Senior Software Engineer, Core Infra - Compute Platform

About the role

In this role, you will be responsible for designing, building, and managing Kubernetes cluster management tools that ensure reliability and scalability of the compute platform. Your work will focus on automating processes and improving developer interactions with Kubernetes, incorporating AI-driven solutions.

You will collaborate with various teams, including Security and Reliability, to uphold Coinbase's high standards for performance and security. Success in this position means delivering innovative compute capabilities and driving operational improvements that enhance the overall efficiency of the platform.

The base salary for this role ranges from $186,065 to $218,900, excluding equity and bonuses.

Skills that matter here

• Kubernetes: This role involves designing and operating Kubernetes management tooling to ensure a reliable compute platform.
• AWS: Hands-on experience with AWS infrastructure services is crucial for managing production environments.
• GCP: Experience with GCP services supports the role's focus on scalable infrastructure.
• CNCF: Familiarity with CNCF tools like Helm and Prometheus is necessary for solving infrastructure challenges.
• AI tooling: You will apply AI tooling to enhance automation and improve operational workflows.

Who this role suits

• You have a strong background in software engineering with over five years of experience.
• You thrive in high-pressure environments and are motivated by challenging problems.
• You possess a collaborative mindset, eager to work closely with cross-functional teams.
• You are committed to continuous improvement and operational excellence in your work.

From the employer

• Own the design, build, and operation of Kubernetes cluster management tooling and automation that keeps our compute platform reliable and self-healing at scale.
• Build developer-facing tooling and workflows that improve how engineers across Coinbase interact with Kubernetes, with a heavy emphasis on integrating AI-driven processes and support.
• Deliver net-new compute capabilities for service owners, including one-off jobs, cron scheduling, deployment strategies, EFS support, and automated right-sizing.
• Drive operational excellence by automating toil, reducing on-call burden, and continuously improving platform observability and incident response.
• Partner with Security, Reliability, and Observability teams to ensure the compute platform meets Coinbase's standards for security, uptime, and performance.

• 5+ years of software engineering experience, including 3+ years building and operating Kubernetes or similar compute orchestration systems (e.g., Mesos, Nomad, ECS).
• Hands-on experience with AWS and/or GCP infrastructure services (e.g., EC2, EKS, IAM, VPC, networking) in a production environment at scale.
• Demonstrated ability to design, implement, and operate distributed infrastructure systems, including diagnosing complex failures and driving them to root-cause resolution.
• Hands-on experience with the CNCF ecosystem (e.g., Helm, Prometheus, ArgoCD, Envoy) and a track record of applying these tools to solve real infrastructure problems.
• Proven ability to apply AI tooling to infrastructure workflows, improving automation, developer productivity, or operational efficiency.
• Utilizes generative AI responsibly, maintaining human oversight to deliver business-ready outputs and drive measurable improvements in workflow efficiency, cost, and quality.

• Base salary varies by location (see range below). Total compensation may also include equity and bonus eligibility, and benefits (medical, dental, vision, 401(k)).
• Annual base salary range (excluding equity and bonus): $186,065—$218,900 USD.