Senior Software Engineer, Platform Backend

Summary

Join Zora, a cutting-edge on-chain social network, as a Senior/Staff Backend Engineer. You will design, implement, and expand Zora's API and indexing services. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define KPIs and refine the engineering roadmap. Partner with product engineering teams to identify and address platform gaps. Mentor engineers, sharing platform knowledge and improving technical standards. This role requires strong expertise in Python, asynchronous programming, Ethereum RPCs, smart contracts, and GraphQL APIs. Zora offers top-tier benefits including medical, dental, and vision insurance, flexible time off, a new Macbook Pro, and equity.

Requirements

• Strong expertise in Python, particularly with asynchronous programming ( asyncio )
• Deep understanding of Ethereum RPCs, smart contract interactions, and blockchain indexing patterns
• Solid experience designing and implementing GraphQL APIs
• Hands-on experience with Temporal or similar workflow orchestration systems
• Practical experience working with databases such as Redis, MongoDB, and Postgres
• Proven ability to take ownership of complex systems and drive projects from concept to production
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with a focus on cross-team alignment and support
• Demonstrated mentorship skills and a commitment to helping teammates grow

Responsibilities

• Design and develop scalable backend platforms and foundational frameworks that enable product teams to ship quickly and reliably
• Drive architectural decisions and long-term planning for Zora’s core backend systems, particularly APIs and indexing infrastructure
• Collaborate with cross-functional platform teams (frontend, backend, infrastructure) to define KPIs, align on priorities, and evolve the engineering roadmap
• Partner closely with product engineering teams to surface platform gaps and lead the development of high-leverage, reusable solutions
• Mentor engineers across teams, sharing platform knowledge and raising the technical bar through code reviews, documentation, and pairing

Preferred Qualifications

• 8+ years of backend engineering experience, ideally with time spent in platform or infrastructure-facing roles
• Background in Web3 or crypto, with familiarity in indexing blockchain data or interacting with EVM-compatible networks
• Experience operating at scale, including building high-throughput, low-latency APIs and systems with strong consistency requirements
• Familiarity with authentication and identity tools (e.g. Privy) and infrastructure/DevOps workflows
• Broader engineering experience across frontend or infrastructure domains is a plus

Benefits

• ZORA provides top quality medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Flexible time-off policy
• A new Macbook Pro for full-time employees
• Employees also receive equity