Staff Backend Engineer, Lightning Platform

The Internet lacks a protocol for money. Lightspark is building the tools and services to make it happen. Lightspark builds enterprise-ready infrastructure for open payments for the Internet at scale using the Lightning Network. An always-on, low-cost, universal payment network will completely transform how money is moved, enabling businesses and developers to transform existing solutions and build new financial systems, services, and processes accessible to everyone, transcending geographical restraints. Lightspark is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, but serves the world.

We are seeking a Staff Backend Engineer who thrives in entrepreneurial environments, excels in technical leadership, and has a passion for building robust, scalable systems that can drive our mission forward. In this role, you'll not only write and ship high-quality code quickly, but also guide architectural decisions and set standards for engineering excellence across the team. As a key technical leader, you will solve complex infrastructure problems to shape the future of Lightning, and ensure systems are reliable and ready to scale as we expand our services globally.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING:

• Leading the design, architecture, and scaling of critical production services, with an eye on both immediate goals and long-term scalability.

• Developing a deep technical understanding of Lightning and collaborating with the broader community to drive protocol-level improvements and technical innovations.

• Building and extending a rich services layer that supports a diverse range of use cases, bringing Lightning closer to mass adoption.

• Leading the development of frameworks for collecting and analyzing Lightning data, using insights to continuously enhance performance and capabilities.

• Spearheading efforts to introduce advanced functionality that addresses the next generation of complex challenges, expanding Lightning's reach to broader audiences.

• Acting as a technical mentor and leader, promoting a culture of continuous learning and excellence within the engineering team.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

• 10+ years of experience in infrastructure or backend engineering, with a demonstrated ability to lead large, complex projects and systems.

• Proven expertise in programming languages like Rust, Go, and Python.

• Strong track record of writing high-quality, well-tested code, with an emphasis on reliability, scalability, and maintainability.

• Extensive experience in complex systems design and implementation, with a focus on distributed systems and large-scale services.

• Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively across technical and non-technical teams, influencing stakeholders and driving alignment on technical decisions.

• Technical leadership experience, including mentoring engineers, guiding technical roadmaps, and fostering innovation within teams.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, a related field, or equivalent experience. Non-traditional backgrounds with demonstrated technical excellence are also highly valued.

• Strong data-driven mindset, using metrics and analysis to influence decision-making and improve system performance.

• Familiarity with modern cloud infrastructure and deployment solutions such as Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, and the ability to architect and maintain cloud-based systems at scale.

Lightspark is on a mission to build an open payment protocol for the Internet at scale and therefore we’re committed to creating a more inclusive and diverse workplace to reflect the customers we serve. We welcome interest from individuals of all backgrounds and levels of experience who share our mission. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. 

We will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the State of California Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.