Staff Software Engineer: Catalog Foundations

Since we opened our doors in 2009, the world of commerce has evolved immensely, and so has Square. After enabling anyone to take payments and never miss a sale, we saw sellers stymied by disparate, outmoded products and tools that wouldn't work together.
So we expanded into software and started building integrated, omnichannel solutions - to help sellers sell online, manage inventory, offer buy now, pay later functionality, book appointments, engage loyal buyers, and hire and pay staff. Across it all, we've embedded financial services tools at the point of sale, so merchants can access a business loan and manage their cash flow in one place. Afterpay furthers our goal to provide omnichannel tools that unlock meaningful value and growth, enabling sellers to capture the next generation shopper, increase order sizes, and compete at a larger scale.
Today, we are a partner to sellers of all sizes - large, enterprise-scale businesses with complex operations, sellers just starting, as well as merchants who began selling with Square and have grown larger over time. As our sellers grow, so do our solutions. There is a massive opportunity in front of us. We're building a significant, meaningful, and lasting business, and we are helping sellers worldwide do the same.
The Role
The Catalog Foundations team owns the core services that power how Square sellers manage their catalogs. We ensure the platform is reliable, performant, and scalable, while enabling internal teams and sellers with superior support and extensibility.
We're looking for a Staff Software Engineer to define technical direction, champion best practices, and make high-impact investments in the foundations that accelerate Square's ecosystem. You'll collaborate across teams, drive architecture and design decisions, and mentor engineers to deliver resilient, future-ready systems.
You Will

• Design, build, and evolve Square's catalog systems and APIs
• Lead cross-team initiatives and guide technical direction
• Solve complex performance and scalability challenges at scale
• Clearly communicate tradeoffs and advocate for long-term solutions
• Set high engineering standards and mentor engineers across the team

You Have

• 12+ years of software development experience
• Expertise in large-scale distributed systems
• Familiarity with Go and strong data modeling/management skills
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and make data-driven decisions
• Experience across the full development lifecycle, from product definition to delivery

Even Better

• Background in unified catalog or marketplace systems
• Experience supporting internal and external developers in large, complex organizations

Technologies We Use and Teach

• Golang
• MySQL, DynamoDB, OpenSearch, Redis
• Protocol Buffers, gRPC, Kafka, Terraform, Kubernetes, Temporal IO, Envoy
• AWS and other cloud platform

At Block, our purpose is to empower - within and outside of our walls. In order to build the best tools for the businesses and customers we support all over the world, we have to start at home with a workforce as diverse and empowered as our sellers. To this end, we take great care to evaluate all employees and job applicants equally, based on merit, competence, and qualifications. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, social or health conditions, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. Applicants in need of special assistance or accommodation during the interview process or in accessing our website may contact us by sending an email to assistance(at)squareup.com.
Block takes a market-based approach to pay, and pay may vary depending on your location. U.S. locations are categorized into one of four zones based on a cost of labor index for that geographic area. The successful candidate's starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future.
To find a location's zone designation, please refer to this resource . If a location of interest is not listed, please speak with a recruiter for additional information.
Zone A:
$263,600 - $395,400 USD
Zone B:
$263,600 - $395,400 USD
Zone C:
$263,600 - $395,400 USD
Zone D:
$263,600 - $395,400 USD
Use of AI in Our Hiring Process
We may use automated AI tools to evaluate job applications for efficiency and consistency. These tools comply with local regulations, including bias audits, and we handle all personal data in accordance with state and local privacy laws.
Contact us at [email protected] with hiring practice or data usage questions.
Every benefit we offer is designed with one goal: empowering you to do the best work of your career while building the life you want. Remote work, medical insurance, flexible time off, retirement savings plans, and modern family planning are just some of our offering. Check out our other benefits at Block.
Block, Inc. (NYSE: XYZ) builds technology to increase access to the global economy. Each of our brands unlocks different aspects of the economy for more people. Square makes commerce and financial services accessible to sellers. Cash App is the easy way to spend, send, and store money. Afterpay is transforming the way customers manage their spending over time. TIDAL is a music platform that empowers artists to thrive as entrepreneurs. Bitkey is a simple self-custody wallet built for bitcoin. Proto is a suite of bitcoin mining products and services. Together, we're helping build a financial system that is open to everyone.