Senior Software Engineer, Data Platform

Plenful

$130K — $180K *
Information Technology
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5+ years in software engineering with a focus on backend or data infrastructure
  • Expertise in relational databases, schema design, and query optimization
  • Proven experience with evolving complex data models in growing systems
  • Skilled in operating large-scale production systems, particularly in reliability
  • Proficient in backend coding, particularly in Python, though language-agnostic
  • Strength in reliability practices including observability and data integrity
  • Ability to make informed decisions amidst evolving requirements and incomplete information

Responsibilities

  • Own the design and evolution of the core data model including entities and audit trails
  • Construct the data layer for AI interactions emphasizing compliance and expressiveness
  • Define the structure, versioning, and querying of domain knowledge as the platform grows
  • Establish data contracts and APIs for stable feature team integration
  • Enhance platform reliability to scale with customer base without performance loss
  • Set strategic technical direction for the data platform in collaboration with product and team leads

Benefits

  • Unlimited PTO and fully funded health insurance (medical, dental, vision)
  • Meal and wellness stipends
  • 401(k) matching and stock options
  • Work with a mission-driven, world-class team committed to impact
  • Growth opportunities through collaboration with experienced leaders
  • Flexible hybrid work arrangement with in-office requirements
Full Job Description
About the role
We are hiring a Senior Software Engineer to own the data platform that powers Plenful's automation engine. You will operate as the technical owner of this layer - setting direction, making architectural calls, and writing code.

Our platform automates complex, multi-step processes in a regulated healthcare domain. The data layer underneath - how we model domain entities, serve rich context to AI-driven automation, and maintain auditability across every decision - is the foundation on which everything else is built. The stack is AWS, Postgres, and Python. It needs to be fast, correct, and built to evolve.

This is greenfield platform work with real constraints: healthcare compliance, rapid customer growth, and AI systems that depend on the quality of the data you provide them. You will define core data abstractions, shape how the platform represents and queries its operational world, and build the systems that let feature teams ship with confidence.

What you'll do

  • Own the design and evolution of the core data model - domain entities, actions, and the audit trail that governs every automated decision
  • Build the data layer that AI agents read from and write to: expressive enough that models can reason over operational context, governed enough for healthcare compliance
  • Define how domain knowledge is structured, versioned, and queried - laying the groundwork for increasingly rich context, serving as the platform matures
  • Establish data contracts and APIs that give feature teams clean, stable interfaces to build against
  • Drive platform reliability as we double our customer base and traffic without degrading performance
  • Set technical direction for the data platform in partnership with the product, and feature team leads

What success looks like

  • A well-governed, scalable data platform that becomes a lasting competitive advantage
  • Clear data contracts and boundaries that let feature teams ship rapidly and safely
  • Platform stability and performance as the customer base and traffic double
  • A defensible data foundation that compounds in value as AI capabilities evolve


What we're looking for
Must have

  • 5+ years of professional software engineering experience building backend or data infrastructure in production
  • Deep expertise in relational databases: schema design, query performance, data modeling tradeoffs
  • Track record designing and evolving data models in complex, growing systems
  • Experience operating production systems at scale, including incident response and reliability work
  • Hands-on coding ability in backend systems (Python-heavy environment, but language agnostic)
  • Strong reliability instincts: observability, testing, data integrity
  • Ability to make good decisions with incomplete information - e.g., designing data models when the domain is still being codified,and product requirements are evolving alongside AI capabilities

Nice to have

  • Experience in healthcare, fintech, or other compliance-heavy infrastructure environments
  • Background at high-throughput infrastructure companies (Stripe, Brex, Notion, or similar)
  • Practical understanding of applied AI systems - how models consume structured data, not pure ML research
  • Comfort in customer-facing technical discussions

Plenful perks

  • Comprehensive Benefits Package: Enjoy unlimited PTO, fully covered health insurance (medical, dental, and vision), meal stipend, health & wellness stipend, 401(k) matching, and stock options
  • Mission-Driven, World-Class Team: Join an exceptional group of professionals aligned around a meaningful mission and committed to making an impact
  • Opportunities for Growth: Strengthen your partnership expertise through collaboration with experienced, high-performing leaders across the organization
  • Flexible Hybrid Work Environment: This position is would be based out of our downtown San Francisco office 2 days a week.
    #LI-hybrid

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