Backend Engineer, Sr.

About The Company

Airbnb was founded in 2007 with the vision of creating a world where anyone can belong anywhere. Starting from humble beginnings with two hosts welcoming three guests in San Francisco, Airbnb has grown exponentially to become a global platform with over 5 million hosts and more than 2 billion guest arrivals across nearly every country. The company revolutionizes travel and hospitality by offering unique, authentic stays and experiences that foster genuine connections between guests and local communities. With a strong commitment to innovation, inclusivity, and community-building, Airbnb continues to shape the future of travel by empowering hosts and guests alike.

About The Role

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Platform Engineer to join our Viaduct team at Airbnb. The Viaduct platform serves as a critical data access layer, connecting nearly all of Airbnb’s online data infrastructure. Residing at the intersection of user-facing products and backend infrastructure, Viaduct provides a global schema and query system via GraphQL, enabling seamless data integration and accessibility. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in the final stages of the Viaduct Modern rewrite, a significant project scheduled for completion in 2026 that aims to drastically enhance developer experience and platform performance. You will collaborate closely with infrastructure teams and product engineers, contributing to the development of scalable, reliable, and innovative solutions that support Airbnb’s mission to empower app developers and foster a culture of excellence in platform engineering.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of professional experience in software engineering, preferably within a team that owns or maintains developer platforms or critical backend services
• Proficiency in cross-team collaboration with product and infrastructure engineers
• Experience operating and maintaining high-availability online backend services
• Strong coding skills with a track record of delivering complex, high-visibility projects
• Expertise in GraphQL and Kotlin is highly preferred
• Interest in AI-enabled development flows and modern development practices
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to navigate ambiguity in technical requirements
• Strong communication skills and ability to share knowledge effectively
  
  

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain high-impact components within the Viaduct platform, ensuring robustness and scalability
• Contribute to the finalization and deployment of Viaduct Modern, improving developer experience for hundreds of engineers at Airbnb
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to refine abstract requirements into concrete technical solutions
• Partner with tenant teams to support their mission of delivering industry-leading user experiences through the platform
• Participate in planning and strategic discussions to shape the future roadmap of the Viaduct platform
• Engage in knowledge sharing, code reviews, and mentorship to foster a culture of engineering excellence
• Prioritize sustainable engineering practices, including long-term reliability and on-call responsibility sharing
  
  

Benefits

• Competitive salary and performance-based bonuses
• Equity options and stock grants
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans
• Generous paid time off and parental leave policies
• Flexible work arrangements including remote work eligibility
• Professional development opportunities and continuous learning support
• Employee travel credits and wellness programs
  
  

Equal Opportunity

Airbnb is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic. We believe diverse perspectives drive innovation and are essential to our success. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.