At Affirm, we exist for the moments that matter—giving people a clear, predictable way to pay over time, with no hidden fees, no surprises, and no tradeoffs on what matters most.
The Merchant & Partner Lifecycle (M&PL) team is at the forefront of Affirm’s architectural transformation. We are addressing critical architectural risks by consolidating merchant lifecycle orchestration into a newly cohesive domain.
You will act as a technical leader responsible for building out the brand new lifecycle-orchestrator service that’s at the heart of multiple connected systems. Your work will deliver immediate availability improvements through system simplification and isolation, and modernize older parts of the codebase.
What You'll Do
- Design & expand the backbone of our platform to scale to hundreds of thousands of merchants from all around the world
- Design and align the scope of work with other teams to deliver cross-team projects
- Mentor other engineers to ensure their development & growth
- Partner with Engineering Manager and Team Lead to drive and execute the long-term vision of the team
- Execute technical strategy for broad or complex requirements with insightful and forward-looking approaches that go beyond the direct team and solve large open-ended problems
- Utilize agentic development tools like Claude Code to automate parts of the development process
- Improve engineering standards, tooling, and processes throughout the organization
What We Look For
- 5+ years of experience as a backend software engineer
- A strong understanding of Domain-Driven Design, distributed systems, and how architectural decisions affect performance and maintainability
- Proficiency with data models, API design (http and RPC), state machines, event-driven architecture, and database design
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. Must be proficient in asynchronous communication–written tech specs, ADRs, project plans, etc.
- Experience designing, developing, and launching backend systems (our stack: AWS, gRPC, Snowflake, Kotlin, Python, MySQL, Kubernetes). Java and Kotlin experience are especially helpful.
- Prior experience with monitoring and alerting systems (sentry.io, rollbar, chronosphere, kibana)
Pay Grade - N
Equity Grade - 9
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 equity rewards, monthly stipends for health, wellness and tech spending, and benefits (including 100% subsidized medical coverage, dental and vision for you and your dependents.)
USA base pay range (CA, WA, NY, NJ, CT) per year: 195,000 - 255,000
USA base pay range (all other U.S. states) per year: 173,000 - 233,000
#LI-Remote
Remote-first with flexibility built in
Affirm is proud to be a remote-first company. Most roles can be done from almost anywhere within the country of employment. Some positions may occasionally require in-person work at an Affirm office, and a few are office-based due to the nature of the work. All new hires will be invited to attend an in-person onboarding experience.
Benefits designed for you
Our benefits reflect our commitment to care, transparency, and flexibility. Here are a few highlights:
- Health coverage at no cost: We cover 100% of premiums for employees and their dependents.
- Spending stipends: Monthly stipends support your tech setup, and the ability to choose health and wellness options that are right for you.
- Time off to recharge: Flexible time off and generous holiday calendars help you rest when you need to.
- Own a piece of what you build: Our employee stock purchase plan (ESPP) lets you buy Affirm stock at a discount.
We’re committed to providing an inclusive interview process, including accommodations for candidates with disabilities. If you need support, we’re happy to help.
For positions based in San Francisco or Los Angeles: Affirm considers qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, as required by law.
By clicking "Submit Application," you acknowledge that you have read Affirm's Global Candidate Privacy Notice and consent to the use of your personal information as described.
Skills Required
- 5+ years of experience as a backend software engineer
- Strong understanding of Domain-Driven Design and distributed systems
- Proficiency with data models, API design, state machines, event-driven architecture, database design
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
- Experience with AWS, gRPC, Snowflake, Kotlin, Python, MySQL, Kubernetes
- Prior experience with monitoring and alerting systems
What the Team is Saying
Affirm Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Affordable Benefits — Zero-premium healthcare for employees and dependents is highlighted, with the benefits portal showing $0 payroll contributions and company-paid premiums for medical, dental, and vision in 2026. Transparent plan-cost displays further underscore the low out-of-pocket burden.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — A wide mix is outlined, including Flexible Time Off for exempt employees, 20 accrued vacation days for non-exempt employees, Health Days, Bereavement, Life Happens leave, jury duty, and company-wide Away Days to reduce distractions. These programs collectively point to generous paid time provisions beyond standard PTO.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — No‑cost mental health support is offered via Lyra, and Forma-administered wallets provide substantial monthly stipends (e.g., Lifestyle and Tech) along with a S.A.F.E. family‑building wallet with a $20,000 lifetime maximum. This combination indicates strong support for everyday wellness and major life events.
Affirm Insights
What We Do
At Affirm, we help people say yes to the things that matter with flexible, transparent ways to pay over time. No hidden fees, no compound interest, and no fine print—just a smarter way to spend.
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.
