Staff Software Engineer (Platform - Identity IDV)
Ready to do the most impactful work of your career? At Coinbase, we are uncompromising on our mission to increase economic freedom. The bar is high, the environment is intense, and we like it that way. This isn't a place for complacency, it's a place to be pushed past your perceived limits. If you're ready to build the future of finance alongside people who refuse to settle for "good enough," you belong here. Coinbase is a remote-first, but not remote-only company. Expect to get together quarterly for intense in-person working sessions called "surges." learn more about working at Coinbase.
Staff Software Engineer, Backend (Platform - Identity IDV)
We're hiring a Staff Software Engineer to own the multi-year technical vision and architecture for Coinbase's identity verification platform within Platform. This platform powers the decision engine, vendor orchestration, and infrastructure that determines whether an identity is genuine at global scale - processing approximately 700K verifications per month across Retail, Prime, and Institutional business lines. You'll define the identity trust layer that every Coinbase product will be built on, leading a three-year arc from platform consolidation through vendor-agnostic orchestration to self-serve scalability for the next billion users.
What you'll do:
- Own end-to-end architecture and technical direction for Coinbase's IDV platform - the decision engine, vendor orchestration layer, and verification infrastructure that all business lines depend on.
- Lead platform consolidation by migrating all IDV onto a single decision-engine-driven platform, retiring 100+ legacy rules and fragmented paths, and eliminating single-vendor points of failure.
- Design and build vendor-agnostic orchestration with automated, real-time routing and failover that selects the optimal vendor per request and dynamically balances fraud prevention (FAR) against user access (FRR/SCR).
- Scale the platform to support every new product, region, and verification modality (document, biometric, liveness) with self-serve configuration so any Coinbase team integrates IDV without a dependency request.
- Drive cross-team technical strategy and set the abstractions, APIs, and platform patterns that the broader Identity org builds on, influencing at the Staff level across multiple pods.
Required Skills and Experience:
- 8+ years of backend software engineering with a track record of deploying and operating large-scale production systems in regulated or fintech environments.
- Proven technical leadership owning end-to-end design and delivery of complex, cross-team backend systems, including system design, architecture, API/data-model design, and production rollout.
- Deep distributed-systems expertise spanning scalability, reliability, API design, and high availability for Tier-0 services.
- Expert-level coding in Go (or equivalent systems language) with hands-on experience in gRPC/microservices, AWS, and Kubernetes.
- Experience in identity, KYC, fraud infrastructure, vendor orchestration, or payments domains with the ability to turn ambiguous compliance and platform problems into actionable technical roadmaps.
- Utilizes generative AI responsibly, maintaining human oversight to deliver business-ready outputs and drive measurable improvements in workflow efficiency, cost, and quality.
Pay Transparency Notice: Base salary varies by location (see range below). Total compensation may also include equity and bonus eligibility, and benefits (medical, dental, vision, 401(k)).
- Application Limit: Candidates may submit a maximum of 3 applications within a 6-month period.
- Equal Opportunity Employer: Coinbase is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information. Applicants with criminal histories will be considered consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
- US Applicants: View Employee Rights, Know Your Rights, and E-Verify Notice of Participation.
- Accommodations: If you are an individual with a disability who needs a reasonable accommodation, email us your request and contact info at accommodations[at]coinbase.com. Need screen reading technology? Click here to download a free compatible screen reader and view the tutorial.
- Data Privacy & Arbitration: By submitting your application, you agree to our Candidate Privacy Notice. US applicants: By submitting your application, you agree to Arbitration of Disputes.
About Coinbase
Coinbase is at the forefront of building a more open, accessible, and efficient financial system globally through blockchain technology. Our mission is to increase economic freedom in the world, and we do this by creating a reliable and easy-to-use platform that empowers individuals and institutions to participate in the burgeoning digital asset economy. We are committed to developing innovative tools and infrastructure that drive the future of finance, fostering a world where digital assets are universally understood and adopted. Our culture thrives on curiosity, collaboration, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. We believe in empowering our teams to take ownership, experiment with new ideas, and solve complex challenges with creativity and integrity. At Coinbase, you'll find a dynamic and inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued, and continuous learning is encouraged. We're building a future that demands bold thinking and a commitment to our shared vision. Joining Coinbase means contributing to a revolutionary shift in finance, working alongside some of the brightest minds in blockchain and technology. With 403 open positions, we offer unparalleled opportunities for professional growth, impact, and the chance to shape an industry from the ground up. If you're driven by a passion for innovation and want to build a world where economic freedom is a reality for everyone, explore career opportunities with us.
Ready to Apply?
To submit your application for this position, please visit Coinbase's official website and follow their application process.