Summary
✨ AI‑Generated
A Staff Software Engineer is sought for a technically challenging backend role focused on scalable Java services and distributed systems. You will own major areas of the platform, shape architecture and design decisions, troubleshoot complex production issues, and collaborate closely with infrastructure and reliability specialists. The role is ideal for an experienced engineer who enjoys solving difficult technical problems and improving engineering workflows.
Highlights
Work on highly scalable backend systems processing large volumes of engineering data. The role offers strong ownership, architectural influence, complex distributed-systems challenges, and close collaboration with reliability and infrastructure teams.
Description
## About the Role
Harness is seeking a **Staff Software Engineer** to join the **Software Engineering Insights (SEI)** team, where engineering intelligence meets developer-focused software.
The team builds a deeply technical product that connects with 40+ developer tools, including Jira and GitHub, processes millions of events, and transforms software development lifecycle data into actionable metrics for engineering teams and leaders.
This role focuses on designing and delivering scalable backend software in a **Java** environment.
You will own key areas of the system, contribute to architecture and design, troubleshoot distributed systems, and work closely with Site Reliability Engineering, DevOps, and cross-functional teams.
The ideal candidate enjoys solving complex technical problems and building products that directly improve how engineers develop software.
## Key Responsibilities
- Design, develop, deploy, and maintain critical software in a fast-paced, quality-conscious Java environment.
- Author functional specifications and design documents for new features.
- Quickly understand complex systems and codebases and take ownership of key components and their delivered quality.
- Design and implement scalable backend software solutions.
- Work in an Agile environment using iterative development cycles and short customer feedback loops.
- Diagnose and troubleshoot complex problems in distributed computing environments.
- Perform peer reviews of technical specifications, designs, and code.
- Work alongside Site Reliability Engineers, DevOps, and cross-functional teams to deploy software.
- Diagnose and troubleshoot production-related issues.
- Contribute to software that helps engineering teams build software faster, better, and smarter.
## Required Qualifications
- **8–10+ years of experience** developing highly scalable, distributed applications, products, and backend services using **Java**.
- Deep understanding of how distributed, resilient software is built and deployed.
- Experience building scalable backend software solutions.
- Excellent problem-solving and debugging skills.
- Experience working in short release cycles.
- Experience with relational databases such as **MySQL or PostgreSQL**.
- Ability to understand complex systems and code and take ownership of key system components.
- Ability to work effectively in an Agile development environment.
- Ability to collaborate with Site Reliability Engineering, DevOps, and cross-functional teams.
## Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with **SQL query tuning and performance optimization**.
- Experience with search frameworks such as **Elasticsearch or Solr**.
- Experience with applications hosted on **AWS, Azure, or GCP**.
- Familiarity with **Docker**.
- Familiarity with **CI/CD processes**.
## Skills & Competencies
- Java
- Backend software engineering
- Distributed systems
- Scalable application development
- Distributed computing
- Resilient software architecture
- MySQL
- PostgreSQL
- SQL
- SQL query tuning
- Performance optimization
- Elasticsearch
- Solr
- AWS
- Azure
- GCP
- Docker
- CI/CD
- Agile development
- Systems design
- Technical specifications and design documentation
- Production troubleshooting
- Debugging
- Peer code review
- Problem-solving
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Site Reliability Engineering and DevOps collaboration
- Software delivery and deployment
## Education & Experience
**Education:**
- No specific education requirement is provided in the original job description.
**Experience:**
- **8–10+ years** developing highly scalable, distributed applications, products, and backend services using Java is required.
- Experience with relational databases such as MySQL or PostgreSQL is required.
- Experience with SQL tuning, search frameworks, cloud platforms, Docker, and CI/CD is preferred where specified.
## Work Arrangement & Schedule
- **Work arrangement:** Remote in the U.S.
or Bay Area
- **Location:** Eugene, OR, US (Remote) as listed; the job description states **Bay Area or Remote in the U.S.**
- **Travel:** Periodic travel is required.
- **Employment type:** Not explicitly specified in the original job description.
- **Expected weekly hours:** Not specified.
- **Schedule flexibility:** Not specified.
- **Weekend requirements:** Not specified.
## Compensation & Benefits
- **Base compensation:** $150,000–$226,000 USD
- The original job description does not provide additional specific benefits in the supplied text.
## Compliance / Additional Information
- Harness is an **AI Software Delivery Platform** company focused on AI and automation across the software delivery lifecycle, including testing, deployment, security, reliability, compliance, and cost optimization.
- The SEI product connects with more than 40 developer tools and processes millions of events.
- Periodic travel is required for the position.
