Staff Software Engineer, Data Platform

Key Skills

Apache Flink, AWS, Azure, Data Engineering, Data science techniques, Docker, Effective communication skills, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Infrastructure as code, Java Programming, Kubernetes-K8s, Machine learning techniques, NoSQL, Python Programming, Rust, SPARK Programming, SQL

Job Description

We are seeking an accomplished and experienced Senior Staff Software Engineer to join our dynamic team. As a leader and the most senior individual contributor of the Data Platform team, you will be responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining our data infrastructure and services. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, including data engineers, data scientists, software engineers, and product managers, to deliver modern and bleeding-edge solutions that drive business insights and innovation. This role reports to our Director of Engineering, Data Platform.

To learn more about Discord’s Data Platform, read our engineering blog — including how we built our modern data stack leveraging open-source tools!

What You'll Be Doing

• Define and execute the technical vision for Discord's data platform, enabling scalable, reliable, and performant data systems.
• Design, implement, and optimize data infrastructure to process and analyze petabytes of data across millions of users.
• Develop innovative data architectures to support analytics, machine learning, and operational insights.
• Build monitoring, logging, and alerting systems to ensure the health and performance of data services.
• Partner with data scientists, data engineers, product managers, and leadership to align technical solutions with business goals.
• Promote and drive best practices in data governance, security, and compliance across the organization.
• Provide technical leadership, mentor junior engineers, and foster a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.
• Stay up-to-date with industry trends and emerging technologies in data platform.

What You Should Have

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering with a focus on large-scale distributed systems or data infrastructure.
• Expertise in building and maintaining scalable data platforms, including data ingestion pipelines, stream processing, and batch processing systems.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, Java, Rust, or similar.
• Proficiency with open source data projects and experience working with open source communities.
• Hands-on experience with modern data technologies such as Kafka, Spark, Flink, Airflow/Dagster, or similar.
• Deep understanding of database systems (e.g., SQL, NoSQL, columnar storage) and data modeling principles.
• Strong knowledge of cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, or Azure), containerization tools (Docker, Kubernetes), and microservices architecture.
• Excellent communication skills with a demonstrated ability to collaborate and influence across teams and levels.
• Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.

Bonus Points

• A strong passion for Discord and gaming.
• Open source contributions to data-related projects.

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $304,000 to $342,000+ equity + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role and level. Within the range, individual pay is determined by additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include equity, or benefits.

Why Discord?

Discord plays a uniquely important role in the future of gaming. We're a multiplatform, multigenerational and multiplayer platform that helps people deepen their friendships around games and shared interests. We believe games give us a way to have fun with our favorite people, whether listening to music together or grinding in competitive matches for diamond rank. Join us in our mission! Your future is just a click away!

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