Software Engineer, Search & Discovery Platform at whatnot

This role is designed for a senior-level backend engineer (5+ years of experience) who specializes in the infrastructure behind discovery and recommendation engines. The ideal candidate has a deep understanding of high-throughput distributed systems and moving data at scale. You should be comfortable bridging the gap between platform engineering and machine learning, particularly in the context of real-time search and personalized feeds. The compensation is highly competitive ($170k–$230k) for a mid-to-senior level position. While the role is remote-friendly, it follows a "remote co-located" model, meaning you must live within commuting distance of hubs in SF, LA, NYC, or Seattle for occasional in-person collaboration. Notable perks include a 4% 401k match, a "dogfooding" budget to shop on the platform, and comprehensive family planning benefits. **You might be a good fit if you...** * Have extensive experience with Python (AsyncIO) and managing cloud infrastructure via Terraform/AWS. * Have built or maintained search and discovery stacks using tools like OpenSearch, ElasticSearch, or Kafka. * Enjoy the "prototype-to-production" lifecycle—moving fast to test ideas but building for extreme scale once proven. * Want to work on unique marketplace challenges like real-time auction discovery and spirit-of-the-moment personalization.