Staff Software Engineer, Backend (Consumer - Prediction Markets)

About the role

This Staff Software Engineer will be responsible for the entire lifecycle of backend systems within Coinbase's prediction markets. The work includes designing, developing, and ensuring the reliability of critical components like order management, trade matching, and settlement. A key focus is on architecting distributed systems that guarantee financial correctness across all clearing, payout, and position management workflows.

The role involves driving the technical strategy for transitioning from third-party participation to a fully Coinbase-operated exchange and clearing platform. This means leading complex, multi-quarter technical projects, making senior technical decisions, and collaborating with Product, Compliance, and Risk teams to meet regulatory requirements. The engineer will also contribute to shaping engineering standards within the Prediction Markets team.

Success in this position means establishing a high bar for code quality, system design, and operational rigor. The engineer will partner with other teams across Consumer & Business to identify shared infrastructure opportunities, reducing duplication and promoting efficiency across various trading surfaces. This role requires a deep understanding of distributed systems and financial correctness in a high-stakes environment.

The base salary for this position ranges from $218,025 to $256,500 USD, with total compensation potentially including equity, bonus eligibility, and benefits.

Skills that matter here

• backend: This role is entirely focused on backend development, designing and owning the core systems for prediction markets.
• distributed systems: The engineer will architect and maintain distributed systems that ensure strict correctness for financial transactions.
• Go: Proficiency in Go is a valuable skill for this role, as it is a preferred backend language.
• Java: Proficiency in Java is also a valuable skill, as it is another preferred backend language for this position.

Who this role suits

• You have a proven history of designing systems where financial correctness is critical, such as in order management or settlement.
• You are adept at leading complex technical projects over multiple quarters, guiding architectural decisions and coordinating across teams.
• You are committed to setting high engineering standards and enjoy mentoring other engineers to elevate team performance.
• You are comfortable working in a remote-first environment and can collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.

From the employer

• Own the design, development, and reliability of backend systems that power order management, trade matching, settlement, and market resolution for prediction markets
• Architect distributed systems that enforce strict correctness guarantees across clearing, payout, and position management workflows
• Drive the technical strategy for migrating from third-party venue participation to a fully Coinbase-operated exchange and clearing platform
• Lead cross-functional collaboration with Product, Compliance, and Risk teams to ensure the platform meets regulatory requirements and launches with confidence
• Shape engineering standards and practices across the Prediction Markets team, setting a high bar for code quality, system design, and operational rigor
• Partner with engineers across Consumer & Business to identify shared infrastructure opportunities and reduce duplication across trading surfaces

• 8+ years of backend software engineering experience, with demonstrated ownership of high-availability, low-latency distributed systems in production
• Proven track record designing systems where financial correctness is non-negotiable, such as order management, settlement, clearing, or ledger systems
• Experience leading complex, multi-quarter technical projects as the senior technical decision-maker, including architecture design, trade-off analysis, and cross-team coordination
• Deep proficiency in at least one backend language (e.g., Go, Java, or similar) and strong fundamentals in distributed systems, concurrency, and data modeling
• Track record of mentoring and elevating engineers across a team, raising standards for design reviews, code quality, and incident response
• Utilizes generative AI responsibly, maintaining human oversight to deliver business-ready outputs and drive measurable improvements in workflow efficiency, cost, and quality.

• Base salary range: $218,025—$256,500 USD
• Total compensation may also include equity and bonus eligibility, and benefits (medical, dental, vision, 401(k)).
• Candidates may submit a maximum of 3 applications within a 6-month period.
• Equal Opportunity Employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.