Role overview

Qualifications

7+ years of backend software development experience delivering scalable, production systems end-to-end
Proficiency in at least one backend language such as Ruby, Python, or Go
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including authoring technical artifacts
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent practical experience

Responsibilities

Own and drive complex platform workstreams end-to-end
Design, build, and operate high-quality, high-throughput distributed backend services
Analyze and refine service and data architectures; propose and lead new systems
Drive the adoption of modern technologies and AI toolsets

Key facts

Remote from: United States
Full time
Mid-level (2-5 years)
Logistics Associate
202 - 242K yearly
English

Hard skills

Back End (Software Engineering) RubyGems Python (Programming Language) Distributed Computing Observability Incident Response Data Architecture Compliance Management Ruby On Rails PostgreSQL Redis Amazon Web Services Geospatial Analysis System Optimization Load Balancing Low Latency

Other skills

Communication
Adaptability
Problem Solving

About the company

Instacart

E-commerce & Online Marketplaces

Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, works with grocers and retailers to transform how people shop. The company partners with more than 1,200 national, regional, and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 80,000 stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace. Instacart makes it possible for millions of people to get the groceries they need from the retailers they love, and for approximately 600,000 Instacart shoppers to earn by picking, packing and delivering orders on their own flexible schedule. The Instacart Platform offers retailers a suite of enterprise-grade technology products and services to power their e-commerce experiences, fulfill orders, digitize brick-and-mortar stores, provide advertising services, and glean insights. With Instacart Ads, thousands of CPG brands – from category leaders to emerging brands – partner with the company to connect directly with consumers online, right at the point of purchase. With Instacart Health, the company is providing tools to increase nutrition security, make healthy choices easier for consumers, and expand the role that food can play in improving health outcomes. For more information, visit www.instacart.com/company, and to start shopping, visit www.instacart.com.

Company details

Company typeLarge

IndustryE-commerce & Online Marketplaces

Company size1001 - 5000

Links

Website LinkedIn See all jobs

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Job description

We're transforming the grocery industry

At Instacart, we invite the world to share love through food because we believe everyone should have access to the food they love and more time to enjoy it together. Where others see a simple need for grocery delivery, we see exciting complexity and endless opportunity to serve the varied needs of our community. We work to deliver an essential service that customers rely on to get their groceries and household goods, while also offering safe and flexible earnings opportunities to Instacart Personal Shoppers.

Instacart has become a lifeline for millions of people, and we’re building the team to help push our shopping cart forward. If you’re ready to do the best work of your life, come join our table.

Instacart is a Flex First team

There’s no one-size fits all approach to how we do our best work. Our employees have the flexibility to choose where they do their best work—whether it’s from home, an office, or your favorite coffee shop—while staying connected and building community through regular in-person events. Learn more about our flexible approach to where we work.

Overview

The Logistics Foundation team is a cornerstone of Instacart’s fulfillment platform, advancing foundational systems that power earnings, pricing, routing, batching, matching, dispatch, and geospatial capabilities. Our mission is to unlock new capabilities and business impact through scalable, reliable architecture that elevates both engineers and AI agents, enabling efficient, compliant logistics at scale.

We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer to lead complex, high-visibility platform initiatives end-to-end. In this role, you will collaborate closely with cross-functional partners across Legal, Finance, Policy, Shopper, Enterprise Fulfillment, Operations, and Expansions to deliver resilient systems against hard external deadlines. You’ll join a high-impact group of approximately 15 engineers within a broader Logistics Serving and Foundation organization of about 30 engineers. This is a remote-friendly role across the U.S. and Canada, with a slight preference for candidates in the San Francisco Bay Area or Toronto.

About the Job

Own and drive complex platform workstreams end-to-end — from engineering design docs through implementation, launch coordination, war room monitoring, and ongoing support.
Design, build, and operate high-quality, high-throughput distributed backend services with clear SLOs, robust observability, and well-run on-call/incident response practices.
Analyze and refine service and data architectures; propose and lead new systems that improve reliability, scalability, and operational excellence.
Establish and champion engineering standards through rigorous design reviews, production readiness, on-call ownership, and continuous improvement of instrumentation and alerting.
Partner with Legal, Finance, and Policy to deliver compliance-ready solutions across multiple jurisdictions and regulatory frameworks, balancing urgency with long-term maintainability.
Drive the adoption of modern technologies and AI toolsets to accelerate development, improve quality, and increase delivery velocity; mentor peers and influence platform roadmaps.
Contribute across critical fulfillment domains — earnings, pricing, routing, batching, matching, dispatch, and geospatial — delivering solutions that directly impact customers, shoppers, and partners.

About You

You thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments, communicate clearly with technical and non-technical partners, and take ownership to deliver durable solutions under tight deadlines.

Minimum Qualifications

7+ years of backend software development experience delivering scalable, production systems end-to-end.
Proficiency in at least one backend language such as Ruby, Python, or Go.
Hands-on experience building and operating large-scale distributed backend services with defined SLOs, on-call ownership, observability, and incident response.
Proven track record independently leading complex, cross-functional projects with high ambiguity and hard external deadlines.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including authoring technical artifacts (e.g., ERDs, design docs) and coordinating launches with non-engineering stakeholders.
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with compliance-sensitive systems (e.g., pay systems, SOX, GDPR, government policy/labor regulations).
Technical experience with Ruby on Rails, Python, Golang, Postgres, Redis, and AWS.
Experience with geospatial systems, mapping, or multi-jurisdiction rule engines.
Familiarity with marketplace or logistics domain problems.
Proficiency in system performance optimization, including CPU utilization, load balancing, and latency reduction.
Experience collaborating across teams to advocate for and land platform-wide solutions.
Skilled at leveraging AI to enhance engineering velocity and efficiency.

#LI-Remote

Instacart provides highly market-competitive compensation and benefits in each location where our employees work. This role is remote and the base pay range for a successful candidate is dependent on their permanent work location. Please review our Flex First remote work policy here.

Offers may vary based on many factors, such as candidate experience and skills required for the role. Additionally, this role is eligible for a new hire equity grant as well as annual refresh grants. Please read more about our benefits offerings here.

For US based candidates, the base pay ranges for a successful candidate are listed below.

CA, NY, CT, NJ

$230,000—$242,000 USD

$220,000—$232,000 USD

OR, DE, ME, MA, MD, NH, RI, VT, DC, PA, VA, CO, TX, IL, HI

$211,000—$222,000 USD

All other states

$192,000—$202,000 USD