Staff Engineer, Platform & Systems

This is not a “ticket taker” role. You’ll define problems, design solutions, and ship.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own the design and evolution of core platform and systems architecture.

• Lead complex technical initiatives end-to-end, from concept to production.

• Make high-leverage technical decisions that balance speed, reliability, and scale.

• Raise the technical bar through design reviews, mentoring, and hands-on leadership.

• Partner closely with product to translate business needs into robust technical solutions.

• Identify and resolve performance, scalability, and reliability bottlenecks.

• Help define engineering best practices as we scale the team and platform.

YOU MIGHT THRIVE IF

• You have 9+ years of experience building and operating production systems.

• You’ve operated at Staff or Principal level (or equivalent scope), even if the title wasn’t official.

• You’re strong in systems design and can reason clearly about tradeoffs.

• You move fast but care deeply about correctness, reliability, and maintainability.

• You’re comfortable owning ambiguous problems and defining the path forward.

• You’ve built or scaled platforms used by real customers at meaningful volume.

• You enjoy being hands-on — writing code, reviewing designs, and unblocking teams.

Bonus points if you’ve worked with: distributed systems, Voice AI, real-time systems, APIs at scale, infra/platform work, or developer-facing products.

WHY THIS ROLE

• Real ownership over core systems.

• Direct influence on product and company direction.

• A small, high-caliber team with very little process drag.

• Problems that matter — to customers, revenue, and scale.

If you want a role where your decisions visibly shape the company, this is it.

JOB DETAILS

• Cash: $ 240-$300k

• Equity : Offers Equity

• Location : Redwood City, CA, US

• US Visas : Retell AI is open to sponsoring work authorization for qualified candidates, including H-1B, TN, L-1, E-3, F-1 (OPT/CPT), and O-1 visas.

OTHER BENEFITS

• 100% coverage for medical, dental, and vision insurance

• $70/day DoorDash credit for unlimited breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks

• $200/month wellness reimbursement (gym, fitness classes, etc.)

• $300/month commuter reimbursement (gas, Caltrain, etc.)

• $75/month phone bill reimbursement

• $50/month internet reimbursement

COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY

• Best Offer Upfront: Choose from three cash-equity balance options; no negotiation needed.

• Top 1% Talent: Above-market pay (top 5 percentile) to attract exceptional builders.

• High Ownership: Small teams, >$1M revenue/employee, and significant equity.

• Performance-Based: Offers tied to interview performance, not experience or past salaries.

INTERVIEW PROCESS

1. Recruiter Screen (15min): Speak with a member of the talent team to learn more about us and which team you would be a good fit for.

2. Technical Interview (45 min): Practical coding session focused on code fluency and system design (For frontend roles, we will focus on React-specific questions. For backend roles, we take a technology-agnostic approach.)

3. Technical Interview (45 min): This is a systems design-focused interview. There will be no coding; we want to assess your skills in systems design.

4. Onsite/Virtual Interviews (2–3 hrs): Hosted in our office if located in the Bay Area or virtual, with three rounds:

A meeting lands on your calendar

If they’re a yes, I book the chat. You show up — that’s the whole job-hunt.