Forward Deployed Engineer

Parafin
San Francisco, US
On-site

Who this role is best for

Best suited to mid-level software engineers with experience in backend systems and partner integrations, working in a hybrid San Francisco-based role.

Best fit for

  • Engineers who thrive in ambiguous environments and drive technical delivery.
    — “Ability and desire to represent Parafin with external partners
  • Candidates with a track record of shipping scalable backend systems.
    — “Experience building end-to-end backend systems, with flexibility to work across the stack
  • Those comfortable collaborating across product, sales, and engineering teams.
    — “Partner closely with Sales, GTM, Product, and engineering teams

Things to consider

  • Role requires interfacing with strategic partners despite being internally focused.
    — “FDEs interface with strategic partners, their core output is internal
  • Must be comfortable working in a high-growth, ambiguous environment.
    — “execute and drive progress in ambiguous environments

How to stand out

  • Highlight specific examples of scaling features across platforms.
    — “Scale new & existing features across platforms
  • Demonstrate experience with enterprise or strategic customer collaborations.
    — “Experience working directly with enterprise or strategic customers
  • Showcase prior work on public APIs or demo sandbox environments.
    — “Previously built platforms and features for public use
Pace · SteadyCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · TeamLevel · Mid

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • own technical delivery for complex partner launches
  • ship and contribute code to the core product
  • design new integration patterns
  • identify and remove friction in integrations
Typical background
software engineeringplatform development

Skills & requirements

Required

Backend SystemsIntegration PatternsPartner-driven InitiativesCustomer Growth And AdoptionPlatform Development

Preferred

Founder Or Entrepreneurial ExperienceEnterprise Or Strategic CustomersPublic Apis

Stack & domain

Software EngineeringBackend SystemsApisIntegration PatternsEnd-to-end SystemsPlatform DevelopmentCustomer-centric Problem SolvingCommunicationProblem-solvingTeamworkCustomer ServiceFinanceTechnology

About the role

Original posting from Parafin via Ashby

About Us:

At Parafin, we’re on a mission to grow small businesses.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, but traditional banks often don’t have their backs. We build tech that makes it simple for small businesses to access the financial tools they need through the platforms they already sell on.

We partner with companies like DoorDash, Amazon, Worldpay, and Mindbody to offer fast and flexible funding, spend management, and savings tools to their small business users via a simple integration. Parafin takes on all the complexity of capital markets, underwriting, servicing, compliance, and customer service for our partners.

We’re a tight-knit team of innovators hailing from Stripe, Square, Plaid, Coinbase, Robinhood, CERN, and more — all united by a passion for building tools that help small businesses succeed. Parafin is backed by prominent venture capitalists including GIC, Notable Capital, Redpoint Ventures, Ribbit Capital, and Thrive Capital. Parafin is a Series C company, and we have raised more than $194M in equity and $340M in debt facilities.

Join us in creating a future where every small business has the financial tools they need.

ABOUT THE POSITION

Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) at Parafin are product-focused software engineers who operate at the intersection of partner delivery and core platform development. FDEs lead high-complexity, net-new integrations and partner-driven initiatives end-to-end, collaborating closely with Product, Platform, and Partner Engineering (our GTM-facing partner team). Although FDEs interface with strategic partners, their core output is internal: shipping scalable product and platform improvements that make partner integrations faster, safer, and easier to support over time.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING

  • Own technical delivery for complex partner launches (end-to-end). Act as the engineering lead across teams to scope, sequence, and drive new work needed to launch strategic partners and expand on existing partnerships
  • Ship and contribute code to the core product. Scale new & existing features across platforms to drive partner (customer) growth and adoption
  • Design new integration patterns, interfaces, and end-to-end systems
  • Partner closely with Sales, GTM, Product, and engineering teams to align on scope, surface product gaps early, and reduce rework downstream
  • Identify and remove friction in integrations and partner support through new features and improved tooling

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

  • 2+ years of software engineering experience, with a track record of shipping production-quality code
  • Experience building end-to-end backend systems, with flexibility to work across the stack
  • Excellent communication skills to work directly with technical and non-technical stakeholders
  • Ability and desire to represent Parafin with external partners
  • Strong problem-solving skills and ability to execute and drive progress in ambiguous environments

Bonus Points:

  • Prior founder or entrepreneurial experience. You have had extreme ownership and drive, possess a strong ability for customer-centric problem solving, and are bought into a high-growth mindset
  • Experience working directly with enterprise or strategic customers. You have collaborated with business stakeholders and built trust while managing expectations across internal and external parties
  • Previously built platforms and features for public use. Examples include Public APIs & demo sandbox environments.

What We Offer:

  • Salary Range: $190-225
  • Equity grant
  • Medical, dental & vision insurance
  • Work from home flexibility
  • Unlimited PTO
  • Commuter benefits
  • Free lunches
  • Paid parental leave
  • 401(k)
  • Employee assistance program

If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please contact us.

Source: Parafin careers (Ashby)

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