Staff Software Engineer, Web Application Services

Role overview A staff software engineer is needed to lead web application services for a privacy-focused, open-source email and communication platform serving more than 20 million people globally. The role supports the platform's evolution beyond a single desktop client into a multi-surface portfolio spanning desktop, mobile, paid services, and AI offerings. It blends hands-on engineering with architectural leadership on a small, globally distributed team.

Responsibilities - Design, build, and operate the web application services that power online product experiences - Lead architectural decisions around reliability, scalability, and maintainability - Collaborate with desktop, mobile, and platform engineers to deliver cohesive user experiences - Contribute to open-source development workflows and engage with a global contributor community - Mentor engineers and help shape engineering standards across the team - Partner with product stakeholders to translate user needs into shipped services

Requirements - Extensive software engineering experience, including prior staff-level scope and impact - Strong background in web application services, APIs, and distributed systems - Familiarity with open-source development and transparent collaboration practices - Comfort working remotely across time zones with a small distributed team - Commitment to user privacy and data-control principles in product design

Benefits and work setup - Remote-first position open to candidates in the US and Canada - Small distributed team of roughly 65 people across seven countries - Mission-driven environment combining nonprofit ownership with sustainable paid services