Senior Software Engineer, Product Foundations

Patreon is a media and community platform where over 300,000 creators give their biggest fans access to exclusive work and experiences. We offer creators a variety of ways to engage with their fans and build a lasting business including: paid memberships, free memberships, community chats, live video, and selling to fans directly with one-time purchases.

Ultimately our goal is simple: fund the creative class. And we're leaders in that space, with:

• $10 billion+ generated by creators since Patreon's inception

• 100 million+ free memberships for fans who may not be ready to pay just yet, and

• 25 million+ paid memberships on Patreon today.

We're continuing to invest heavily in building the best creator platform with the best team in the creator economy and are looking for a Senior Software Engineer, Product Foundations to support our mission.

This role is based in San Francisco or in New York and open to those who are able to be in-office 2 days per week on a hybrid work model.

The Product Foundations team is how great ideas at Patreon become great products. We build the shared backend services, APIs, and data abstractions that product engineers across the company rely on to ship fast and build with confidence - from brand new features to the core systems that creators and members depend on every day.

When a product team needs to move quickly, we're the foundation that lets them do it without reinventing the wheel. We partner with backend, infrastructure, and product engineering teams to design systems that are modular, scalable, and built to last.

As a Senior Backend Software Engineer at Patreon, you will be responsible for designing and implementing scalable, high-performance backend systems that power our platform. You will collaborate with other engineers and product managers to build and maintain reliable and efficient systems that support Patreon's growth.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Designing and implementing backend systems that handle millions of requests per day

• Writing efficient, scalable, and maintainable code

• Identifying and addressing performance bottlenecks

• Building our robust APIs that support our web and mobile applications

• Collaborating with other backend engineers, product engineers, product managers, and designers to deliver high-quality features on time

• 5+ years of experience in backend software engineering, or equivalent experience through open source contributions, contract work, or adjacent engineering roles

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field — or equivalent professional experience; we evaluate skills and demonstrated ability, not credentials alone

• Strong experience with Python or a similar language

• Strong understanding of software design patterns and principles

• Strong understanding of RESTful API design and development

• Familiarity with relational databases (such as MySQL) and NoSQL databases

• Ability to communicate technical decisions clearly in writing and in cross-functional meetings with non-engineering stakeholders

We hire talented and passionate people from different backgrounds because workplace diversity and inclusion is critical to our ability to serve creators worldwide. If you’re excited about a role but your past experience doesn’t match with every bullet point outlined above, we strongly encourage you to apply anyway. If you’re a creator at heart, are energized by our mission, and share our company values, we’d love to hear from you.

About Patreon

Patreon powers creators to do what they love and get paid by the people who love what they do. Our team is passionate about making this mission and our core values come to life every day in our work. Through this work, our Patronauts:

• Put Creators First | They’re the reason we’re here. When creators win, we win.

• Build with Craft | We sign our name to every deliverable, just like the creators we serve.

• Make it Happen | We don’t quit. We learn and deliver.

• Win Together | We grow as individuals. We win as a team.

Patreon is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We provide employment opportunities without regard to age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other protected class. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the interview process, please let us know via email at accommodations@patreon.

Patreon offers a competitive benefits package including and not limited to salary, equity plans, healthcare, flexible time off, company holidays and recharge days, commuter benefits, lifestyle stipends, learning and development stipends, patronage, parental leave, and 401k plan with matching.

Patreon operates under a hybrid work model, where employees based in office locations are expected to come into the office two days per week, excluding sick time and paid leave. The goal of this policy is to be intentional about the in-person time we spend together to strengthen the feeling of community at Patreon. Candidates hired into remote-eligible roles are not expected to meet the same requirements.

At Patreon, we believe in fair and transparent pay. In compliance with New York and California pay transparency laws, we are sharing the expected salary range for this role.

The posted salary range is dependent on the location and the level. This range may encompass multiple levels within the role’s job family. The final offer will be based on candidate’s experience, skills, competencies, and geographic location, aligning with the appropriate job level within Patreon’s leveling framework. For remote employees located outside CA and NY, salary may vary based on location and local market conditions.

Patreon reserves the right to modify or update compensation and benefits at any time.