Principal Software Engineer, Architecture

Posted 3 Days Ago
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Hiring Remotely in UK
Remote
186K-236K
Expert/Leader
Big Data • Fintech • Mobile • Payments • Financial Services
We create honest financial products that improve lives. Ready to make a difference?
The Role
Lead the architecture and technical roadmap for Affirm's international expansion. Ensure compliance with local regulations and mentor senior engineers in the EU-based tech leads group.
Summary Generated by Built In

Affirm is reinventing credit to make it more honest and friendly, giving consumers the flexibility to buy now and pay later without any hidden fees or compounding interest.

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.

What We Look For

  • 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.

Pay Grade - T
Equity Grade - 12
Employees new to Affirm typically come in at the start of the pay range. Affirm focuses on providing a simple and transparent pay structure which is based on a variety of factors, including location, experience and job-related skills. 
Base pay is part of a total compensation package that may include monthly stipends for health, wellness and tech spending, and benefits (including 100% subsidized medical coverage, dental and vision for you and your dependents). In addition, the employees may be eligible for equity rewards offered by Affirm Holdings, Inc. (parent company).
GBR base pay range per year: £186,000 - £236,000 
Location - Remote UK

#LI-Remote

Affirm is proud to be a remote-first company! The majority of our roles are remote and you can work almost anywhere within the country of employment. Affirmers in proximal roles have the flexibility to work remotely, but will occasionally be required to work out of their assigned Affirm office. A limited number of roles remain office-based due to the nature of their job responsibilities.

We’re extremely proud to offer competitive benefits that are anchored to our core value of people come first. Some key highlights of our benefits package include: 

  • Health care coverage - Affirm covers all premiums for all levels of coverage for you and your dependents 
  • Flexible Spending Wallets - generous stipends for spending on Technology, Food, various Lifestyle needs, and family forming expenses
  • Time off - competitive vacation and holiday schedules allowing you to take time off to rest and recharge
  • ESPP - An employee stock purchase plan enabling you to buy shares of Affirm at a discount

We believe It’s On Us to provide an inclusive interview experience for all, including people with disabilities. We are happy to provide reasonable accommodations to candidates in need of individualized support during the hiring process.

[For U.S. positions that could be performed in Los Angeles or San Francisco] Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, Affirm will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

By clicking "Submit Application," you acknowledge that you have read Affirm's Global Candidate Privacy Notice and hereby freely and unambiguously give informed consent to the collection, processing, use, and storage of your personal information as described therein.

Top Skills

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The Company
HQ: San Francisco , CA
2,200 Employees
Year Founded: 2012

What We Do

Since our founding over a decade ago, our mission has been to deliver honest financial products that improve lives. That mission hasn’t changed — and it never will. At Affirm, we believe money shouldn’t dictate your direction in life; it should open up options instead of limiting them, and help you get where you’re going without getting in your way. That’s why we offer people the financial flexibility to choose what works for them — in finances and in life.

Why Work With Us

Who is an Affirmer?
/noun/

Someone who believes finance shouldn’t be complicated. We come from a diverse set of backgrounds and we’re driven by the desire to improve lives through honest financial products. We define success by challenging one another to bring our best ideas to every single project—and we have fun while doing it.

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Affirm Offices

Remote Workspace

Employees work remotely.

Affirm is a remote-first company! Our employees can work anywhere in the U.S. but if an office is more your style, we have office locations in San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, and Pittsburgh.

Typical time on-site: None
HQSan Francisco, CA
Spain
United Kingdom
Chicago, IL
New York, NY
Pittsburgh, PA
Seattle, WA
Toronto, ON
Warsaw, PL
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