Staff Software Engineer - Backend
Who we are:
We are a leader in fraud prevention and AML compliance. Our platform uses device intelligence, behavior biometrics, machine learning, and AI to stop fraud before it happens. Today, over 300 banks, retailers, and fintechs worldwide use Sardine to stop identity fraud, payment fraud, account takeovers, and social engineering scams. We have raised $145M from world-class investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Activant, Visa, Experian, FIS, and Google Ventures.
Our culture:
We have hubs in the Bay Area, NYC, Austin, Toronto, and São Paulo. However, we maintain a remote-first work culture. #WorkFromAnywhere
We hire talented, self-motivated individuals with extreme ownership and high growth orientation.
We value performance and not hours worked. We believe you shouldn't have to miss your family dinner, your kid's school play, friends get-together, or doctor's appointments for the sake of adhering to an arbitrary work schedule.
Location:
Remote - USA/Canada/Brazil
From Home / Beach / Mountain / Cafe / Anywhere!
We are a remote-first company with a globally distributed team. You can find your productive zone and work from there.
About the Role:
As a backend-focused Staff Software Engineer, you will own and lead the development of our compliance and financial crime prevention platform. This pivotal role involves designing, building, and maintaining critical systems that power KYC onboarding, sanctions screening, transaction monitoring, and regulatory reporting capabilities.
This multifaceted position involves developing new features at scale, driving technical strategy, refining internal tooling and processes, mentoring engineers, and assuming broad ownership across the platform. You will operate as a technical leader with influence beyond your immediate team, partnering with stakeholders across the organization to solve complex problems in a highly regulated domain.
The ideal candidate has a proven track record in building highly available APIs, robust data integrations, and leading technical initiatives from conception to delivery. Prior experience in the AML/CFT compliance domain is a plus, but not required.
What you’ll be doing:
Architect, design, and implement robust, efficient, and reliable backend services for KYC workflows, sanctions screening engines, and alert management systems
Build and optimize case management and alert creation pipelines that enable investigators to efficiently review and disposition suspicious activity
Develop and maintain integrations with regulatory reporting systems, including SAR filing and GoAML submissions
Collaborate closely with compliance stakeholders, product teams, and other engineering teams to translate regulatory requirements into scalable technical solutions
Contribute to developing new features and capabilities that enhance detection accuracy, reduce false positives, and streamline investigator workflows
Craft and maintain technical documentation for compliance systems, ensuring auditability and facilitating regulatory examinations
Play a pivotal role in shaping our company's engineering culture, ensuring the maintenance of high engineering standards across the organization
What you’ll need:
A minimum of 7 years of proven experience as a Software Engineer specializing in web backend development and complex system integrations
A track record of successfully delivering high-quality production services, particularly those involving high-throughput data processing and real-time screening
Proficiency in Golang is a significant advantage
Proficient in English—from casual chats to formal reports
Nice to Have:
Experience in regulated industries such as financial services (AML/KYC), healthcare (HIPAA), background screening, payment security (PCI-DSS), or similar compliance-driven environments
Familiarity with SAR/STR filing processes and GoAML or similar regulatory reporting formats
Experience with case management systems, alert workflows, and investigation tooling
Benefits we offer:
Generous compensation in cash and equity
Early exercise for all options, including pre-vested
Work from anywhere: Remote-first Culture
Flexible paid time off and Year-end break
Health insurance, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents - US and Canada specific
4% matching in 401k / RRSP - US and Canada specific
MacBook Pro delivered to your door
One-time stipend to set up a home office — desk, chair, screen, etc.
Monthly meal stipend
Monthly social meet-up stipend
Annual health and wellness stipend
Annual Learning stipend
Join a fast-growing company with world-class professionals from around the world. If you are seeking a meaningful career, you found the right place, and we would love to hear from you.
To learn more about how we process your personal information and your rights in regards to your personal information as an applicant and Sardine employee, please visit our Applicant and Worker Privacy Notice.