Principal Software Engineer, Affirm
Architecture
£186-236k
+ An employee stock purchase plan
For UK-based candidates only
POS installment loans
Be an early applicant
POS installment loans
1001+ employees
Be an early applicant
£186-236k
+ An employee stock purchase plan
For UK-based candidates only
1001+ employees
Company mission
To deliver honest and transparent financial products that improve users' lives.
Role
Who you are
- 12+ years of software engineering experience, with prior technical leadership roles
- Proven success driving technical architecture for large-scale consumer or fintech systems, ideally in international or multi-market contexts
- Deep experience guiding engineering strategy and delivery in complex, regulated environments
- Expertise in the European payments landscape, cross-border trade, KYC/AML compliance, and localization at scale
- Ability to distill complex technical trade-offs into clear decisions that shape product and platform evolution
- Strong communication skills, capable of engaging both engineers and executives to drive alignment and clarity
- Track record of mentoring senior engineers and building technical leadership communities
- Extensive experience designing and operating highly available, secure, and scalable distributed systems
- Experience in fintech or consumer-facing retail systems is strongly preferred
- Familiarity with international compliance regimes and European regulatory frameworks is a plus
- JVM experience at scale is a plus
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent practical experience
What the job involves
- In this role, you will be a senior member of Affirm’s Architecture Group, reporting directly to the Head of Architecture with a dotted line to Affirm’s EU leadership
- You will own the architecture, technical roadmap, and delivery outcomes that enable Affirm’s international expansion, with particular focus on compliance and localization, cross-border trade, and country-specific payments and KYC requirements
- You will also play a critical role in building Affirm’s technical leadership bench in Europe, mentoring senior ICs and formally establishing a strong EU-based tech leads group
- You will serve as the accountable technical leader for Affirm’s European expansion, ensuring that our platform and systems are built to operate reliably, securely, and compliantly across diverse markets
Our take
Affirm offers point-of-sale loans to consumers, working with merchants like Shopify, KAYAK, and Walmart. Buy now, pay later transactions have grown in popularity in recent years, and this business is tapping into the market with a totally different approach to credit - by delivering the Affirm card, the first US debit card with the option to pay-over-time.
Boasting over 21M consumers and 337,000+ merchants, the company offers flexible payback options, ranging from 3 to 36 months. The interest rates run between 0% and 30%, so, while they are not necessarily the cheapest option, Affirm prides itself on having no fees for late payments, no hidden charges, and total transparency about what people will pay before they take out a loan.
Affirm collects payments from the customers and pays the merchants directly, shouldering the risk itself. The company has boosted its market share, expanding its availability beyond the US to include most of Canada, and continues to launch new features and create new partnerships towards bettering its offering.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
-11% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 5 rounds)
Sep 2020
$500m
SERIES G
Apr 2019
$300m
SERIES F
Total funding: $1.1bn
Company benefits
- Compensation: We have a simple, flexible, and transparent remote-first compensation structure so you can make the best decisions for yourself and your family
- Spending Wallets: Access tech, food, lifestyle, and family planning wallets for your expenses
- Supportive Communities: Get involved with our employee resource groups and community groups
- Remote-first Workforce: If your role is remote, you can set up shop anywhere in your home country
- Generous Time Off: Take the time you need when life happens
- Health Benefits: Get a plan that fits your needs
- Mental Healthcare: Take care of your mind with great mental health programs
- Parental Leave: Birth and non-birth parents get 18 weeks’ paid leave. Plus, a 4-week return-to-work transition program, at full base pay
- Away Days: We offer 20 company-wide paid days off—which help our teams collectively pause to recharge
- Learning & Development: Engage in exciting learning programs to level up your growth
Company HQ
Chinatown, San Francisco, CA
Leadership
Max Levchin
(Co-Founder & CEO)Has founded/co-founded numerous companies, holding various executive positions at each, including Paypal, Slide, Glow, HVF Labs, and SciFi VC. Also worked at large brands including Google, Yelp, Yahoo, and Evernote.
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