Staff CIAM Software Engineer

Role overview

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and operate CIAM services for registration, authentication, authorization, account lifecycle, and profile management.
• Implement OAuth 2.0, OIDC, SAML, and SCIM standards in code.
• Develop Python and Kotlin backend APIs for web, mobile, and partner applications.
• Integrate identity platforms with user data stores, messaging, fraud signals, and customer systems.
• Own MFA, step-up authentication, device binding, consent, and adaptive authentication flows.
• Automate infrastructure and deployments with Infrastructure as Code and CI/CD; monitor and optimize reliability, performance, and abuse detection.
• Plan and deliver major system features, components, and deprecations with maintainable code.

Experience and qualifications

• The description cites 7+ years designing, developing, and launching backend systems at scale and 5+ years of professional backend engineering experience.
• Strong hands-on CIAM experience and knowledge of OAuth 2.0, OIDC, SAML, and SCIM beyond basic configuration.
• Production experience in Python or a similar backend language; Kotlin is used in the role.
• Experience with APIs, automation frameworks, distributed systems, CI/CD, GitHub workflows, and Buildkite or a similar build system.
• Cloud-native development experience is required; AWS is preferred.
• Experience extending and integrating CIAM platforms such as Okta, Auth0, Ping Identity, ForgeRock, or Azure AD B2C.
• Knowledge of backend systems fundamentals, Infrastructure as Code, Terraform, observability, and security engineering.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Relevant technologies

• The description references AWS, MySQL, Spark, and Kubernetes as technologies used in scaled distributed systems.
• Experience with Cursor or other AI-augmented development environments is listed as familiarity.

Compensation

• Annual base pay range is $230,000–$290,000 in CA, WA, NY, NJ, and CT; $204,000–$264,000 in other U.S. states.
• Compensation may also include equity, monthly health, wellness, and technology stipends, and benefits.

Workplace

• Affirm describes itself as remote-first, with most roles available from almost anywhere within the country of employment.
• Some positions may occasionally require in-person office work; all new hires are invited to in-person onboarding.

Benefits

• Benefits include employer-paid health coverage, spending stipends, flexible time off, holidays, and an employee stock purchase plan.