Staff Backend Engineer, Media Foundation

Airbnb, a leading global travel and accommodation platform founded in 2007, is seeking a Staff Backend Engineer to join their Media Foundation team within the Client & Product Foundation organization. This role presents an exciting opportunity to shape the future of media infrastructure at a company that has facilitated over 2 billion guest arrivals worldwide.

The Media Foundation team is responsible for building and operating end-to-end media infrastructure solutions that power images, videos, and rich media across Airbnb's platform. As a Staff Backend Engineer, you'll be at the forefront of designing and implementing scalable systems that process and serve billions of media assets efficiently.

The role combines technical leadership with hands-on engineering work, requiring expertise in media systems, distributed computing, and modern programming languages like Java and Kotlin. You'll be responsible for driving architectural decisions, leading technical initiatives, and mentoring other engineers while working on complex, large-scale distributed systems.

Key responsibilities include designing high-performance backend services, leading architectural decisions, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and fostering technical excellence. The position requires 9+ years of software development experience, with at least 3 years specifically in media systems, and strong expertise in AI/ML-based media processing.

The position offers competitive compensation ($204,000 - $255,000 USD), along with bonus potential, equity, benefits, and Employee Travel Credits. While the role is US Remote-eligible, it may require occasional office visits or offsite attendance. Airbnb's commitment to inclusion and belonging makes this an excellent opportunity for those seeking to make a significant impact in a diverse, innovative environment.