Airbnb

Senior Software Engineer Guest & Host

Airbnb • $135K — $160K *
US-AnywhereRemote in United States
Consumer Technology
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 6+ years of backend software engineering experience
  • Strong fundamentals in service-oriented architecture and API design
  • Proficiency in Java and/or Kotlin
  • Experience with microservices environments and RPC frameworks
  • Track record of shipping migrations with attention to backward compatibility
  • Strong written communication skills
  • Ability to navigate ambiguity in technical design

Responsibilities

  • Design and build backend services and APIs for identity and privacy enforcement
  • Contribute to large-scale migrations from legacy identity patterns
  • Define and evolve authorization logic for context-scoped data access
  • Partner with teams to ensure usability of privacy primitives
  • Participate in design and code reviews to enhance codebase correctness
  • Debug and resolve production issues with structured root-cause analysis

Benefits

  • Remote eligible position with occasional office work
  • Opportunity to work on critical systems impacting user trust
  • Collaborative environment with cross-team partnerships
  • Focus on building scalable and secure backend systems
  • Engagement in high-stakes design and code reviews
Full Job Description
The Community You Will Join:

Guest & Host Technology builds the end-to-end experience that connects people around the world. Our team owns the identity and privacy layer beneath that experience: the systems that determine who can see what about whom, in what context, and why. That includes migrating how the rest of the company references users (moving from raw, global user identifiers to relationship-scoped identity), and building the privacy controls behind features like trip sharing and profile visibility. Get this layer wrong and it either breaks trust or breaks the product; our job is to make sure it does neither.

The Difference You Will Make:

We're looking for a Senior Software Engineer to help build and scale the backend systems behind user identity and privacy. You'll be reasoning about relationship-scoped access (who's allowed to see this, given the specific context they're asking from), and building systems that other teams across the company depend on to do the same correctly.

You'll work across true backend fundamentals: service architecture, data modeling, authorization logic, and migration tooling that needs to run safely at Airbnb's scale without breaking the dozens of teams who consume these systems.

A Typical Day:
  • Design and build backend services and APIs that enforce identity and privacy rules consistently across the company's product surfaces
  • Contribute to large-scale migrations (e.g., moving service and client code off legacy identity patterns) - including the tooling that makes those migrations safe to run broadly, not just the one-off fixes
  • Define and evolve authorization logic for context-scoped data access, and reason clearly about edge cases (e.g., who's allowed to see what, and why that answer differs by relationship or product surface)
  • Partner with the teams building on top of your systems - messaging, trips, profile, and beyond - to make sure privacy primitives are usable and hard to misuse
  • Participate in design and code reviews, and raise the bar for correctness on a part of the codebase where mistakes are costly
  • Debug and resolve production issues with clear, structured root-cause analysis rather than surface-level fixes

Your Expertise:
  • 6+ years of professional backend software engineering experience, with strong fundamentals in service-oriented architecture, API design, and data modeling
  • Proficiency in Java and/or Kotlin, and comfort working within a microservices environment (RPC frameworks, service IDLs, dependency injection)
  • Experience designing systems with correctness and authorization as first-class concerns, not an afterthought
  • A track record of shipping migrations or infrastructure changes that other teams depend on, with attention to backward compatibility and rollout safety
  • Strong written communication. You can clearly document a problem, its root cause, and trade-offs between solutions before escalating or proposing a fix
  • Comfort with ambiguity: you can take a complex, evolving privacy or identity requirement and turn it into a concrete technical design without needing every detail spelled out

Your Location:

This position is US - Remote Eligible. The role may include occasional work at an Airbnb office or attendance at offsites, as agreed to with your manager. While the position is Remote Eligible, you must live in a state where Airbnb, Inc. has a registered entity. Click here for the up-to-date list of excluded states. This list is continuously evolving, so please check back with us if the state you live in is on the exclusion list . If your position is employed by another Airbnb entity, your recruiter will inform you what states you are eligible to work from.

About Airbnb

Airbnb is an online community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book accommodations through mobile phones or the Internet. The company connects travelers seeking authentic experiences with hosts offering unique, inspiring spaces. Whether the available space is a castle for a night, a sailboat for a week, or an apartment for a month, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to showcase these distinctive spaces to an audience of millions. By facilitating bookings and financial transactions, Airbnb makes the process of listing or booking a space effortless and efficient. With 4,500,000 listings in over 65,000 cities in 191 countries, the company offers the widest variety of unique spaces for everyone at any price point around the globe.

Airbnb Careers

Join the vibrant team at Airbnb, the world’s leading community-driven hospitality company, where innovation, leadership, and diversity training are at the heart of our professional ethos. At Airbnb, we offer more than just job opportunities; we provide a platform for growth, learning, and meaningful connections. Work You’ll Do Become a part of Airbnb’s dynamic team and contribute to reshaping the travel and hospitality landscape globally. Our commitment to innovation and cultural understanding sets us apart, allowing us to enhance the travel experience for millions of users worldwide. Lead with Innovation and Diversity At Airbnb, we believe in leading with innovation and embracing diversity. Our leadership is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where every team member can thrive. Diversity training is integral to our operations, ensuring that we continue to be a leader in creating inclusive travel experiences. Explore Professional Growth and Development Airbnb offers a wealth of career advancement opportunities, supported by robust training programs and professional development courses. Whether you’re looking for a full-time position or an internship, Airbnb empowers you to excel and grow your career to new heights. Join Our Global Team Work alongside a global team of passionate, creative, and solution-driven professionals. At Airbnb, we value the skills and perspectives of our diverse team members, and we continuously strive to leverage this collective power to innovate and lead in the industry. Benefits and Culture Airbnb is dedicated to providing its employees with a supportive and empowering work environment. Our benefits package is designed to enhance your life both inside and outside of work. Enjoy comprehensive health benefits, flexible working conditions, and unique perks that encourage a balance of work and life. Networking and Career Opportunities Expand your professional network within Airbnb through various networking events, mentorship programs, and collaborative projects. Our vibrant culture of connectivity opens doors to enriching career paths and professional relationships. Apply Now Ready to take the next step in your career? Explore the exciting job opportunities and internships available at Airbnb. We are actively hiring talented individuals who are passionate about making a difference in the world of travel. Visit our Careers Page Stay updated with the latest from Airbnb Careers by visiting our dedicated careers page. Discover new job openings, read about our company culture, and find tips for your resume and interview preparation. Join Airbnb and be part of a team that’s committed to redefining the future of travel through innovation, leadership, and a deep respect for diverse cultures and communities. Your journey to a fulfilling career starts here.
Learn more about Airbnb
Size
5,000 employees
Market Cap
$52.6 billion
Industry
Net Income
-$4.5 billion
Founded
2008
5 Year Trend
+29.3%
Revenue
$3.3 billion
NASDAQ

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