter.
- Be prepared to discuss your approach to technical leadership and how you drive innovation in your work.
- Showcase your ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, including Product, Risk, and Compliance.
- Familiarize yourself with Coinbase's technology stack and be prepared to discuss how you can contribute to the company's technical vision.
- Consider creating a personal project or contributing to open-source projects that demonstrate your skills in software engineering and payment systems.
- Prepare examples of how you've handled high-severity incidents and driven systemic improvements in your previous roles.
- Research the company culture and be prepared to discuss how you align with Coinbase's values and mission.
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