Senior Software Architect, Browser Extension Platform

Role overview This senior software architect position leads the technical architecture for a widely used browser extension platform, spanning Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, and other browsers. The role combines hands-on architectural design with strategic direction, ensuring secure, high-performance, cross-platform experiences that align with a zero-knowledge security model. You will collaborate closely with engineering, product, security, and UX teams to solve complex challenges and guide long-term platform evolution.

Responsibilities - Define and drive the technical architecture and long-term roadmap for the browser extension platform. - Lead architectural design for complex browser-based features, shared services, and cross-platform capabilities using JavaScript, TypeScript, and modern web technologies. - Establish secure communication patterns between extension components, web applications, backend services, and native integrations. - Guide technical decisions on extension lifecycle, background services, content scripts, messaging, storage, and browser APIs. - Ensure architectural alignment with zero-knowledge and zero-trust security principles, and collaborate on threat modeling and secure design. - Mentor senior engineers, conduct architecture reviews, and raise engineering quality across the team.

Requirements - 10+ years of professional software engineering experience with full-stack expertise across databases, backend services, APIs, infrastructure, and modern user interfaces. - Proven 0-to-1 architecture experience designing and delivering complex software systems from concept through production. - Deep understanding of software architecture, object-oriented design patterns, and performance engineering (profiling, load testing, bottleneck analysis). - Strong knowledge of distributed systems, microservices, serverless architectures, event-driven design, and cloud-native technologies (AWS, Lambda, Docker, Kubernetes). - Expertise in secure authentication, authorization, identity architectures (IAM, CIEM, least-privilege), and web application security. - Extensive hands-on experience with browser extension development (Manifest V3, WebExtensions APIs, content scripts, background workers, storage, messaging) across multiple browsers.

Nice to have - Background in cybersecurity, password management, secrets management, or endpoint security. - Familiarity with enterprise product categories such as GRC, Integrated Risk Management, or specialized security platforms. - Experience with high-scale SaaS, security-sensitive, or zero-trust application architectures. - Knowledge of compliance frameworks (ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR) and accessibility standards (WCAG). - Experience with product analytics, modern data platforms (Databricks), machine learning, AI-enabled products, or native application integration with browser platforms.

Benefits and work setup - Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage (including domestic partnerships). - Employer-paid life insurance with supplemental options for spouse/child. - Voluntary short/long-term disability insurance. - 401(k) with Roth and traditional options. - Generous PTO plan that recognizes tenure, including paid bereavement and jury duty. - Remote-first position with optional hybrid schedule for candidates near Chicago, IL or El Dorado Hills, CA metro areas. - Equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion.