Staff Software Engineer - BE Python

PayPal Backend Python EngineerAt PayPal, Staff Software Engineers are hands-on technical leaders who design, build, and scale the systems that power millions of secure global transactions every day. As a Backend Python Engineer on the Venmo Identity Engineering team, you will architect and deliver high-performance, fault-tolerant identity solutions that directly impact customer trust and security. You'll define technical direction, lead complex engineering efforts, and mentor teams to achieve excellence in design, development, and delivery. This role demands strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to tackle complex challenges and deliver impactful, scalable solutions.Essential Responsibilities:Acts as a project or system leader, coordinating the activities of other engineers on the project or within the systemDetermines the technical tasks that other engineers will followActions result in the achievement of customer, operational, program or service objectivesProactively improves existing structures & processesExercises judgement in reconciling diverse and competing priorities (time, quality, complexity risk) to identify optimal solutions to problemsNotices patterns and condenses repetition into densely meaningful generalized solutionsCollaborates with management to set/improve standards for engineering rigorTrusted to represent PayPal, Inc to the outside world via interactions with partners, customers, or industry organizationsExpected Qualifications:5+ years relevant experience and a Bachelor's degree OR Any equivalent combination of education and experience.Additional Responsibilities & Preferred Qualifications:Lead the design and architecture of scalable, cloud-native backend systems leveraging microservices and serverless frameworks.Define and drive the technical roadmap, ensuring engineering initiatives align with strategic business goals.Act as a project or system leader, coordinating the activities of other engineers and setting clear technical direction.Provide technical leadership and mentorship, fostering a culture of innovation, quality, and continuous improvement.Architect and develop large-scale backend systems using Python (Django or Flask) with a focus on performance, reliability, and maintainability.Establish and uphold engineering standards, promoting code quality, design excellence, and operational rigor.Design and implement fault-tolerant, high-availability systems with strong disaster recovery capabilities.Apply advanced security practices, including secure coding, encryption, and access control, to ensure compliance and data protection.Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Product, Infrastructure, Operations) to deliver impactful business outcomes.Continuously improve existing technical frameworks, development processes, and system performance.Exercise sound judgment in balancing time, quality, complexity, and risk to deliver optimal solutions.Represent PayPal externally in interactions with partners, customers, and industry organizations to promote technical excellence.Preferred Qualifications:Experience applying Agile/Scrum methodologies to software development.Proven background in large-scale, high-performance system design and optimization.Familiarity with the payments industry, financial systems, or relevant regulatory environments.Exposure to cloud platforms such as AWS, GCP, or Azure, and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CDK).Hands-on experience with low-latency in-memory databases such as Redis.Hands-on experience with event-driven architecture and messaging/queuing protocols/systems such as SQS/Kafka/RabbitMQ/Pulsar.Demonstrated contributions to open-source projects or developer communities.Subsidiary:VenmoTravel Percent:0The base pay for this role will depend on where you work and the relevant experience and expertise you bring. The expected range of pay for this role by location is:Primary Location | Pay Range:San Jose, California: ($176,500.00 - $262,350.00 Annually)Additional Location(s) | Pay Range:Austin, Texas: ($160,500.00 - $238,700.00 Annually)Additional compensation for this role may include an annual performance bonus, equity, or other incentive compensation, as applicable.PayPal does not charge candidates any fees for courses, applications, resume reviews, interviews, background checks, or onboarding. When making an application directly, we will never ask you to share passwords, one-time passcodes (OTP), or verification codes. Any such request is a red flag and likely part of a scam. All communication regarding your application will come from official PayPal email domains. If you suspect fraudulent activity, please report it immediately. To learn more about how to identify and avoid recruitment fraud please visit https://careers.pypl.com/contact-us.For the majority of employees, PayPal's balanced hybrid work model offers 3 days in the office for effective in-person collaboration and 2 days at your choice of either the PayPal office or your home workspace, ensuring that you equally have the benefits and conveniences of both locations.Our Benefits:At PayPal, we're committed to building an equitable and inclusive global economy. And we can't do this without our most important asset-you. That's why we offer comprehensive, choice-based programs, to support all aspects of personal wellbeing—physical, emotional, and financial—delivering meaningful value where it matters most.?We strive to create a flexible, balanced work culture with a holistic approach to benefits, including generous paid time off, healthcare coverage for you and your family, and resources to create financial security and support your mental health.Commitment to Diversity and InclusionPayPal provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. In addition, PayPal will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you are unable to submit an application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at [email protected] at PayPal:Our employees are central to advancing our mission, and we strive to create an environment where everyone can do their best work with a sense of purpose and belonging. Belonging at PayPal means creating a workplace with a sense of acceptance and security where all employees feel included and valued. We are proud to have a diverse workforce reflective of the merchants, consumers, and communities that we serve, and we continue to take tangible actions to cultivate inclusivity and belonging at PayPal.Any general requests for consideration of your skills, please Join our Talent Community.We know the confidence gap and imposter syndrome can get in the way of meeting spectacular candidates. Please don't hesitate to apply.