Software Engineer, Backend
Plaid is hiring a Software Engineer, Backend for a remote role open to applicants in United States. It pays $176k-$227k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Plaid.
Level's read on this job
- On Level's scale, this software engineer role is Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
- The listed pay starts 5% above the typical software engineer posting on Level.
- The posting lists this role as remote.
- Tools and skills the posting cites include backend, api and system design.
- Level lists 134 other open roles at Plaid.
AI in this role
Design and build scalable backend systems and APIs that power financial connectivity products at Plaid.
We believe that the way people interact with their finances will drastically improve in the next few years. We’re dedicated to empowering this transformation by building the tools and experiences that thousands of developers use to create their own products. Plaid powers the tools millions of people rely on to live a healthier financial life. We work with thousands of companies like Venmo, SoFi, several of the Fortune 500, and many of the largest banks to make it easy for people to connect their financial accounts to the apps and services they want to use. Plaid’s network covers 12,000 financial institutions across the US, Canada, UK and Europe. Founded in 2013, the company is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in New York, Seattle, Washington D.C., Raleigh, London, and Amsterdam.
Plaid’s mission is to unlock financial freedom for everyone by making money movement and access to financial data simple and secure. As a Software Engineer, you will design and build the systems that power how millions of people connect to their finances. You will work across the stack, from reliable backend services and APIs to intuitive applications that bring those systems to life. You will collaborate with engineers, product managers, and designers to ship products that make financial services more accessible and transparent. At Plaid, engineers take ownership early, grow quickly, and see their work reach millions of users.
Responsibilities:
System Design & Development: Build and maintain scalable, reliable backend or fullstack systems and APIs that power Plaid’s products.
Collaboration: Work closely with product managers, designers, and other engineers to define and deliver features that solve real customer problems.
Code Quality: Write clean, efficient, and well-tested code. Participate in reviews to maintain high engineering standards.
Testing & Debugging: Build automated tests, monitor system performance, and troubleshoot issues in production environments.
Continuous Improvement: Contribute to technical design discussions, share best practices, and help improve how we build at Plaid.
Qualifications:
2-4 years of software engineering experience (post-internship).
Proven ability to ship reliable systems or features at scale.
Strong problem-solving skills. You turn ideas into practical, maintainable solutions.
High ownership. You are excited to roll up your sleeves and figure things out that don’t have precedent at Plaid.
Collaborative mindset. You thrive in a fast-paced environment and enjoy working with others to deliver results.
Growth oriented. You seek feedback, learn quickly, and take pride in improving your craft.
Our mission at Plaid is to unlock financial freedom for everyone. To support that mission, we seek to build a diverse team of driven individuals who care deeply about making the financial ecosystem more equitable. We recognize that strong qualifications can come from both prior work experiences and lived experiences. We encourage you to apply to a role even if your experience doesn't fully match the job description. We are always looking for team members that will bring something unique to Plaid!
Plaid is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion or religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, military or veteran status, disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Plaid is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance with your application or interviews due to a disability, please let us know at accommodations@plaid.com.
Please review our Candidate Privacy Notice here.
Additional compensation in the form(s) of equity and/or commission are dependent on the position offered. Plaid provides a comprehensive benefit plan, including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k). Pay is based on factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience and skillset, and location. Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation or benefit plans.
How we rate this
Software Engineer, Backend at Plaid rates 0 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.
Little AI. AI is not part of the work.
- ●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
- ●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
- ●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
- ●○○○ Little AI0 to 39
Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.
Prepare for this job
Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.
Skills and AI tools this role asks for
Also common in software engineer jobs at this level
Pay
- This job starts at
- $176k
- Typical software engineer job
- $168k
This posting starts 5% above the typical software engineer job. See software engineer jobs
Questions you could be asked
- Tell me about a project where backend was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where api was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where system design was part of your work. What did you do?
Adapt your resume
- List these exact terms on your resume: Backend, API, and System Design. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
- Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
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