Staff Product Backend Software Engineer, Core Sync at Dropbox

This role is designed for a seasoned engineering leader with at least 12 years of experience, specifically those who thrive in low-level systems and large-scale

Work type: remote

Location: Remote - US: All locations

Salary: $248,200 – $335,800/yr

Type: Full-time

Summary

This role is designed for a seasoned engineering leader with at least 12 years of experience, specifically those who thrive in low-level systems and large-scale architecture. The ideal candidate has a deep background in distributed systems, file systems, or OS internals and is comfortable operating at a "Staff" level—meaning you aren't just coding, but setting the technical strategy that impacts millions of users. The compensation is a major standout, reaching up to $335k base (depending on location), paired with a "Virtual First" remote-work model that offers total flexibility across the US. You’ll be working on core sync technology, which is the heart of the business, providing high visibility with senior leadership and the autonomy to modernize legacy systems using modern languages like Rust. **You might be a good fit if you:** * Have mastered **Rust or C++** and enjoy solving complex performance and debugging puzzles. * Can translate vague product goals into concrete, scalable technical roadmaps. * Enjoy mentoring senior-level peers and influencing engineering standards across an entire organization. * Want the stability of a major tech brand with the technical challenge of "fixing the engine while the plane is flying."

Job Description

## Role Description

At Dropbox, we believe in simplifying the way people work together. Our engineers build the technology that powers seamless collaboration for hundreds of millions of users worldwide. As a Staff Engineer focused on Dropbox Sync, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the reliability, scalability, and future direction of one of Dropbox’s most critical systems.

You will partner with Product Managers, Engineering Managers, and other senior technical leaders to deliver platform improvements that directly impact customers and enable future innovation. You’ll balance short-term execution with long-term architectural investments, ensuring Dropbox’s sync experience continues to set the standard for simplicity and trust.

As a Staff Engineer, you’ll thrive if you love tackling ambiguity, operating with autonomy, and driving technical strategy across teams. This role offers the opportunity for substantial technical ownership, senior leadership exposure, and the chance to leave a lasting mark on Dropbox’s core product experience.

Our Engineering Career Framework is [viewable by anyone outside the company](https://dropbox.github.io/dbx-career-framework/) and describes what’s expected for our engineers at each of our career levels. Check out our blog post on this topic and more [here](https://dropbox.tech/culture/sharing-our-engineering-career-framework-with-the-world).

## Responsibilities

• Architect and deliver high-impact technical solutions that scale to millions of daily active users.

• Shape technical direction by evaluating tradeoffs between speed, quality, and long-term maintainability across projects.

• Partner cross-functionally with Product, Design, and Engineering peers to align on priorities and execute against critical business objectives.

• Lead technical initiatives that modernize core sync systems, improve performance, and reduce customer-reported issues.

• Mentor and elevate other engineers through design reviews, code reviews, and sharing best practices.

• Influence org-wide engineering standards by advocating for high-quality systems design, operational excellence, and pragmatic decision-making.

• Contribute to culture by participating in hiring, onboarding, and company-wide technical forums.

## Requirements

• 12+ years of software engineering experience with proven success in large-scale, user-facing systems.

• BS in Computer Science or related technical field involving coding (e.g., mathematics, physics), or equivalent technical experience.

• Demonstrated ability to design and ship technically complex products used at scale.

• Deep expertise in at least one systems-level area (e.g., sync, distributed systems, OS internals, file systems).

• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with experience influencing across multiple teams and functions.

• Comfortable balancing short-term delivery with long-term strategic investments.

• Willingness to participate in on-call rotations where required.

• Advanced proficiency in Rust or C++, with strong debugging and performance optimization skills.

• Familiarity with operating system internals, compilers, databases, or distributed storage systems.

• Knowledge of Python and/or Go a plus.

• Track record of setting technical direction across teams and driving adoption of new technologies.

• Experience building developer platforms or infrastructure that accelerates product delivery.

US Zone 1
$248,200—$335,800 USD

US Zone 2
$223,400—$302,200 USD

US Zone 3
$198,600—$268,600 USD

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