Robinhood

Senior Staff Software Developer, Core Infrastructure

Robinhood$234K — $275K *
Information Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years of experience in software development roles focusing on infrastructure solutions.
  • Strong understanding and hands-on expertise with Kubernetes internals.
  • Proficient with service meshes, particularly Istio and Envoy at the source code level.
  • Experience with Terraform for infrastructure provisioning at scale.
  • Knowledge of HTTP/2 and gRPC protocols, including connection management and stream multiplexing.
  • Skilled in production-ready programming in Go or Python.
  • Demonstrated ability to influence and enact architectural changes in complex organizations.

Responsibilities

  • Own the architecture of service meshes end-to-end, enhancing Robinhood's multi-region operations.
  • Drive the evolution of the Kubernetes compute platform, ensuring multi-region resiliency.
  • Redesign infrastructure provisioning with a focus on scalable and self-service capabilities.
  • Diagnose and resolve issues deeply within Kubernetes and Terraform to enhance platform reliability.
  • Lead cross-functional teams in defining technical directions and design proposals for infrastructure.

Benefits

  • Challenging work on high-impact projects for career growth.
  • Performance-driven compensation with bonuses and equity options.
  • Comprehensive health insurance, including supplemental coverage and mental health programs.
  • Access to leading AI tools and continuous education in AI technologies.
  • Employer-funded lifestyle wallet for flexible benefit spending.
  • Generous time off, including holidays and parental leave.
  • An exceptional office environment with catered meals and events.
  • Monthly commuter stipend to support in-office travel costs.
Full Job Description
About the team + role

We are building an elite team, applying frontier technologies to the world's biggest financial problems. We're looking for bold thinkers. Sharp problem-solvers. Builders who are wired to make an impact. Robinhood isn't a place for complacency, it's where ambitious people do the best work of their careers. We're a high-performing, fast-moving team with ethics at the center of everything we do. Expectations are high, and so are the rewards.

The Core Infrastructure team's mission is to build and evolve the foundational platform that every Robinhood engineering team builds on - owning the systems, primitives, and developer-facing abstractions that power 24/7 trading, crypto, and global expansion. We treat infrastructure as a product: reliable, fast to provision, and invisible to the teams above it.

As a Senior Staff Software Developer on Core Infrastructure, you will own the architectural evolution of three deeply interconnected domains: service mesh and connectivity, compute platform, and infrastructure provisioning. Your decisions will directly shape engineering velocity, operational reliability, and Robinhood's ability to expand to new regions and markets. This is not an operations role - it's a once-in-a-platform-lifecycle opportunity to redesign the foundation before complexity becomes permanent!

This role is based in our Toronto, ON office, with in-person attendance expected at least 3 days per week.

At Robinhood, we believe in the power of in-person work to accelerate progress, spark innovation, and strengthen community. Our office experience is intentional, energizing, and designed to fully support high-performing teams.
What you'll do
  • Own service mesh architecture end-to-end - standardize and evolve Robinhood's Istio and Envoy deployment, eliminate deprecated communication patterns, and build the networking foundation for multi-region operation
  • Drive Kubernetes compute platform evolution - define the long-term direction for cluster lifecycle, scheduling strategy, control plane architecture, and multi-region resiliency across Robinhood's entire compute fleet
  • Redesign infrastructure provisioning - transform Terraform from a collection of ad-hoc configurations into a scalable, self-service platform capability that enables rapid region provisioning and developer autonomy
  • Operate with source-level depth - diagnose and resolve issues at the Kubernetes API machinery, etcd, Envoy xDS, and Terraform provider layer, and contribute upstream where it serves the platform
  • Define technical direction across teams - produce architecture proposals, lead design reviews, and drive cross-functional alignment on infrastructure decisions that affect every engineering organization at Robinhood
What you bring
  • Deep, hands-on expertise with Kubernetes internals - API server, controller reconciliation, etcd watch propagation, scheduler mechanics, and admission control
  • Deep working knowledge of Istio and/or Envoy at the source code level - including the xDS API as a protocol; experience debugging at the control-plane/data-plane boundary
  • HTTP/2 and gRPC wire-level knowledge - connection management, flow control, stream multiplexing, and observability
  • Terraform at architectural scale - module design patterns, provider internals, remote state management, and multi-region provisioning
  • Production Go or Python for infrastructure tooling; strong fundamentals in writing well-structured, tested, operationally sound code
  • Proven ability to drive cross-functional architectural change across large or complex engineering organizations - influencing without authority and shipping durable decisions
What we offer
  • Challenging, high-impact work to grow your career
  • Performance driven compensation with multipliers for outsized impact, bonus programs, and equity ownership
  • Top tier benefits to fuel your work, including supplemental health insurance, ancillary insurance, and mental health support programs
  • Access to the best AI tools on the market and continuous AI skill-building for every employee, technical or not
  • Lifestyle wallet - a highly flexible employer-paid benefits spending account for expenses beyond traditional benefits such as wellness, childcare, learning, and more
  • Time off to recharge including company holidays, paid time off, sick time, paid volunteer time off, parental leave, and more!
  • Exceptional office experience with catered meals, events, and comfortable workspaces
  • Monthly commuter stipend to help offset in-office commuting costs


Our team is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming interview experience for all candidates. If you require a specific accommodation during the application or interview process due to a physical or mental condition, please complete this Applicant Accommodation Form to notify our team. The form should only be completed if you need a specific accommodation.

AI Usage Disclosure: Robinhood uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of our recruiting process. These tools enhance the efficiency and consistency of our hiring process; however, all hiring decisions are made by our hiring teams.

Vacancy Notice: This job posting represents an existing vacancy that we are actively seeking to fill.

In addition to the base pay range listed below, this role is also eligible for bonus opportunities + equity + benefits.

Base pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of job-related factors, which may include education, training, experience, location, business needs, or market demands. The expected base pay range for this role is based on the location where the work will be performed.

Base Pay Range:

Toronto, ON

$234,000-$275,000 CAD

Click here to learn more about our Total Rewards, which vary by region and entity.

If our mission energizes you and you're ready to build the future of finance, we look forward to seeing your application.

About Robinhood

Robinhood is a financial services company that offers commission-free trading through its website and mobile app. The company was founded in 2013 by Vladimir Tenev and Baiju Bhatt, and is headquartered in Menlo Park, California. Robinhood's mission is to democratize finance for all by making investing accessible to everyone. The company has raised over $5 billion in funding and has over 13 million users. Robinhood has faced criticism for its business model, which relies on selling order flow to market makers, and for its handling of the GameStop trading frenzy in early 2021.
Learn more about Robinhood
Size
2,000 employees
Industry
Founded
2013

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