Senior Software Engineer II, Conversational Search

Company Description
Etsy is the global marketplace for unique and creative goods. We build, power, and evolve the tools and technologies that connect millions of entrepreneurs with millions of buyers around the world. As an Etsy employee, you will tackle unique, meaningful, and large-scale problems alongside passionate coworkers, all the while making a rewarding impact and Keeping Commerce Human.

We believe exceptional companies are built by exceptional teams, and we're intentional about it. That means hiring great people, setting them up for success from day one, and giving them real reasons to grow their careers here. We invest in development that goes beyond promotions, and we foster the trust and relationships that help people do their best work together.

What's the role?

We are looking for a Senior Software Engineer II to join Conversational Search, part of the Search Experience team in Buyer Experience. You'll build the web experiences that help buyers go from a broad or unclear idea to an item they love. You'll work with web and full-stack engineers alongside Product, Design, Research, Content Design and Analytics. You'll also partner with our Search ML and retrieval teams.

Here's a sample of the problems we're solving:

• How can a buyer describe what they want in their own words, like the recipient, occasion, mood or budget, and get relevant results without needing the right keyword?
• How can search keep context from one step to the next, so that each refinement narrows results instead of starting over?
• How can we guide buyers who don't know where to start, without overwhelming them with Etsy's breadth of one-of-a-kind inventory?
• How can we help buyers quickly find high-quality items from real, human sellers?
  

This is a full-time position reporting to the Engineering Manager, Conversational Search.

What's this team like at Etsy?

Search is where nearly half of Etsy purchases begin. Conversational Search is exploring how natural-language, assisted search can help buyers find the right item with less effort. The team works in an iterative, learning-focused way: we prototype, run research and A/B experiments, and let buyer behavior guide what we build next.

What does the day-to-day look like?

• Build and ship buyer-facing search experiences on Etsy web, both desktop and mobile web, using PHP, JavaScript and TypeScript through our continuous delivery pipeline.
• Prototype, optimize and productionize large-scale product improvements, including LLM-powered and conversational features.
• Run A/B experiments and use data to decide what to build next.
• Lead moderately complex, loosely scoped projects from technical planning through launch, either on your own or by leading teammates.
• Collaborate with product managers, designers, researchers, analysts and ML partners to deliver the best experience to millions of buyers.
• Mentor other engineers and help raise the bar for code quality, performance and accessibility.
• Of course, this is just a sample of the kinds of work this role will require! You should assume that your role will encompass other tasks, too, and that your job duties and responsibilities may change occasionally at Etsy's discretion, or otherwise applicable with local law.
  

Qualities that will help you thrive in this role are:

• 5+ years of professional software development experience, with a strong focus on building web front ends.
• Proficiency in JavaScript/TypeScript and a modern component framework (we use Preact). Comfort working on server-side code such as PHP.
• A product engineering mindset: you care about users' problems and enjoy working with product and design partners to solve them.
• An analytical approach, including experience using experiments and data to make informed product decisions.
• Experience writing understandable, testable and maintainable code in a large codebase, and leaving things better than you found them.
• Interest in, or experience building, LLM-powered or conversational product experiences (a plus, not required).
• Experience with search, discovery or recommendations products (a plus).
• Strong communication skills and a willingness to mentor teammates and peers.
  

Compensation & Benefits

In addition to salary, you'll be eligible for an equity package, an annual performance bonus, and our competitive benefits that support you and your family. Base salary is determined by your location, skills, and experience.

Etsy uses two geographic pay zones to reflect the labor markets where we compete for talent: one called Geo-1, covering the New York City metropolitan area, San Francisco Bay Area, and Seattle metropolitan area, and one called Geo-2, covering all other U.S. locations. Salary ranges for this role vary by zone and are listed below.

Location

We prioritize candidates based within commutable distance of Etsy’s Brooklyn Office. Depending on proximity, we ask team members to come in once or twice per week. Remote candidates outside commutable distance may be considered on a case-by-case basis, with the expectation of occasional travel to the office. Learn more details about our work modes and workplace safety policies here.

Salary Range:

What's Next

If you're interested in joining the team at Etsy, please share your resume with us and feel free to include a cover letter if you'd like. As we hope you've seen already, Etsy is a place that values individuality and variety. We don't want you to be like everyone else -- we want you to be like you! So tell us what you're all about.

Our Promise

At Etsy, we believe that a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace furthers relevance, resilience, and longevity. We encourage people from all backgrounds, ages, abilities, and experiences to apply. Etsy is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, religion or creed, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, citizenship or immigration status, marital or familial status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status**, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law**. If, due to a disability, you need an accommodation during any part of the interview or hiring process, please let your recruiter know and we will work with you to meet your needs. While Etsy supports visa sponsorship, sponsorship opportunities may be limited to certain roles and skills.