Staff Software Engineer - Data Platform

Marqeta is on a mission to change the way money moves. We’re one of the earliest enablers of embedded finance, a market opportunity sized up in the trillions. Our card issuing platform provides unprecedented flexibility and control for companies to issue cards, authorize transactions, and manage payment operations in real time.   Marqeta is powering the most well known brands in the new economy (Block, Cash App, Affirm, Instacart, Doordash, Uber, Walmart, etc). Today nearly 8 out of 10 Americans use a product powered by Marqeta every week. This is the opportunity of a lifetime to work with innovators around the world and unlock equitable financial access for all.

Marqeta is looking for a Staff Software Engineer to join our BDPaaS (Big Data Platform as a Service team). Reporting to the Director of Data Platform, the Staff Software Engineer will be responsible for building a large-scale data platform that enable cross-product solutions. As a Staff Engineer on the team, you will autonomously deliver ongoing business impact across a team, product capability, or technical system. You will own and deliver bi-annual/annual goals for your team, be an expert at identifying the right solutions to solve ambiguous, open-ended problems that require tough prioritization, and define technical solutions or efficient operational processes that level up your team. You will be a strong leader within your team with your impact beginning to extend outside your team and will increasingly optimize beyond just your team by driving cross-team or cross-discipline initiatives.

Our ideal candidate possesses a strong grasp of software engineering skills in Java and other JVM-based technologies. He or she has experience working in a cloud native environment like AWS, GCP, Azure or Oracle Cloud. He or she understands how to build a distributed data processing system using technologies like Hadoop Map-Reduce or Spark in the cloud.

We work Flexible First. This role can be performed remotely anywhere within Toronto, ON or Vancouver, BC Canada. We’d love for you to join us!

Learn more about our Product and Engineering team

What you'll do

• Build an efficient, scalable data processing service using Java, Spark or Python
• Help lead the architecture design and implementation, while taking into account current data problems and following engineering best practices
• Apply a creative thinking approach to determine technical solutions that further business goals and align with company strategies
• Monitor & operate production services including understanding user needs and ensuring happy customers
• Foster learning and innovation by leveraging and building on new technologies while maintaining a strong, customer-centric mindset
• Play a key role in setting medium-to-long term strategy for business-impacting projects.
• Lead the design of large components and large features.
• Autonomously define and deliver technical roadmaps of larger projects, often involving cross-team dependencies. 
• Actively level up less-experienced members of your team by helping them with their craft, providing guidance, and setting a good example. 
• Have end to end accountability (not just implementing but you will be the one driving change process and bringing people along).
• Make technical decisions aligned with longer term needs, not just immediate requirements.
• Participate in on-call coverage. 

  What we're looking for

• 8+ years of relevant experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 6 years of experience with a Master's degree; or a PhD with 3 years experience.  In lieu of a degree, 11+ years of relevant experience may suffice.
• Strong experience with software, microservice development in Java or other JVM-based technologies
• Have used or have the ability to learn distributed programming skills like Spark in a managed distributed environment like AWS EMR. Have used or have the ability to learn how to use row-oriented formats like Avro or column-oriented formats like Parquet.
• In-depth knowledge on a few of the production technologies we use including AWS, Docker, Terraform, Kubernetes
• Production experience with modern engineering and cloud tools.  (We use AWS, but welcome other cloud experience) 
• Startup/high growth company experience with a proven track record of thriving in high-performing teams and fast-paced environments. 
• Ability to write clean code that captures the essential nature of the solution and is appropriately flexible, reusable, efficient, and adaptable to changing requirements.
• Ability to ensure high code quality in code reviews and actively look for scalability and/or resiliency gaps, and security vulnerabilities.
• Ability to create coherent designs with multiple components interacting across API or system boundaries.
• Capability to roll out a component or major feature (and deprecating an existing system or feature) reliably.
• Experience with relational databases (MySQL, Postgres, MS SQL Server, Oracle, etc.).
• Ability to present clear and concise messages tailored to various audiences; able to communicate in a clear, concise, and respectful manner both verbally and in writing.
• Experience making technical trade offs and navigating technical complexities.
• Experience mentoring other Engineers.

Nice to haves

• Experience with scaling large, transactional systems and data sharding.
• Experience with payments or the FinTech space
• Experience in parsing technology like ANTLR and using Data Lakehouse formats like Apache Hudi, Iceberg, Delta Lake is a plus

Your Manager

• Ke Xu

Recruiter for this role

• Lizzie LaPonsey 

Our (typical) process:

1. Application submission
2. Recruiter video call
3. Coding interview
4. Virtual “Onsite” consisting of three 45-60 minute rounds
5. Offer!

Compensation and Benefits

Marqeta is a Flex First company which allows you to choose your best working environment, whether that be from home or at a company office. To support Flex First, we calibrate pay to a competitive value according to working location. 

When determining salaries, we consider several factors including, but not limited to, skills, prior experience, and work location. The new-hire base salary range for this position, reflected in CAD,  is: 126,000 - 167,000

We also believe in recognizing the contributions of our people. That's why we award annual bonuses to eligible employees, rewarding both individual performance and the success of the entire company.

Along with monetary compensation, Marqeta offers

• Multiple health insurance options
• Flexible time off – take what you need
• Retirement savings program with company contribution
• Equity in a publicly-traded company 
• Monthly stipend to support our remote work model
• Annual “development dollars” to support our people growth and development
• Family-forming benefits and up to 20 weeks of Parental Leave