Senior Staff Backend Software Engineer, GraphQL

This position is posted by Jobgether on behalf of a partner company. We are currently looking for a Senior Staff Backend Software Engineer, GraphQL in United States.

This role offers the opportunity to shape and lead the next generation of a large-scale GraphQL platform, serving hundreds of engineers and external open-source adopters. You will drive the evolution of the global schema, influence multi-year technical roadmaps, and ensure that developer experience, reliability, and scalability are prioritized across the platform. Working closely with infrastructure, product, and cross-functional teams, you will tackle complex backend challenges, mentor senior engineers, and guide the adoption of modern development practices, including AI-assisted coding workflows. Your work will directly impact the efficiency, quality, and speed of engineering across the organization while contributing to an open-source project with global reach. This role combines hands-on engineering, strategic technical leadership, and community engagement in a collaborative and innovative environment.

Accountabilities:

• Lead the design, development, and operation of a large-scale GraphQL platform, ensuring reliability, performance, and scalability.

• Influence multi-track technical roadmaps, aligning long-term platform vision with day-to-day execution across sub-teams.

• Champion global schema evolution, enforce governance processes, and manage versioning, deprecation, and breaking-change policies.

• Mentor and grow senior engineering talent, fostering technical leadership and collaboration across the platform.

• Partner with product, infrastructure, and leadership stakeholders to align platform initiatives with strategic objectives.

• Enhance developer experience through tooling, self-service APIs, documentation, and best practices.

• Contribute to and shape the open-source Viaduct project, gathering feedback and defining future capabilities.

• Troubleshoot production issues, design robust APIs, and guide teams on GraphQL and backend engineering best practices.

Requirements:

• 12+ years of backend and platform engineering experience designing, building, and operating mission-critical distributed systems at scale.

• Proven experience leading multi-year technical roadmaps and influencing cross-functional teams without formal authority.

• Deep expertise in GraphQL, API gateways, schema design, and federation, including experience leading organization-wide schema evolution.

• Strong background in developer experience and internal tooling, treating engineers as customers and prioritizing self-service and documentation.

• Hands-on experience with modern languages such as Kotlin or Java; comfortable evaluating and introducing new technologies, including AI-assisted development tools.

• Exceptional communication, collaboration, and influence skills, with experience presenting complex technical concepts to senior engineers and executives.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make data-driven decisions and prioritize cross-cutting platform initiatives.

• Preferred: experience in large-scale platform engineering, open-source contributions, and familiarity with distributed system performance optimization.

Benefits:

• Competitive base salary: $244,000 — $305,000 USD

• Eligibility for bonus and equity programs

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance

• 401(k) retirement plan with company contribution

• Flexible remote work arrangements with occasional travel

• Employee travel credits and other perks

• Professional development opportunities and mentorship programs

• Inclusive and collaborative work culture fostering innovation and growth

Why Apply Through Jobgether?

We use an AI-powered matching process to ensure your application is reviewed quickly, objectively, and fairly against the role's core requirements. Our system identifies the top-fitting candidates, and this shortlist is then shared directly with the hiring company. The final decision and next steps (interviews, assessments) are managed by their internal team.

We appreciate your interest and wish you the best!

Why Apply Through Jobgether?

Data Privacy Notice: By submitting your application, you acknowledge that Jobgether will process your personal data to evaluate your candidacy and share relevant information with the hiring employer. This processing is based on legitimate interest and pre-contractual measures under applicable data protection laws (including GDPR). You may exercise your rights (access, rectification, erasure, objection) at any time.

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