Staff Software Engineer, Security Platform

Robinhood
Bellevue +1 more
On-site

Who this role is best for

Candidates with experience in AI infrastructure and distributed systems security will find this high-impact platform-building role.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with 5+ years of experience in large-scale distributed systems and AI infrastructure
    — “5+ years of software development experience”
  • Individuals who have designed secure systems with identity, encryption, and data protection controls
    — “Design secure systems with strong identity, authentication, authorization, encryption, and data protection controls”
  • Professionals who enjoy building reusable platform capabilities and tooling for AI security
    — “Experience designing and building reusable platform capabilities, APIs, libraries, or developer tooling”

Things to consider

  • In-office presence required at least 3 days per week in Menlo Park or Bellevue
    — “with in-person attendance expected at least 3 days per week”
  • Compensation is performance-driven and may vary based on location and market demands
    — “Base pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of job-related factors”

How to stand out

  • Highlight your track record of delivering large-scale AI security systems with measurable impact
    — “Proven experience delivering large engineering projects with meaningful, long-term impact”
  • Emphasize your ability to translate cross-team needs into reusable platform capabilities
    — “Partner with security, infrastructure, and engineering teams to understand their needs and translate them into reusable platform capabilities”
  • Showcase your proficiency in Go or Python with real-world production debugging examples
    — “Proficiency in Go or Python, with strong problem-solving and production debugging skills”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · HighDecision Impact · Team

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

What success looks like

  • build scalable AI platform
  • develop secure systems
  • partner with security and engineering teams
Typical background
software developmentlarge-scale distributed systemssecurity concepts

Skills & requirements

Required

AIDistributed SystemsSecurityAuthenticationAuthorizationEncryptionPlatform Safety

Preferred

Identity Management

Stack & domain

AIDistributed SystemsSecurityAuthenticationAuthorizationEncryptionPlatform SafetyProblem-solvingTeamworkCommunicationLeadershipFinance

About the role

Original posting from Robinhood via Greenhouse

Join us in building the future of finance.

Our mission is to democratize finance for all. An estimated $124 trillion of assets will be inherited by younger generations in the next two decades. The largest transfer of wealth in human history. If you’re ready to be at the epicenter of this historic cultural and financial shift, keep reading.

About the team + role

We are building an elite team, applying frontier technologies to the world’s biggest financial problems. We’re looking for bold thinkers. Sharp problem-solvers. Builders who are wired to make an impact. Robinhood isn’t a place for complacency, it’s where ambitious people do the best work of their careers. We’re a high-performing, fast-moving team with ethics at the center of everything we do. Expectations are high, and so are the rewards. 

The Security Platform team is responsible for the secure lifecycle, governance, and protection of Robinhood’s most sensitive user data. This team builds foundational systems such as secure data pipelines, tokenization services, and privacy compliance infrastructure to ensure customer data is handled responsibly and in line with regulations. The team works closely with security, infrastructure, and product engineering partners to ensure data is both usable and protected. You will contribute to systems that support authentication, third-party integrations, and emerging AI-driven use cases.

As a Staff Software Engineer, you will lead the design and build backend systems that securely process and manage customer data across Robinhood’s platform. You will own the systems that handle authentication, authorization, and privacy-preserving data operations. This role involves close collaboration with engineers focused on access management, infrastructure, and data systems. Your work will directly support efforts to improve system reliability, strengthen data protections, and enable new product capabilities using secure data.

This role is based in our Bellevue, WA, and Menlo Park, CA offices, with in-person attendance expected at least 3 days per week.

At Robinhood, we believe in the power of in-person work to accelerate progress, spark innovation, and strengthen community. Our office experience is intentional, energizing, and designed to fully support high-performing teams. 

What you’ll do

Build backend services and data pipelines that securely store, process, and route customer data

Develop systems for token issuance, user authentication, and anonymization to support privacy requirements

Define and execute the vision for authentication across next-generation AI platforms, intelligent agents, and MCP ecosystems, shaping how secure identity works in an AI-first world

Implement data retention and deletion workflows aligned with regulatory standards such as CCPA and GDPR

Partner with access management engineers to enforce least-privilege access controls across systems

Contribute to monitoring and auditing systems that track how data is accessed and used

What you bring

You have 8+ years of software engineering experience focused on backend systems, data infrastructure, or security

You are proficient in at least one backend language such as Python, Go, or Java

You have experience building and operating services in cloud environments such as AWS and Kubernetes

You have worked with distributed systems such as databases, messaging systems, or data processing frameworks (e.g., PostgreSQL, Kafka, Spark, Snowflake)

You understand data protection principles such as encryption, secure data handling, and privacy-focused system design

What we offer

Challenging, high-impact work to grow your career.

Performance-driven compensation with multipliers for outsized impact, bonus programs, equity ownership, and 401(k) matching.

Best-in-class benefits to fuel your work, including 100% paid health insurance for employees with 90% coverage for dependents.

Lifestyle wallet — a highly flexible benefits spending account for wellness, learning, and more.

Employer-paid life & disability insurance, fertility benefits, and mental health benefits.

Time off to recharge including company holidays, paid time off, sick time, parental leave, and more!

Exceptional office experience with catered meals, events, and comfortable workspaces.

In addition to the base pay range listed below, this role is also eligible for bonus opportunities + equity + benefits.

Base pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of job-related factors, which may include education, training, experience, location, business needs, or market demands. The expected base pay range for this role is based on the location where the work will be performed and is aligned to one of 3 compensation zones. For other locations not listed, compensation can be discussed with your recruiter during the interview process.

Base Pay Range:

Zone 1 (Menlo Park, CA; New York, NY; Bellevue, WA; Washington, DC)$196,000—$230,000 USDZone 2 (Denver, CO; Westlake, TX; Chicago, IL)$172,000—$202,000 USDZone 3 (Lake Mary, FL; Clearwater, FL; Gainesville, FL)$153,000—$179,000 USDClick here to learn more about our Total Rewards, which vary by region and entity.

If our mission energizes you and you’re ready to build the future of finance, we look forward to seeing your application.

AI Usage Disclosure: Robinhood uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of our recruiting process. These tools enhance the efficiency and consistency of our hiring process; however, all hiring decisions are made by our hiring teams.

Robinhood provides equal opportunity for all applicants, offers reasonable accommodations upon request, and complies with applicable equal employment and privacy laws. Inclusion is built into how we hire and work—welcoming different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences so everyone can do their best. Please review the Privacy Policy for your country of application.

Source: Robinhood careers (Greenhouse)

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