Software Engineer II, Backend (Streaming)

Affirm
United States
RemoteCareer-pivot friendly

Who this role is best for

Backend engineers with distributed systems experience and a preference for remote work will find this role in data infrastructure at Affirm a good fit, especially those who thrive on collaboration and ownership of technical growth.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with 1.5+ years of backend experience and proficiency in Python or Kotlin
    — “You have 1.5+ years of experience as a software engineer.”
  • Individuals who enjoy designing scalable systems and working with technologies like Kafka and Flink
    — “You are familiar with the building blocks of distributed systems, and the technologies like AWS, Kafka, Flink and Kubernetes.”
  • Engineers who value community and take initiative in peer development and feedback
    — “You contribute to a sense of community on your team by engaging in growth and development activities such as participation in the interview process.”

Things to consider

  • Some roles may occasionally require in-person work at an Affirm office
    — “Some positions may occasionally require in-person work at an Affirm office”
  • New hires are expected to attend an in-person onboarding experience
    — “All new hires will be invited to attend an in-person onboarding experience.”

How to stand out

  • Highlight experience with stream processing and event-driven architecture in your resume and interviews
    — “drives the strategy for event driven architecture, stream processing, data exploration, discovery and validation”
  • Emphasize your ability to break down complex projects into manageable phases
    — “break down larger projects into individual tasks, deliver them in multiple phases”
  • Showcase your ability to debug and provide constructive feedback during code reviews
    — “comfortable navigating a large code base, debugging others' code, and providing feedback to other engineers through code reviews”
  • Demonstrate your proactive approach to growth and feedback in your application materials
    — “Your experience demonstrates that you take ownership of your growth, proactively seeking feedback from your team, your manager, and your stakeholders.”
  • Stress your communication skills and ability to work with global teams effectively
    — “strong verbal and written communication skills that support effective collaboration with our global engineering team”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

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

What success looks like

  • designing and launching backend systems
  • supporting operations and availability of team’s artifacts
  • contributing to a sense of community on the team
Typical background
1.5+ years of experience as a software engineer

Skills & requirements

Required

Backend DevelopmentDistributed SystemsAWSKafkaFlinkKubernetes

Preferred

PythonKotlin

Stack & domain

Backend SystemsPythonKafkaFlinkSchema RegistryKubernetesDistributed SystemsAWSCollaborationProblem-solvingCommunicationTeamworkProject ManagementData InfrastructureStream ProcessingData ExplorationDiscovery And Validation

About the role

Original posting from Affirm via Greenhouse

At Affirm, we exist for the moments that matter—giving people a clear, predictable way to pay over time, with no hidden fees, no surprises, and no tradeoffs on what matters most.

The Streaming team at Affirm is responsible for all things data and drives the strategy for event driven architecture, stream processing, data exploration, discovery and validation. We leverage existing open source technologies like Kafka, Flink, Schema registry and also build our own as needed. As a member of our team you would spend time identifying and executing on new use cases of data infrastructure, designing and scaling our existing infrastructure and working closely with other teams to promote the optimal use of data at the company.

What You'll Do

With the support of your team’s tech lead and manager, you will break down larger projects into individual tasks, deliver them in multiple phases, and collaborate with others to ensure timely delivery of your work.

You will support your peers and stakeholders in the product development lifecycle by collaborating with product management, design & analytics by participating in ideation, articulating technical constraints, and partnering on decisions that properly consider risks and trade-offs.

You will support the operations and availability of your team’s artifacts by creating and monitoring metrics, escalating when needed, and supporting “keep the lights on” & on-call efforts.

You will contribute to a sense of community on your team by engaging in growth and development activities such as participation in the interview process.

What We Look For

You have a total of 1.5+ years of experience as a software engineer.

You have experience designing, developing and launching backend systems and are proficient in one of Python or Kotlin.

You are familiar with the building blocks of distributed systems, and the technologies like AWS, Kafka, Flink and Kubernetes.

You have mastered taking a simple problem or business scenario into a solution that interacts with multiple software components, and executing on it by writing clear, easily understood, well tested and extensible code.

You are comfortable navigating a large code base, debugging others' code, and providing feedback to other engineers through code reviews.

Your experience demonstrates that you take ownership of your growth, proactively seeking feedback from your team, your manager, and your stakeholders.

You have strong verbal and written communication skills that support effective collaboration with our global engineering team.

This position requires either equivalent practical experience or a Bachelor’s degree in a related field.

Base Pay Grade - L

Equity Grade - 6

Employees new to Affirm typically come in at the start of the pay range. Affirm focuses on providing a simple and transparent pay structure which is based on a variety of factors, including location, experience and job-related skills.

Base pay is part of a total compensation package that may include equity rewards, monthly stipends for health, wellness and tech spending, and benefits (including 100% subsidized medical coverage, dental and vision for you and your dependents.)

USA base pay range (CA, WA, NY, NJ, CT) per year: 165,000 - 225,000

USA base pay range (all other U.S. states) per year: 146,000 - 206,000

#LI-Remote

Remote-first with flexibility built in

Affirm is proud to be a remote-first company. Most roles can be done from almost anywhere within the country of employment. Some positions may occasionally require in-person work at an Affirm office, and a few are office-based due to the nature of the work. All new hires will be invited to attend an in-person onboarding experience.

Benefits designed for you

Our benefits reflect our commitment to care, transparency, and flexibility. Here are a few highlights:

Health coverage at no cost: We cover 100% of premiums for employees and their dependents.

Spending stipends: Monthly stipends support your tech setup, and the ability to choose health and wellness options that are right for you.

Time off to recharge: Flexible time off and generous holiday calendars help you rest when you need to.

Own a piece of what you build: Our employee stock purchase plan (ESPP) lets you buy Affirm stock at a discount.

We’re committed to providing an inclusive interview process, including accommodations for candidates with disabilities. If you need support, we’re happy to help.

For positions based in San Francisco or Los Angeles: Affirm considers qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, as required by law.

By clicking "Submit Application," you acknowledge that you have read Affirm's Global Candidate Privacy Notice and consent to the use of your personal information as described.

Source: Affirm careers (Greenhouse)

Similar roles