Staff Software Engineer, Data Delivery

Are you a systems thinker who thrives on architecting reliable, scalable, and developer-friendly data platforms? Do you enjoy leading complex initiatives from ideation to delivery while mentoring others along the way? Are you eager to define the future of real-time data infrastructure in a cloud-native, AI-enabled environment? If so, we invite you to be a part of our innovative team.

Ridgeline’s Data Delivery Squad is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to drive foundational platform architecture and influence the future of our data streaming capabilities. As a senior technical leader, you will shape the end-to-end design of messaging systems, stream processing pipelines, and developer tooling that power our core product analytics, client workflows, and operational excellence. This is a hands-on, high-impact role that balances architectural leadership with technical depth—leveraging technologies like Kafka, Flink, and Kotlin, as well as AI tools like Copilot, Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Code, Junie, Glean, ChatGPT, and more to amplify engineering velocity and innovation.

At Ridgeline, how we work matters as much as what we build. Ridgeliners act like owners, choose growth over comfort, and communicate with transparency. We assume positive intent, bias toward action, and bring solutions—not just problems. We celebrate wins, learn from setbacks, and thrive in a resilient, collaborative, high-performing culture. If this excites you, we’d love to meet you.

The impact you will make:

• Architect scalable, highly available messaging and stream processing systems for real-time and batch data delivery

• Lead design and implementation of elasticity, autoscaling, and high-availability features across the platform

• Build SDKs, libraries, and paved paths that reduce cognitive load and accelerate developer productivity

• Establish observability standards and cost dashboards for platform visibility, accountability, and optimization

• Define platform-wide best practices for event ordering, schema validation, and materialization logic

• Collaborate across squads to integrate data delivery solutions with 40+ teams including Accounting, Reporting, Workflows, and AI agents

• Influence platform roadmap, assess emerging technologies, and lead technical POCs and design reviews

• Mentor engineers across the organization and model engineering excellence in system design, execution, and communication

What we look for:

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, with 3+ years in platform or distributed systems leadership roles

• Deep expertise in building event-driven systems using Kafka, Flink, or similar technologies

• Advanced proficiency in Kotlin, Java, or Python with strong fundamentals in system design and architecture

• Proven track record designing cloud-native systems on AWS or equivalent platforms

• Strong understanding of observability, system resiliency, CI/CD, and cost-efficiency patterns

• Experience with developer experience tooling, platform SDKs, or internal developer platforms

• Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to drive consensus and lead technical strategy

• Commitment to mentoring, knowledge sharing, and fostering an inclusive engineering culture

Bonus:

• Experience designing multi-tenant data platforms or cross-region HA/DR architectures

• Familiarity with Debezium, Kafka Connect, schema registries, or Change Data Capture workflows

• Contributions to data mesh or streaming-first architectures

• Background in fintech, investment management, or regulatory data environments

About Ridgeline
Ridgeline is the industry cloud platform for investment management. It was founded by visionary tech entrepreneur Dave Duffield (co-founder of both PeopleSoft and Workday) to apply his successful formula of solving operational business challenges with bold innovation and human connectivity to the unique needs of the investment management industry.

Ridgeline started with a clean sheet of paper and a deep bench of experts bound by a set of core values and motivated to revolutionize an industry underserved by its current tech offerings. We are building a new, modern platform in the public cloud, purpose-built for the investment management industry and we are prioritizing security, agility, and usability to empower business like never before.

With a growing campus in Reno and offices in New York, Lake Tahoe, and the Bay Area, Ridgeline is proud to have built a fast-growing, people-first company that has been recognized by Fast Company as a “Best Workplace for Innovators,” by The Software Report as a “Top 100 Software Company,” and by Forbes as one of “America’s Best Startup Employers.”

Ridgeline is proud to be a community-minded, discrimination-free equal opportunity workplace.

Ridgeline processes the information you submit in connection with your application in accordance with the Ridgeline Applicant Privacy Statement. Please review the Ridgeline Applicant Privacy Statement in full to understand our privacy practices and contact us with any questions.

Compensation and Benefits 

The typical starting salary range for new hires in this role is listed below.  In select locations (including, the San Francisco Bay Area, CA, and the New York City Metro Area), an alternate range may apply as specified below. 

The typical starting salary range for this role is: $174,500-$205,000. 

The typical starting salary range for this role in the select locations listed above is: $185,000-$220,000.

Final compensation amounts are determined by multiple factors, including candidate experience and expertise, and may vary from the amount listed above. 

As an employee at Ridgeline, you’ll have many opportunities for advancement in your career and can make a true impact on the product. 

In addition to the base salary, 100% of Ridgeline employees can participate in our Company Stock Plan subject to the applicable Stock Option Agreement. We also offer rich benefits that reflect the kind of organization we want to be: one in which our employees feel valued and are inspired to bring their best selves to work. These include unlimited vacation, educational and wellness reimbursements, and $0 cost employee insurance plans. Please check out our Careers page for a more comprehensive overview of our perks and benefits.

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