Senior Software Engineer (New Products)

Our mission is to make higher education accessible and affordable for everyone. We empower students with financial support and supercharge their ability to pay down their debt, so they can get on the right financial track, fast.

We build tools that help people feel in control of their financial future, including:

• Private student loans - low rates, people-first service, and flexible payments.
• Student loan refinancing - break free from high-interest rates or monthly payments.
• Scholarships - access to thousands of scholarships to help students pay less.

Earnies are committed to helping students live their best lives, free from the stress of student debt. If you’re as passionate as we are about our mission, read more below, and let’s build something great together! 

Are you ready to be part of a team that plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of our organization? Welcome to the New Products Team! We're not just any team; we're at the core of innovation, experimentation, and entrepreneurial mindset. Think of the New Products team as an internal incubator; we craft products for the future. 

As Senior Software Engineer, New Products, you will:

• Architectural Excellence: Design and build systems that can quickly go from prototype to fully fleshed-out products. 
• Rapid Prototyping and Delivery: Move quickly, embracing agile methodologies to deliver minimum viable products (MVPs) and proof-of-concepts (PoCs) in short iterations, allowing us to rapidly validate ideas and pivot as needed.
• Innovation Hub: We're not just keeping the lights on; we're constantly innovating. From exploring cutting-edge technologies to improving development workflows, innovation is in our DNA.

Your Impact:

• Technical Leadership: You'll lead and influence technical decisions that impact the entire organization. 
• Collaboration: You'll work closely with cross-functional teams, from product development to data engineering. 
• Mentorship: As a senior member of the team, you'll have the chance to mentor and guide junior engineers.
• Impact: Your contributions will directly impact the scalability, security, and reliability of our products and services.
• Fast-Paced Environment: You'll work in a dynamic and rapidly evolving environment, where you'll have the opportunity to take on diverse projects, constantly learning and expanding your skillset. We value agility and the ability to pivot quickly to meet changing requirements.

About You: 

• 5+ years of professional development experience
• Experience with server-side concepts, e.g. microservices, database, caching, performance, monitoring and scalability
• Extensive experience with modern Node.js preferred
• Professional experience in React/Redux desirable
• Relevant data modeling experience and integration with databases such as PostgresSQL
• Strong understanding of distributed architecture patterns and microservice best practices
• Knowledge of optimization techniques like caching, compression, performance tuning
• Understanding of security best practices like encryption, access control, vulnerability management
• Experience designing, building and maintaining cloud-based applications (e.g. AWS, GCP, Azure)
• Willing to travel to the Oakland office monthly to collaborate with other Earnies

Even Better:

• Experience working in Fintech, Banking, or related Consumer Financial Services companies is a plus

Where:

• This role will be based in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA.
• While you’ll enjoy the flexibility of remote work, we also love to see our Earnies face-to-face! We ask you to join us at our Oakland office for 3 consecutive days a month for team collaboration and some fun. It's a chance to connect, share ideas, and maybe even grab some coffee together!

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A little about our pay philosophy: We take pride in compensating our employees fairly and equitably. We are showcasing a range of your potential base salary. The successful candidate’s starting pay will also be determined based on job-related qualifications, internal compensation, and budget. This range may be modified in the future.

Pay Range $189,000—$214,200 USD

Earnest believes in enabling our employees to live their best lives. We offer a variety of perks and competitive benefits, including: 

• Health, Dental, & Vision benefits plus savings plans
• Mac computers + work-from-home stipend to set up your home office
• Monthly internet and phone reimbursement
• Employee Stock P