# Senior Software Engineer, Backend - RQL

**Company:** [Rippling](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/rippling)
**Location:** San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA
**Role:** Backend Engineering
**Salary:** $168k – $280k/yr
**Experience:** 6+ years
**Skills:** Python, MongoDB, Kafka, Cdc, Aurora, Trino, Presto, Pinot, Iceberg, Flink, Distributed Systems
**Posted:** 2026-05-20

> Senior backend engineer building distributed processing engines, databases, and a custom query language (RQL) for analytics and data platform products. Requires 6+ years experience and strong distributed systems skills.

## Job Description

## What You'll Do
- Work on distributed processing engines and distributed databases
- Develop high-quality software with attention to detail using tech stacks like Python, MongoDB, CDC, and Kafka
- Leverage big data technologies like Aurora, Trino, Presto, Pinot, Iceberg, Flink and more
- Build custom programming languages within the Rippling Platform
- Create data platforms, data lakes, and data ingestion systems that work at scale
- Design, develop, code, and test software systems, improvements, products, and user-facing experiences
- Work alongside software architects and senior developers doing state-of-the-art development work
- Contribute to product design and implementation discussions
- Find and build unique solutions to implement projects from the idea phase to production

## What You'll Need
- 6+ years experience in backend engineering roles
- Experience writing testable and performant backend code
- Experience working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
- Experience mentoring less-experienced developers
- Ability to thrive in an environment that grants you a lot of autonomy to explore creative solutions

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**Apply:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/c913ff1f-4873-4542-b518-5fc86978698e
**Canonical:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/c913ff1f-4873-4542-b518-5fc86978698e