Staff Software Engineer (Payments Platform / Python)

We are looking for a Staff Software Engineer to join an early-stage fintech company building a next-generation payments platform designed to power billions in transaction volume. This role is ideal for a senior backend engineer who thrives in high-ownership environments and enjoys shaping system architecture from the ground up. You will play a critical role in designing and scaling core platform components that support high-value financial transactions. The position requires deep Python expertise and strong systems thinking, particularly in building robust, secure, and scalable payment infrastructure. You will work closely with the CTO and founding team, owning key initiatives from conception through production deployment. This is an opportunity to help build the technical foundation of a rapidly scaling financial technology platform.

Details

Location: NYC (remote flexibility available)

Work Model: Remote / Hybrid (NYC-based company)

Employment Type: Full-time

Seniority Level: Staff

Industry: Financial Technology / Payments

Start Date: ASAP

Key Responsibilities

Own and ship core components of the payments platform

Design and implement scalable, secure backend architectures

Develop and maintain customer-facing APIs

Architect systems capable of handling high transaction volumes

Maintain high standards for reliability, performance, and code quality

Collaborate closely with the CTO and engineering team on technical strategy

Contribute to technical roadmap decisions during hyper-growth scaling

Debug, optimize, and continuously improve backend systems

Requirements

5+ years of professional software engineering experience

Strong production experience with Python (required)

Experience building and scaling backend systems

Strong system design and architectural thinking

Experience shipping production-grade APIs

Ability to operate autonomously in an early-stage environment

Strong communication and collaboration skills

Nice to Have

Experience with Django

Experience with AWS services

Experience with PostgreSQL and Redis

Prior fintech or payments experience

Experience building, maintaining, and debugging backend systems at scale

Interview Process

Initial call with Founder (30 minutes)

Technical take-home assignment

Take-home review with two engineers

Onsite behavioral/culture interview with co-founders

Reference checks

Offer