Staff Software Engineer - Content Platform
Reddit, Inc. · United States
- Hybrid
- Full-time
- $258,500 / year
- United States
Job highlights
- Lead Content Platform development at Reddit.
- Improve system availability and efficiency.
- Own platform design and future evolution.
- Mentor backend engineers company-wide.
- Build internet-scale distributed systems.
About the role
Staff Software Engineer - Content Platform
Reddit is a community of communities. It’s built on shared interests, passion, and trust, and is home to the most open and authentic conversations on the internet. Every day, Reddit users submit, vote, and comment on the topics they care most about. With 100,000+ active communities and approximately 126 million daily active unique visitors, Reddit is one of the internet’s largest sources of information. For more information, visit www.redditinc.com.
Reddit has a flexible workforce! If you happen to live close to one of our physical office locations our doors are open for you to come into the office as often as you'd like. Don't live near one of our offices? No worries: You can apply to work remotely in any country in which we have a physical presence.
Who We Are
The Infrastructure organization enables Reddit to deliver Reliability, Performance and Efficiency, with a single opinionated technology stack. The Content Platform team within Infrastructure additionally focuses on empowering product teams to build the best possible Content-related experiences, easily and reliably. This is a high-impact team that owns the Tier-0 services and core data models that power some of the most visible aspects of our product - viewing a feed, posting, commenting, upvoting - and we work closely with teams like Consumer, Ads, Feeds, Storage and Ranking. This team is also responsible for running and maintaining R2 – Reddit’s monolith legacy stack that is pretty much in the critical path for every Critical User Journey at Reddit.
We are looking to hire a Staff Software Engineer to help us in this mission. This is a high impact role where your unique insights into improving our operational posture as well as harmonizing feedback from customers will shape the future direction of our platform.
What You’ll Do
- Lead the development of Content Platform at Reddit.
- Design, write, and deliver software to improve availability, scalability, latency, and efficiency in Go and sometimes Python.
- Dive deep into the codebase of a suite of services owned by the team as well as Reddit’s monolith legacy stack.
- Make system-level improvements, enhancements, and implement complex code modifications.
- Own the design & evolution of our platform, building for the next 4+ years of continued scale and growth.
- Identify gaps in current designs and lead redesigns to improve developer velocity and enable Reddit growth.
- Collaborate with other software engineers from Infra and Product orgs.
- Work closely with engineering teams and stakeholders to integrate storage capabilities into broader storage infrastructure and use cases.
- Mentor and guide other backend engineers across the company.
Who You Might Be
- 7+ years of hands-on experience building internet-scale software, distributed systems, or platforms used by other developers.
- BS, MS, PhD in Computer Science, a related field, or equivalent work experience.
- Software development experience in one or more general-purpose programming languages: Golang, Python, C++, Java.
- Prior experience and capability with scaled, high-rate platform services, and API design.
- An advocate for the user with a deep intuition for how critical infra systems work at scale.
- Demonstrated history of technical leadership, successfully guiding engineering teams to deliver impactful, high-quality solutions.
- Exceptional communication skills with a strong ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
- Experience with (or curiosity to learn about) Kubernetes, gRPC, Cassandra, TiDB, Redis is a huge plus.
Key skills/competency
- Staff Software Engineer
- Content Platform
- Infrastructure
- Distributed Systems
- Scalability
- Golang
- Python
- API Design
- Technical Leadership
- System Design
Skills & topics
- Staff Software Engineer
- Content Platform
- Software Development
- Distributed Systems
- Golang
- Python
- Infrastructure
- Scalability
- API Design
- Technical Leadership
- Remote
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight experience with internet-scale software, distributed systems, Golang, and Python, emphasizing technical leadership.
- Showcase your impact: Quantify achievements in improving system availability, scalability, and efficiency in your application.
- Prepare for technical interviews: Brush up on distributed systems design, API design, and coding in Go and Python.
- Demonstrate leadership: Be ready to discuss how you've guided engineering teams and mentored peers.
- Research Reddit's culture: Understand their community-driven approach and focus on open conversations.
Technical preparation
Behavioral questions
Frequently asked questions
- What are the key responsibilities for a Staff Software Engineer at Reddit?
- As a Staff Software Engineer on the Content Platform team at Reddit, you will lead the design and development of critical services, focusing on improving availability, scalability, and efficiency. You'll work with Go and Python, tackle complex system-level improvements, and own the platform's evolution for future growth. Mentoring other engineers is also a key part of this role.
- What technical skills are most important for this Staff Software Engineer role at Reddit?
- Strong proficiency in Golang and Python for backend development is essential. Experience with internet-scale distributed systems, platform services, API design, and system-level improvements is highly valued. Familiarity with technologies like Kubernetes, gRPC, Cassandra, TiDB, and Redis is a plus.
- What kind of experience is Reddit looking for in a Staff Software Engineer?
- Reddit seeks candidates with 7+ years of experience in building internet-scale software, distributed systems, or developer platforms. A strong track record of technical leadership, the ability to guide engineering teams, and exceptional communication skills are crucial for success in this role.
- Can I work remotely as a Staff Software Engineer at Reddit?
- Yes, Reddit offers a flexible workforce. You can work remotely from any country where Reddit has a physical presence. If you are near an office, you also have the option to work from the office.
- What is the salary range for the Staff Software Engineer position at Reddit?
- The base salary range for this Staff Software Engineer position in the US is $217,000 to $303,900 USD annually. This range is benchmarked against similar growth companies and may vary based on factors like experience and location.
- What is the interview process like for a Staff Software Engineer at Reddit?
- While specific details can vary, Reddit's interview process for engineering roles typically involves technical assessments focusing on coding, system design, and distributed systems. Behavioral interviews will also assess your leadership, collaboration, and communication skills. Some interviews may be recorded with AI transcription and summarization, with an option to opt out.