Staff Software Engineer

Summary

Join Airbnb's Knowledge Graph team as a Staff Software Engineer and help design and scale the data platform powering its graph system. You will build robust data infrastructure for batch and near real-time ingestion, develop and tune system performance for low-latency data access, and collaborate with cross-functional teams. This hands-on role requires expertise in large-scale distributed systems and data infrastructure. You will debug production issues, improve system reliability, and mentor engineers. The position is US-remote eligible with occasional office work.

Requirements

• BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science, a related field, or equivalent work experience
• 9+ years of industry experience with a BS/Masters, and 6+ years with a PhD
• Proven success in building and maintaining high-scale distributed systems, particularly in data infrastructure, databases, or streaming platforms
• Hands-on experience with technologies like Kafka, Flink, Spark, or similar for data ingestion and processing
• Deep understanding of data modeling, storage performance, and system optimization
• Strong system design and debugging skills, with a focus on real-world reliability and scalability

Responsibilities

• Design and build robust data infrastructure for both batch and near real-time ingestion into a graph platform
• Develop and tune system performance for low-latency, high-throughput access to structured data
• Collaborate cross-functionally with teams in infra, ML, and product to align technical solutions with business goals
• Debug complex production issues and continuously improve system reliability, observability, and performance
• Lead design reviews and mentor engineers across the team

Benefits

This role may also be eligible for bonus, equity, benefits, and Employee Travel Credits