Senior Software Engineer at AuthZed

The Role

At AuthZed, we’re building the infrastructure that makes fine-grained authorization possible at scale. We are the creators of SpiceDB, the open-source permissions database inspired by Google Zanzibar, as well as a growing ecosystem of open-source and commercial products built around it.

As a Senior Software Engineer, you’ll work on SpiceDB and other open-source projects across the AuthZed ecosystem. You’ll tackle challenging problems at the intersection of distributed systems, databases, cloud infrastructure, and authorization—from query planning and execution to performance, scalability, reliability, and operability.

Operating in an agile startup environment, your technical leadership and innovation will directly influence our strategic trajectory. You will collaborate with a high-performing engineering team to address complex challenges in distributed systems, cloud architecture, and fine-grained authorization models, delivering scalable solutions to AuthZed’s global enterprise customer base.

AuthZed’s organizational culture is built upon principles of mutual respect, transparent communication, and psychological safety. We empower team members to exercise initiative and pursue well-considered technical strategies while maintaining a firm commitment to professional well-being and operational boundaries. We support professional advancement through structured mentorship and objective recognition of achievement. Our inclusive, highly collaborative workplace leverages diverse perspectives to drive both individual career growth and organizational excellence.

What You’ll Own

• Research, design, implement, test, and release features across SpiceDB and other open-source AuthZed projects.

• Drive best practices in software development, testing, and CI/CD to ensure our platform is robust, scalable, and always on the leading edge.

• Embrace the “operate what you build” philosophy, taking end-to-end ownership of your work—from development and deployment to production operations, and participate in on-call rotation.

• Troubleshoot correctness, stability, or performance issues related to statement planning and execution in a complex distributed system.

• Collaborate with users and contributors, review contributions, participate in technical discussions, and help evolve our open-source projects and APIs.

• Proactively identify opportunities to optimize processes, streamline operations, and elevate team performance.

• Work closely with other engineers, product, and support teams.

• Showcase your work through technical documentation, blogs, and talks, representing AuthZed as a thought leader in the industry.

What You Bring

• A Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field or equivalent experience.

• 5+ years of experience working in programming languages like Golang, Python, or Java. Experience with Go is a plus.

• A strong background in systems engineering (e.g., distributed systems, operating systems, databases).

• Experience building and debugging complex production systems where correctness, reliability, and performance matter.

• Experience with cloud infrastructure and managing distributed databases in cloud-native environments.

• Experience with modern software development practices and tools, such as continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD), Docker, and Git.

• Excellent communication skills with a proven ability to articulate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• A proven ability to thrive in remote-first, cross-time-zone teams, collaborating effectively to deliver impactful results.

Extra Shine

• Experience building Kubernetes controllers or operators.

• Familiarity with database concepts, such as compilers, indices, query planning, optimization, and materialized views.

• Familiarity with modern authorization systems and access control models.

Life at AuthZed

• Work with cutting-edge technology in a fast-growing industry.

• Enjoy a supportive team environment where your ideas make a genuine difference.

• Receive competitive pay tailored to your experience.

• Own a piece of the company with early-stage startup stock options.

• Access comprehensive benefits, including healthcare (for US team members) and insurance plans.

• Work fully remotely with flexible hours designed to fit your schedule and timezone.

• Connect with the team during our twice-yearly offsites focused on bonding, collaborating, and having fun together!