Senior Software Engineer, Web API Platform

Senior Software Engineer, Web API Platform

At Scribd Inc., our mission is to spark human curiosity by delivering a world of stories and knowledge. As a Senior Software Engineer on the Web Platform team, you will design, build, and own company‑wide web APIs that accelerate modern web modernization across Scribd and Everand.

In this role you will:

• Own the end‑to‑end lifecycle of new product‑facing web APIs—design, implementation, production, iteration, and long‑term maintenance.
• Partner with front‑end and back‑end teams to define integration patterns, guide API usage, and ensure the platform scales with real‑world data volumes and access patterns.
• Design performance‑aware APIs with intentional constraints that scale safely, and embed strong observability, failure modes, and system health into API design.
• Champion API design across the organization, championing clear contracts, explicit versioning, and robust testing strategies.
• Advocate for the developer experience, treating APIs and developer tooling as products, not just infrastructure.

• Strong ownership mindset and pragmatic system design approach.
• Long‑term perspective on maintainability, extensibility, and developer experience.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills with front‑end and back‑end teams.

• 6+ years of professional software engineering experience, with a strong backend or platform focus.
• Proven experience designing APIs for high‑volume or data‑intensive product workflows.
• Experience implementing and integrating APIs with a Ruby on Rails application.
• Familiarity with modern API paradigms (REST, Graph
  
  QL, gRPC) and their performance and operational tradeoffs.
• Hands‑on experience with query patterns, caching, pagination, and common performance pitfalls.
• Experience designing APIs with explicit contracts, versioning, and testing strategies.
• Experience working with modern web frontends (React, Next.js, or similar).
• Strong communication skills and experience championing API design across teams.
• Hands‑on experience incorporating AI‑assisted tools into development workflows (debugging, testing, documentation, or design exploration).

• Designed APIs with explicit performance characteristics that are intentional, not accidental.
• Placed thoughtful constraints on API consumers to protect scalability and developer experience.
• Treated APIs and developer tooling as products, not just infrastructure.
• Handled greenfield work while navigating integration with existing systems.
• Comfortable refining opinions through discussion and iteration.

• Base pay: $120,000 - $216,500 (US, exclude California), $146,000 - $227,500 (San Francisco)
• Equity ownership package and comprehensive benefits package.
• 25 days of paid vacation, 12 weeks paid parental leave, 401k matching, health and dental coverage, and more.

Working at Scribd Inc. is an inclusive environment that supports employees from all backgrounds. We are an equal‑employment‑opportunity employer and welcome applicants from all identities, genders, races, and abilities.
We encourage people of all backgrounds to apply, and believe that a diversity of perspectives creates a foundation for the best ideas. Come join us in building something meaningful.