Censys Logo

Censys

Software Engineer (Backend, Distributed Systems)

Posted 2 Hours Ago
Easy Apply
Remote
Hiring Remotely in US
120K-169K Annually
Mid level
Easy Apply
Remote
Hiring Remotely in US
120K-169K Annually
Mid level
The role entails building scalable backend services, APIs, and tools that process large datasets, collaborating with engineers and product teams, and maintaining systems for data pipelines and messaging solutions.
The summary above was generated by AI
Company Background

Censys’ mission is to be the one place to understand everything on the internet. Frustrated by the lack of trustworthy Internet intelligence, we set out to create the industry’s most comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date map of the Internet. Today, Censys delivers real-time Internet intelligence and actionable threat insights to global governments, over 50% of the Fortune 500, and leading threat intelligence providers worldwide.

Location: This position is remote within the United States.


Role Summary: 

We’re looking to hire a Software Engineer (Backend, Distributed Systems) to build scalable services, APIs, frameworks, and internal tooling that process large amounts of data and make them highly available, providing direct value to customers and other parts of our organization. Censys operates distributed infrastructure for Internet-wide scanning, and you will help us continue our mission to build high-quality datasets, APIs, and engineering foundations that turn research and detection ideas into production-ready capabilities.

At Censys, we believe in working iteratively while keeping the big picture in mind. We’re expanding our data platform to enable future products and features that make the Internet more explainable by adding richer context and showing complex relationships. We’re looking for someone who is curious, collaborative, and excited to grow while contributing to our mission.


What You’ll Do:

Help build large scale, real-time services and applications which leverage our massive datasets to power internal APIs and external applications.

  • Build tooling, libraries, frameworks, and services that support security, research and data platform initiatives.
  • Productionize prototypes into reliable internal tools, services, or platform capabilities.
  • Participate in planning and technical discussions with engineering and product teams to help build the right solutions.
  • Develop and maintain systems such as data pipelines, messaging systems, databases, caching layers, and services that run in the cloud or on-prem.
  • Work with Machine Learning Engineers and Security Researchers to realize solutions that affect security outcomes.

Skills You Have:

  • 3+ years of software engineering experience building distributed systems (i.e. data ingestion pipelines, databases, services).
  • Experience with object-oriented programming - we use Go.
  • Experience with at least one cloud provider, like: AWS, Azure, or GCP.
  • Experience or familiarity with message queue technologies, like: AWS Kinesis , Google Pub/Sub, Kafka, or other.
  • Experience working with databases, like: BigTable, Cloud Spanner, HBase, Cassandra, or other.
  • Understanding of core distributed systems concepts such as scalability, fault tolerance, and reliability.
  • Familiarity with using AI.
  • Ability to write understandable, testable code with an eye towards maintainability.
  • Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively with other engineers and product managers.

Things that make you stand out:

  • Familiarity with gRPC or REST.
  • Familiarity with data serialization technologies, like: Protobuf, MessagePack, etc.
  • Experience building, deploying, or maintaining containerized services in Kubernetes.
  • An understanding of how the Internet works; how machines and services communicate using defined protocols / standards.
  • Any Security Domain knowledge is a bonus

For candidates located in high cost of living locations (Seattle, San Francisco Bay Area, or New York City Metro), the salary range for this position is $137,000 - $169,000 + bonus eligibility and equity.

For candidates located in any other US location, the salary range for this position is $120,000 - $157,000 + bonus eligibility and equity.

In addition to our great compensation package, our benefits are effective on day one and include but are not limited to: 401k match, health, vision, dental, and more! Please see our careers page for more details.

Our roots are in Ann Arbor, Michigan and our innovation is fueled by the team’s global perspectives. For this role, we are open to remote employees across the continental US and Canada.


Note to external recruiters/agencies: We are not currently engaging with third-party agencies for this role and will not accept unsolicited outreach. We kindly ask that you do not submit resumes or candidate profiles to our team.

California Privacy Rights Notice
Pursuant to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), we are providing you with notice that we collect personal information from job applicants for business purposes, including evaluating your candidacy for employment, conducting interviews, and, if applicable, completing the hiring process. The categories of information we may collect include identifiers (such as name and contact information), professional or employment-related information (such as work history, education, and references), and other information you provide in your application. We do not sell or share your personal information. For more information on how we use and protect your personal information, and your rights under the CCPA, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

Top Skills

AWS
Aws Kinesis
Azure
Bigtable
Cassandra
Cloud Spanner
GCP
Go
Google Pub/Sub
Hbase
Kafka
Kubernetes
Messagepack
Protobuf

Similar Jobs

2 Hours Ago
Easy Apply
Remote
US
Easy Apply
137K-187K Annually
Senior level
137K-187K Annually
Senior level
Information Technology • Internet of Things • Security • Software • Cybersecurity
Design and develop scalable backend services and APIs for Censys' data platform, processing large datasets and collaborating with teams to ensure effective product development.
Top Skills: AWSAws KinesisAzureBigtableCassandraCloud SpannerGCPGoGoogle Pub/SubGrpcHbaseKafkaKubernetesMessagepackProtobufRest
2 Days Ago
Remote
United States
Senior level
Senior level
Information Technology • Software • Analytics
The Senior Back-End Software Engineer designs, develops, and maintains scalable backend systems while taking ownership of the software development lifecycle.
Top Skills: AtlantisAWSCi/CdCloudwatchDynamoDBEc2EksFastapiGithub ActionsIamJenkinsKubernetesLambdaNode.jsPrefect.IoPythonRdsS3SnsSqsTerraformTypescript
6 Days Ago
In-Office or Remote
Senior level
Senior level
Artificial Intelligence • Software • Energy • Renewable Energy
The Software Engineer will build scalable backend services, optimize performance, and mentor peers, focusing on distributed systems development.
Top Skills: Ai/Ml FrameworksGoJavaPythonPyTorchTensorFlow

What you need to know about the NYC Tech Scene

As the undisputed financial capital of the world, New York City is an epicenter of startup funding activity. The city has a thriving fintech scene and is a major player in verticals ranging from AI to biotech, cybersecurity and digital media. It also has universities like NYU, Columbia and Cornell Tech attracting students and researchers from across the globe, providing the ecosystem with a constant influx of world-class talent. And its East Coast location and three international airports make it a perfect spot for European companies establishing a foothold in the United States.

Key Facts About NYC Tech

  • Number of Tech Workers: 549,200; 6% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
  • Major Tech Employers: Capgemini, Bloomberg, IBM, Spotify
  • Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, Fintech
  • Funding Landscape: $25.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
  • Notable Investors: Greycroft, Thrive Capital, Union Square Ventures, FirstMark Capital, Tiger Global Management, Tribeca Venture Partners, Insight Partners, Two Sigma Ventures
  • Research Centers and Universities: Columbia University, New York University, Fordham University, CUNY, AI Now Institute, Flatiron Institute, C.N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics, NASA Space Radiation Laboratory

Sign up now Access later

Create Free Account

Please log in or sign up to report this job.

Create Free Account