Senior Software Engineer - Backend

Posted 21 Days Ago
Easy Apply
2 Locations
In-Office
140K-193K Annually
Senior level
Artificial Intelligence • Fintech • Hardware • Information Technology • Sales • Software • Transportation
Unlock the potential of the physical economy.
The Role
Build and operate scalable, highly observable backend services and stream-processing pipelines (Kafka, Flink) to process telemetry from hundreds of thousands of IoT devices, powering geofencing, alerts, trip construction, and APIs. Collaborate with Embedded/IoT teams, own infrastructure on cloud (AWS/GCP/Azure), reduce technical debt, and mentor teammates.
Summary Generated by Built In

Who we are:

Motive empowers the people who run physical operations with tools to make their work safer, more productive, and more profitable. For the first time ever, safety, operations and finance teams can manage their drivers, vehicles, equipment, and fleet related spend in a single system. Combined with industry leading AI, the Motive platform gives you complete visibility and control, and significantly reduces manual workloads by automating and simplifying tasks.

Motive serves nearly 100,000 customers – from Fortune 500 enterprises to small businesses – across a wide range of industries, including transportation and logistics, construction, energy, field service, manufacturing, agriculture, food and beverage, retail, and the public sector.

Visit gomotive.com to learn more.

About the Role:

As a Senior Software Engineer on the Equipment Monitoring team, you will build the backend systems that give fleets unmatched visibility into the location, utilization, and health of their equipment - trailers, reefers, construction machinery, and small assets. Our data comes from IoT devices in the field: Asset Gateways, BLE environmental and door sensors, and Beacons. You will design and operate the ingestion and stream-processing pipelines (Kafka, Flink) that turn this raw sensor telemetry into accurate real-time locations, geofence events, trips, and alerts. You will collaborate closely with our Embedded/firmware and IoT teams on device payloads and end-to-end data flows, making this a great role for engineers who enjoy working near the hardware while building cloud services at scale.

What You'll Do:
  • Develop highly observable, reliable, and scalable backend services that process telemetry from hundreds of thousands of IoT devices (sensors, beacons, asset gateways).
  • Build and operate stream-processing pipelines (Kafka, Flink) powering geo-fencing, alerting, trip construction, and asset location.
  • Design, build, and maintain scalable APIs for both internal and external applications.
  • Collaborate with Embedded, IoT, and cross-functional teams on device data contracts and end-to-end feature delivery.
  • Champion engineering excellence by proactively reducing technical debt and improving code quality.
  • Leverage AI tools such as Cursor, CoPilot to increase productivity and code quality.
  • Actively work on our AWS Cloud infrastructure, and mentor and learn from other engineers to foster a culture of continuous growth.
What We're Looking For:
  • B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science or related field
  • 5+ years software development experience
  • Experience building distributed systems and event-driven/stream-processing pipelines (Kafka, Flink, Kinesis or similar)
  • Experience in modern programming languages. Proficiency in Ruby, Golang, Kotlin/Java is a plus.
  • Experience with Relational and NoSQL databases such as PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, Redis, and Cassandra
  • Experience building for Cloud Infrastructure such as AWS, GCP, Azure or private clouds
  • Experience with IoT/sensor data or geospatial systems (geofencing, location) is a plus
  • Ownership and Problem Solving mindset
  • Hybrid in the office two days a week
Pay Transparency
Your compensation may be based on several factors, including education, work experience, and certifications. For certain roles, total compensation may include restricted stock units. Motive offers benefits including health, pharmacy, optical and dental care benefits, paid time off, sick time off, short term and long term disability coverage, life insurance as well as 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). Learn more about our benefits by visiting
Motive Perks & Benefits
The base compensation range for this role is:
$140,000$193,000 USD

Creating a diverse and inclusive workplace is one of Motive's core values. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities and perspectives. 

Please review our Candidate Privacy Notice here.

UK Candidate Privacy Notice here.

The applicant must be authorized to receive and access those commodities and technologies controlled under U.S. Export Administration Regulations. It is Motive's policy to require that employees be authorized to receive access to Motive products and technology. 

All job postings are for existing vacancies. Please note; some interviews or new-hire training sessions may be held in person at one of our global offices.

Skills Required

  • B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science or related field
  • 5+ years software development experience
  • Experience building distributed systems and event-driven/stream-processing pipelines (Kafka, Flink, Kinesis or similar)
  • Experience with modern programming languages (experience with Ruby, Golang, Kotlin/Java is a plus)
  • Experience with relational and NoSQL databases such as PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, Redis, Cassandra
  • Experience building for cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure or private clouds)
  • Experience with IoT/sensor data or geospatial systems (geofencing, location)
  • Ability to design, build, and maintain scalable APIs
  • Hybrid work in the office two days a week
  • Authorized to receive and access commodities and technologies controlled under U.S. Export Administration Regulations

What the Team is Saying

Laura
Valerie
Angie
Brad
Breanna
Greg
Elle
Elle
Jessica Demarest

Motive Compensation & Benefits Highlights

  • Healthcare Strength The package includes medical, dental, and vision coverage along with free mental‑health support through Lyra Health, indicating strong core healthcare provisions. Materials also reference life and disability insurance and tax‑advantaged accounts, reinforcing breadth in health-related support.
  • Leave & Time Off Breadth Generous or unlimited PTO, local holidays, sick leave, and enhanced parental leave are highlighted, pointing to wide coverage across time‑off categories. Employer pages and benefits listings consistently present time away from work as a standout element.
  • Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits A remote‑first, flexible work setup with a work‑from‑home stipend and optional in‑office perks (e.g., meals/snacks) supports day‑to‑day wellbeing. The presence of ERGs and development programs adds lifestyle and culture-oriented benefits beyond core insurance.

Motive Insights

Am I A Good Fit?
beta
Get Personalized Job Insights.
Our AI-powered fit analysis compares your resume with a job listing so you know if your skills & experience align.

The Company
HQ: San Francisco, CA
4,000 Employees
Year Founded: 2013

What We Do

Motive builds technology to improve the safety, productivity, and profitability of businesses that power the physical economy. The Motive Automated Operations Platform combines IoT hardware with AI-powered applications to automate vehicle and equipment tracking, driver safety, compliance, maintenance, spend management, and more. Motive serves more than 120,000 businesses, across a wide range of industries including trucking and logistics, construction, oil and gas, food and beverage, field service, agriculture, passenger transit, and delivery. Visit gomotive.com to learn more.

Why Work With Us

We work hard, with humility and we see our efforts rewarded in tangible ways every day. At Motive, you’ll have the chance to make a difference for the drivers who keep our world moving. We trust each other to do great work because together we can achieve collective goals that reach beyond the physical economy.

Gallery

Gallery
Gallery
Gallery
Gallery
Gallery
Gallery
Gallery
Gallery
Gallery
Gallery

Motive Offices

Remote Workspace

Employees work remotely.

Typical time on-site: None
HQSan Francisco, CA
Company Office Image
MX
GB
Austin, TX
Bengaluru, IN
Buffalo, NY
Nashville, TN
Taipei City, Taiwan
Vancouver, BC
Learn more

Similar Jobs

Motive Logo Motive

Support Engineer

Artificial Intelligence • Fintech • Hardware • Information Technology • Sales • Software • Transportation
Easy Apply
In-Office
5 Locations
4000 Employees
125K-170K Annually

Motive Logo Motive

Director, Developer Platform & Experience

Artificial Intelligence • Fintech • Hardware • Information Technology • Sales • Software • Transportation
Easy Apply
In-Office
2 Locations
4000 Employees
229K-285K Annually

Motive Logo Motive

Senior Product Manager

Artificial Intelligence • Fintech • Hardware • Information Technology • Sales • Software • Transportation
Easy Apply
In-Office
Seattle, WA, USA
4000 Employees
150K-200K Annually

Motive Logo Motive

Director Of Engineering

Artificial Intelligence • Fintech • Hardware • Information Technology • Sales • Software • Transportation
Easy Apply
In-Office
2 Locations
4000 Employees
229K-285K Annually

Sign up now Access later

Create Free Account

Please log in or sign up to report this job.

Create Free Account