Senior Backend Engineer, Axios

$155-190k

This salary range takes into account all possible locations within the United States, but candidates will only be eligible for the salary range for their location

AWS
TypeScript
Python
Golang
Senior and Expert level
Remote in US
Axios

News media company

Open for applications

Axios

News media company

501-1000 employees

B2CPublishingContentDigital MediaMobile

Open for applications

$155-190k

This salary range takes into account all possible locations within the United States, but candidates will only be eligible for the salary range for their location

AWS
TypeScript
Python
Golang
Senior and Expert level
Remote in US

501-1000 employees

B2CPublishingContentDigital MediaMobile

Company mission

To get you smarter, faster on what matters.

Role

Who you are

  • Ideal candidate should have an entrepreneurial spirit, be highly collaborative, exhibit a passion for building technology products, and have the following qualifications:
  • Experience building web-scale systems in languages such as (but not limited to) Golang, Python, and TypeScript
  • Demonstrated senior-level expertise in proactive problem-solving and driving technical innovation
  • Track record of designing and building scalable systems
  • Strong understanding of database concepts such as modeling, querying, and performance tuning
  • Proficient in diagnosing and resolving performance issues within complex, large-scale systems
  • Experience working on cloud-based infrastructure using AWS
  • Proficient in Agile Software Development methodologies

What the job involves

  • As a Senior/Staff Software Engineer you will be responsible for the evolution and maintenance of the backend architecture and services that enable Axios journalists to reach its readers through our editorial tools, website, newsletters, subscription services, and live events
  • Go deeper: This Engineer will oversee the evolution and maintenance of the technical architecture of our platform and core services. This involves spearheading technical initiatives and coordinating their implementation with our product, data, and infrastructure teams, while also developing and evangelizing engineering standards and principles across the organization. In this role, you will drive impact at Axios through the following responsibilities:
  • Driving strategic platform initiatives, collaborating with application, data, and platform team members to ensure stable and performant application services
  • Establishing and aligning technical vision with engineering and product leadership
  • Working closely with product development teams to define and adopt engineering principles and standards
  • Mentoring less experienced team members through pair programming, code review, and group learning sessions
  • Proactively identifying technical debt and prioritizing its remediation with the development teams
  • Staying up to date with industry trends, technologies, and best practices
  • Evaluating and recommending new tools and technologies to improve the platform and developer experience
  • Works closely with cross functional teams and business stakeholders to understand requirements and deliver solutions
  • Contributes to a culture of documentation, including platform architecture, processes, and workflows

Our take

Axios is a digital news site covering business, tech, politics, and media trends, with a focus on smart and efficient coverage. Much like rival comparable sites The Economist and Politico, it’s also diversified its media to include podcasts, newsletters, and a mobile app. Whilst it remains a major national and international news outlet, it’s also pursuing a new avenue to help shore up its position: local news.

Local news outlets have been in sharp decline over recent years: it’s too costly, with too little revenue. Axios’ plan is to opt instead for local newsletters. They’re highly advertiser-friendly, and the model itself is exceptionally scalable. So Axios may succeed where traditional efforts by other outlets like The Huffington Post (and countless local outfits) have failed.

Axios was previously held up as an exception to the mergers and acquisitions other news outlets were having to undergo to weather the decline of print media. However, in order to fund the expansion into local news, Axios has been acquired by the global conglomerate (and previous investor in the company) Cox Enterprises. This is good news - Cox Enterprises owns and protects local newspapers in Ohio, and looks set to be a hands-off and values-aligned new Axios owner.

Steph headshot

Steph

Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle

Insights

Top investors

Some candidates hear
back within 2 weeks

60% employee growth in 12 months

Company

Funding (last 2 of 3 rounds)

Dec 2019

$27m

SERIES C

Nov 2017

$20m

SERIES B

Total funding: $57m

Company benefits

  • 401(k) with employer match
  • Robust PPO and High Deductible health insurance options on the Blue Cross Blue Shield network
  • Employer Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution for the high deductible health plan option
  • Dental and vision coverage
  • Primary caregiver 12-week paid leave
  • Generous vacation policy, plus holidays
  • One mental health day per quarter
  • Annual learning and development stipend
  • $100 monthly work-from-home stipend
  • Tele-mental health services through Headspace
  • OneMedical membership, including tele-health services
  • Personal health advocacy resources through HealthAdvocate
  • Inclusive fertility, hormonal health and family forming benefits through Carrot Fertility
  • Access to the Axios “Family Fund”, which was created to allow employees to request financial support when facing financial hardship or emergencies
  • Increased work flexibility for parents and caretakers
  • Virtual company-sponsored social events
  • A strong and positive work environment
  • A commitment to an open, inclusive, and diverse work culture

Company values

  • Audience first: Deliver the cleanest, smartest, most efficient, and trust-worthy experience
  • Excellence: Strive for excellence in everything you do and never sell BS to Axios' audience, customers, or each other
  • Candor: Remain direct and candid in respectful but unambiguous ways with the audience and each other

Company HQ

Radnor - Fort Myer Heights, Arlington, VA

Leadership

Jim VandeHei

(Co-Founder & CEO)

Previously a Reporter for the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, they then went on to found Politico and serve a decade as its CEO.

Mike Allen

(Co-Founder & Executive Editor)

Spent nearly a decade as Politico's Chief White House correspondent before co-founding Axios in 2016.

Roy Schwartz

(Founder & President)

CEO of Axios HQ. Spent time as a partner at The Gallup Organization, then as VP and ultimately CRO of Politico.

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