Staff Software Engineer, Compute Platform (Routing)

Description

Ready to do the most impactful work of your career? At Coinbase , we are uncompromising on our mission to increase economic freedom. The bar is high, the environment is intense, and we like it that way. This isn't a place for complacency, it’s a place to be pushed past your perceived limits. If you're ready to build the future of finance alongside people who refuse to settle for "good enough," you belong here. Coinbase is a remote-first, but not remote-only company. Expect to get together quarterly for intense in-person working sessions called “surges.” learn more about working at Coinbase .

As a Staff Software Engineer on the Compute Platform team within the Platform Product Group, you'll own the routing layer that connects every service at Coinbase to its customers. The Compute Platform team builds and operates core compute orchestration infrastructure based on CNCF technologies including Istio, Envoy, and Kubernetes. You'll design and deliver net-new routing capabilities that improve the scalability, reliability, and performance of application traffic across our entire fleet.

Responsibilities

• Own the design, development, and automation of routing infrastructure that directs application traffic to Kubernetes backends at scale
• Build capabilities on top of Envoy-based reverse proxies, Istio gateways, Ambient mesh, and SPIFFE service authentication
• Drive measurable improvements to latency, reliability, and performance of application routing systems across Coinbase's production environment
• Shape the paved-road developer experience for operating applications at Coinbase, with emphasis on AI-driven tooling, processes, and support
• Partner with Security, Reliability, and Observability teams to ensure routing infrastructure meets cross-cutting platform requirements
• Required Skills and Experience:
• 8+ years of experience in software engineering and infrastructure roles
• 5+ years of hands-on engineering experience with application routing technologies including reverse proxies, ingress controllers, CDN/WAF, and service mesh
• Proficiency in one or more systems programming languages (Go, Python, or Java) with experience building and shipping production-grade infrastructure services
• Demonstrated experience scaling backend infrastructure on AWS, with working knowledge of networking, compute, and container orchestration services
• Deep familiarity with the CNCF ecosystem (Kubernetes, Envoy, Istio) and proven ability to extend or contribute to these technologies in production
• Track record of diagnosing complex distributed systems issues, identifying root causes, and driving them to resolution independently
• Utilizes generative AI responsibly, maintaining human oversight to deliver business-ready outputs and drive measurable improvements in workflow efficiency, cost, and quality, including applying AI tooling to infrastructure workflows to improve efficiency, reliability, or developer velocity.
• Pay Transparency Notice: Base salary varies by location (see range below). Total compensation may also include equity and bonus eligibility, and benefits (medical, dental, vision, 401(k)).
• Annual base salary range (excluding equity and bonus):
• $218,025 - $256,500 USD
• Application Limit: Candidates may submit a maximum of 3 applications within a 6-month period.
• Equal Opportunity Employer: Coinbase is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information. Applicants with criminal histories will be considered consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
• US Applicants: View Employee Rights , Know Your Rights , and E-Verify Notice of Participation.
• Accommodations: If you are an individual with a disability who needs a reasonable accommodation, email us your request and contact info at accommodations[at]coinbase.com. Need screen reading technology? Click here to download a free compatible screen reader and view the tutorial .
• Data Privacy & Arbitration: By submitting your application, you agree to our Candidate Privacy Notice . US applicants: By submitting your application, you agree to Arbitration of Disputes .