Staff Software Engineer - Application Infrastructure
Toast · United States
- Hybrid
- Full-time
- $242,000 / year
- United States
Job highlights
- Scale and develop Toast's cloud platform and infrastructure.
- Design and deliver high-performance, reliable services.
- Resolve performance bottlenecks across systems.
- Collaborate with Product on technical direction.
- Mentor junior engineers and improve team effectiveness.
About the role
Staff Software Engineer - Application Infrastructure
Toast creates technology to help restaurants and local businesses succeed in a digital world, helping business owners operate, increase sales, engage customers, and keep employees happy.
We are looking for an experienced software engineer to play a critical role in further scaling and developing Toast’s cloud platform and infrastructure. Toast’s platform processes billions of requests per day from hundreds of internal services and hundreds of thousands of mobile devices; these numbers grow exponentially year over year as we add new restaurants and capabilities to the platform. Our team is responsible for developing secure, observable, highly available, large-scale shared services and infrastructure.
A Day In The Life (Responsibilities)
- Architect, design, and deliver ultra-reliable, high-performance services and infrastructure used by millions
- Uncover and resolve performance bottlenecks across infrastructure, databases, and APIs
- Define and enable adherence to engineering best practices, coding standards, and architectural guidelines
- Collaborate closely with the Product team to influence features, technical direction, and long-term product vision
- Leverage cutting edge AI tools to enhance your development workflow, improve velocity, and help pioneer new approaches to building - contributing to a culture of innovation and productivity across the team.
What You'll Need To Thrive (Requirements)
- Hands-on experience building and operating complex, mission-critical, large-scale distributed systems in the Cloud
- Expertise in asynchronous messaging, event-driven architecture, APIs, and integration patterns
- Track record of delivering clean, maintainable, and resilient code that stands the test of time
- Proficiency in Java or Kotlin preferred (experience in other modern programming languages also valued)
- Exceptional communication and collaboration skills, with demonstrated ability to align and inspire cross-functional teams
- A demonstrated record of mentoring junior team members and enhancing the team's effectiveness
Tech Stack
Our team builds and operates on a modern, cloud-native stack with heavy use of AWS, developing services and shared libraries in Kotlin and Go backed by PostgreSQL and DynamoDB. Infrastructure is provisioned and managed with Terraform. We oversee Toast’s sharded PostgreSQL databases, drive the organization’s use of Apache Pulsar to enable event-driven architecture at scale, and provide developers with tools and services to easily schedule recurring jobs. Our systems also power customer engagement, integrating with SMS and email providers to reliably deliver millions of messages per day. We embrace AI-driven software development at Toast, using tools such as Claude Code, Cursor, and more.
AI at Toast
At Toast, one of our company values is that we're hungry to build and learn. We believe learning new AI tools empowers us to build for our customers faster, more independently, and with higher quality. We provide these tools across all disciplines, from Engineering and Product to Sales and Support, and are inspired by how our Toasters are already driving real value with them. The people who thrive here are those who embrace changes that let us build more for our customers; it’s a core part of our culture.
Our Total Rewards Philosophy
We strive to provide competitive compensation and benefits programs that help to attract, retain, and motivate the best and brightest people in our industry. Our total rewards package goes beyond great earnings potential and provides the means to a healthy lifestyle with the flexibility to meet Toasters’ changing needs. Learn more about our benefits at https://careers.toasttab.com/toast-benefits.
The base salary range for this role is listed below. The starting salary will be determined based on skills, experience, and geographic location. In addition to base salary, our total rewards components include cash compensation (overtime, bonus/commissions if eligible), equity, and benefits. You can learn more about how we align pay with local labor markets in our Geographic Pay Zone Philosophy.
Zone A: $193,000—$309,000 USD
Zone B: $168,000—$269,000 USD
Zone C: $151,000—$242,000 USD
How Toast Uses AI In Its Hiring Process
Throughout the hiring process, our goal is to get to know you. We use AI tools to support our recruiters and interviewers with tasks like note-taking, summarization, and documentation of interviews to ensure they can be fully focused on your conversation. All hiring decisions are made by people. To learn more: https://careers.toasttab.com/ai-in-hiring
Our Approach to Hybrid Working
We embrace a hybrid work model that fosters in-person collaboration while valuing individual needs. Our goal is to build a strong culture of connection as we work together to empower the hospitality community, regardless of location. Please visit the Locations page on our career site to learn more about our in-office expectations by region: https://careers.toasttab.com/locations-toast.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is Baked into our Recipe for Success
At Toast, our employees are our secret ingredient—when they thrive, we thrive. The restaurant industry is one of the most diverse, and we embrace that diversity with authenticity, inclusivity, respect, and humility. By embedding these principles into our culture and design, we create equitable opportunities for all and raise the bar in delivering exceptional experiences.
We Thrive Together
We embrace a hybrid work model that fosters in-person collaboration while valuing individual needs. Our goal is to build a strong culture of connection as we work together to empower the restaurant community. To learn more about how we work globally and regionally, check out: https://careers.toasttab.com/locations-toast.
Apply today!
Toast is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive hiring process. As part of this commitment, we strive to provide reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities to enable them to access the hiring process. If you need an accommodation to access the job application or interview process, please contact candidateaccommodations@toasttab.com.
For roles in the United States, it is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
Key skills/competency
- Staff Software Engineer
- Application Infrastructure
- Cloud Platform
- Distributed Systems
- AWS
- Kotlin
- Go
- Terraform
- Apache Pulsar
- Event-Driven Architecture
Skills & topics
- Software Engineer
- Application Infrastructure
- Cloud Platform
- Distributed Systems
- AWS
- Kotlin
- Go
- Terraform
- Apache Pulsar
- Event-Driven Architecture
- Java
- API
- Database
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight experience with large-scale distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, and specific technologies like AWS, Kotlin, Go, and Terraform. Quantify your achievements.
- Showcase your skills: Emphasize your expertise in asynchronous messaging, event-driven architecture, and API design. Provide examples of clean, maintainable code.
- Demonstrate leadership: Detail your experience mentoring junior team members and influencing technical direction. Highlight collaboration with cross-functional teams.
- Prepare for technical interviews: Be ready to discuss distributed systems design, problem-solving, and your approach to building reliable infrastructure.
- Understand Toast's culture: Research Toast's values, especially their focus on innovation, learning, and AI adoption.
Technical preparation
Behavioral questions
Frequently asked questions
- What is the salary range for a Staff Software Engineer at Toast?
- The salary range for a Staff Software Engineer at Toast varies by geographic location (Zone A, B, C). For Zone A, the range is $193,000—$309,000 USD. For Zone B, it's $168,000—$269,000 USD. For Zone C, it's $151,000—$242,000 USD. The final salary will be determined by skills, experience, and location. This range is in addition to potential cash compensation, equity, and benefits.
- What programming languages are preferred for the Staff Software Engineer role at Toast?
- Proficiency in Java or Kotlin is preferred for this Staff Software Engineer position. However, experience in other modern programming languages is also valued, indicating flexibility and a broad understanding of software development principles.
- How does Toast use AI in its hiring process for a Staff Software Engineer?
- Toast utilizes AI tools to support recruiters and interviewers by assisting with tasks such as note-taking, summarization, and interview documentation. This allows the hiring team to focus more on the candidate's conversation. All final hiring decisions are made by people.
- What are the key responsibilities of a Staff Software Engineer at Toast?
- Key responsibilities include architecting, designing, and delivering ultra-reliable, high-performance services and infrastructure. You will also uncover and resolve performance bottlenecks, define engineering best practices, and collaborate with the Product team on technical direction. Leveraging AI tools to enhance development workflow is also a significant aspect.
- What is Toast's approach to hybrid working for this Staff Software Engineer role?
- Toast embraces a hybrid work model that balances in-person collaboration with individual needs. The aim is to foster a strong culture of connection. Specific in-office expectations may vary by region, and more details can be found on their career site.
- What are the main technical requirements for the Staff Software Engineer position?
- Candidates need hands-on experience building and operating complex, large-scale distributed systems in the cloud. Expertise in asynchronous messaging, event-driven architecture, APIs, and integration patterns is crucial. Proficiency in Java or Kotlin is preferred, and experience with AWS, PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, and Terraform is highly relevant.
- Does Toast encourage the use of AI tools for developers?