Senior Staff Software Engineer, Backend

Quick Facts

Role: Senior Staff Software Engineer, Backend
Focus: Backend digital platforms and architecture across multiple product domains

Description

You will lead the long-term technical strategy, architectural direction, and scalable patterns for Scout’s critical backend systems spanning order, customer, marketing, production, inventory/planning optimization, loyalty, merchandising, servicing/repairs, mobile app, and vehicle connectivity. You’ll partner with senior engineering, product, and business leaders, provide hands-on technical leadership, and serve as a recognized technical authority while mentoring staff engineers and emerging leaders.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive long-term technical strategy for critical digital platforms across product domains and engineering organizations
• Shape technology investments and architectural direction with senior engineering, product, and business leaders
• Lead definition of scalable architectural patterns, platform capabilities, and engineering standards
• Resolve highly ambiguous, business-critical technical challenges with cross-product impact
• Simplify systems, reduce technical debt, and improve engineering effectiveness at scale
• Lead large multi-year technical initiatives and provide technical oversight across concurrent programs
• Build stakeholder alignment and influence strategic technical decisions across organizational boundaries
• Mentor senior engineers, staff engineers, and emerging technical leaders
• Represent engineering in strategic discussions with external partners and technology vendors
• Elevate engineering culture through technical excellence, innovation, and long-term thinking
• Drive adoption of AI-assisted development by defining best practices and mentoring engineers

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related technical discipline
• 12+ years of experience building and scaling complex software platforms, including influencing technical strategy at an organizational level
• Deep expertise in distributed systems architecture, platform engineering, APIs, microservices, cloud-native technologies, and large-scale backend ecosystems
• Proven track record defining architectural direction across multiple teams/organizations/product domains
• Demonstrated success leading highly complex initiatives with significant business, customer, or operational impact
• Experience establishing engineering standards, reference architectures, and technical governance practices
• Recognized expertise evaluating strategic technology decisions (platform selection, build-versus-buy, long-term investment planning)
• Exceptional ability to influence senior technical and business stakeholders without direct authority
• Proven record mentoring senior engineers and developing future technical leaders
• Experience partnering with executive leadership to align technical strategy with business objectives
• Experience representing engineering in strategic engagements with external partners, vendors, and technology providers
• Strong understanding of organizational scaling challenges, platform evolution, and enterprise architecture practices

Benefits

• Build products and a company from the ground up with an iconic brand
• Competitive compensation and benefits to support physical, mental, and financial wellbeing
• Insurance: Medical, dental, vision, income protection
• 401(k) with employer match and immediate vesting
• Paid time off: 20 planned PTO days (accrued), 40 hours unplanned PTO, and 14 company/floating holidays annually
• Up to 16 weeks paid parental leave for biological and adoptive parents of all genders
• Paid leave for bereavement, jury duty, voting time, or military leave
• Pay transparency
• Full-time, exempt role with base salary and annual performance bonus; base salary range: $180,000–$220,000 (California/Washington/New York: $209,000–$253,000)