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Senior Software Engineer Startup Jobs in California

Whatnot

Senior Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$207K - $230K/yr

We're one of the fastest growing marketplaces and were recently named the #1 Best Startup Employer ... Role We're hiring Senior Software Engineers across multiple engineering pillars at Whatnot ...

Whatnot

Senior Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$144K - $190K/yr

We're one of the fastest growing marketplaces and were recently named the #1 Best Startup Employer ... Role We're hiring Senior Software Engineers across multiple engineering pillars at Whatnot ...

Whatnot

Senior Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$140 - $210/hr

We're one of the fastest growing marketplaces and were recently named the #1 Best Startup Employer ... Role We're hiring Senior Software Engineers across multiple engineering pillars at Whatnot ...

Whatnot

Senior Software Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$140 - $210/hr

We're one of the fastest growing marketplaces and were recently named the #1 Best Startup Employer ... Role We're hiring Senior Software Engineers across multiple engineering pillars at Whatnot ...

ETAP Software

Senior Software Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$129K - $171K/yr

They are seeking a Senior Software Engineer to maintain and enhance software that supports state estimation and virtual metering for complex electrical networks, as well as develop REST APIs and ...

Chartmetric

Senior Software Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$140K - $160K/yr

About Chartmetric Chartmetric, Inc. is a 10-year-old startup specializing in music data analytics ... About the role We are looking for a versatile, experienced Senior Software Engineer to join ...

Chartmetric

Senior Software Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$140 - $160/hr

Chartmetric, Inc. is a 10-year-old startup specializing in music data analytics. We are trusted by ... About the role We are looking for a versatile, experienced Senior Software Engineer to join ...

New

EliseAI

Senior Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$144K - $190K/yr

As a Senior Software Engineer, you will build impactful software that enhances business operations ... Required : • Startup mindset with a strong sense of ownership, urgency, and pragmatism in ...

Cantos Ventures

Senior Software Engineer

Oakland, CA · On-site

$150 - $230/hr

About Remedy Remedy is a startup committed to addressing the planet's enormous challenge of ... Position Summary We are hiring a Senior Software Engineer to help design and build Remedy's core ...

Clera

Senior Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$150 - $220/hr

About the Role We're a Y Combinator-backed, seed-stage AI startup modernizing procurement and ... We're looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join our core platform team. This is a backend ...

Truewind

Senior Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$144K - $190K/yr

They are seeking a Senior Software Engineer to architect and develop software solutions that ... startup grows. • Collaborate with sales, marketing, and customer service teams to ensure a ...

Stellic

Senior Software Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site +1

$185K - $235K/yr

Stellic is a fast-growing startup backed by leading social impact investors, partnering with top ... AS OUR SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER, YOU WILL OWN * Feature delivery end-to-end: Lead impactful ...

Xoriant Corporation

Sr. Software Engineer - SOC

San Jose, CA · On-site

$143K - $189K/yr

Job Title: Sr. Software Engineer - SOC (318578) Job Location: San Jose, CA (100% remote for now but need to be onsite as soon as campus opens) Duration: 6+ months contract Client: Samsung Description:

Nectar Social

Senior Software Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$200K - $300K/yr

The Role We're looking for a Senior Software Engineer to help architect and scale the core systems ... Startup experience building early-stage or rapidly scaling products * Experience working with large ...

Career Launch

Senior Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$150 - $230/hr

Senior Software Engineer As a Senior Software Engineer, you may work on projects that require strong execution, communication, analytical judgment, and the ability to move quickly in ambiguous ...

Tenex.AI Inc

Senior Software Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site +1

$120K - $170K/yr

We're a fast growing startup backed by industry experts and top tier investors led by Crosspoint ... We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join our core engineering team. You will take ...

CommodityAI

Senior Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$144K - $190K/yr

... software. Requirements Who You Are We are looking for a senior- or staff-level engineer with a ... startup environments who prefers context over control and operates with a high degree of agency ...

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Senior Software Engineer Startup information

What are some unique challenges senior software engineers face when working at a startup compared to a larger company?

Senior Software Engineers at startups often navigate a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment where priorities can shift quickly. Unlike at larger organizations with established processes and specialized teams, startup engineers may wear multiple hats, handling everything from architecture decisions to hands-on coding and even DevOps tasks. This role typically requires a high degree of autonomy and the ability to make impactful technical decisions with limited resources. The collaborative nature means frequent interaction with product managers, designers, and often even company leadership, creating opportunities for broad influence but also demanding strong communication and adaptability.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior software engineer at a startup, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Senior Software Engineer at a startup, you need advanced programming abilities, architectural design experience, and a solid understanding of software development lifecycles, typically backed by a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with modern frameworks, cloud platforms (like AWS or Azure), version control systems (such as Git), and agile methodologies is essential, with certifications in relevant technologies being advantageous. Strong problem-solving, adaptability, and effective communication skills help you navigate the dynamic startup environment and mentor junior team members. These skills are crucial to rapidly building scalable solutions, driving innovation, and supporting business growth in a fast-paced and often ambiguous setting.

What is the difference between Senior Software Engineer Startup vs Software Engineer Startup?

AspectSenior Software Engineer StartupSoftware Engineer Startup
Required CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in CS or related field, 3+ years experienceBachelor's in CS or related field, 0-2 years experience
Work EnvironmentFast-paced startup, leadership responsibilities, mentorshipCollaborative team, learning-focused, entry-level to mid-level tasks
Employer & Industry UsageTech startups, scale-ups, innovative projectsEarly-stage startups, product development teams
Common Search & ComparisonHigher responsibility, technical expertise, leadershipLearning opportunities, foundational skills, growth potential

The main difference between a Senior Software Engineer Startup and a Software Engineer Startup lies in experience, responsibilities, and leadership. Senior Software Engineers typically have more experience, take on mentorship roles, and handle complex projects, while Software Engineers are often in entry to mid-level positions focused on skill development and supporting team tasks.

What does a senior software engineer do at a startup?

A Senior Software Engineer at a startup is responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining the core software products or services. They often take on a broad range of tasks, including coding, code reviews, system architecture, and mentoring junior team members. In a startup environment, they may also contribute to product decisions, help set technical direction, and quickly adapt to changing priorities. Their role is critical in building scalable, reliable solutions while fostering innovation and collaboration within a small, fast-paced team.

What are the most commonly searched types of Software Engineer Startup jobs in California?

The most popular types of Software Engineer Startup jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to Senior Software Engineer Startup jobs in California?

For Senior Software Engineer Startup jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Senior Software Engineer Startup jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Senior Software Engineer Startup jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Senior Software Engineer Startup jobs?

Cities in California with the most Senior Software Engineer Startup job openings:

Senior Software Engineer Startup jobs near you
Infographic showing various Senior Software Engineer Startup job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 66% In-person, and 34% Remote job distribution.

Senior Software Engineer

Whatnot

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$207K - $230K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement

Re-posted 9 days ago

Job description

Join the Future of Commerce with Whatnot!
Whatnot is the largest live shopping platform in North America and Europe to buy, sell, and discover the things you love. Whether it's trading cards, fashion, electronics, or live plants, our sellers are building real businesses across hundreds of categories. We're building live commerce at a scale that's never been done in the West, and there's no playbook to copy. The people here are shaping how an entirely new industry develops.
As a remote co-located team, we're inspired by our values and anchored in hubs across the US, UK, Ireland, Poland, Germany, and Australia. We move fast, stay close to our users, and focus on the work that drives the most impact.
We're one of the fastest growing marketplaces and were recently named the #1 Best Startup Employer in America by Forbes. Check out the latest Whatnot updates on our news and engineering blogs and join us as we enable anyone to turn their passion into a business and bring people together through commerce.
Role
We're hiring Senior Software Engineers across multiple engineering pillars at Whatnot - including Buyer Growth, Seller Growth, Trust & Risk, Discovery & Personalization, Search, Customer Experience, and Core Infrastructure.
As a Senior Software Engineer, you'll own the design and delivery of complex product and platform systems that power one of the fastest-growing marketplaces in the world. You'll partner closely with Product, Design, Data, and Engineering to turn ambiguous problems into scalable solutions that create meaningful impact for millions of buyers and sellers.
Our engineering teams are rebuilding and evolving large distributed systems to support rapid growth, increasing marketplace complexity, and real-time commerce at global scale. You'll play a key role in shaping these systems while helping your team move quickly without compromising technical quality.
What You'll Do:
  • Design, build, and operate scalable distributed systems that power core marketplace experiences.
  • Own complex technical projects from inception through production, balancing speed, reliability, and long-term maintainability.
  • Break down ambiguous product and platform problems into clear technical solutions and drive them to completion.
  • Lead the engineering execution of projects, coordinating with multiple engineers and cross-functional partners to deliver high-impact outcomes.
  • Raise the technical bar through thoughtful code reviews, design discussions, operational excellence, and mentorship.
  • Make pragmatic technical decisions that enable the team to move quickly while building for long-term scale.
  • Continuously identify opportunities to improve developer velocity, system reliability, and customer experience.

We offer flexibility to work from home or from one of our global office hubs, and we value in-person time for planning, problem-solving, and connection. Team members in this role must live within commuting distance of our Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, or Seattle hub.
You
People who do well at Whatnot tend to be comfortable figuring things out as they go, biased toward action, and genuinely curious about what they're building. They care more about outcomes than credit and stay close to the product and the people using it.
As our next Senior Software Engineer, you likely have:
  • 5+ years of full-time software engineering experience, ideally in high-growth technology companies.
  • Experience building and operating scalable backend or full-stack systems in production.
  • A track record of independently owning complex technical projects from design through launch.
  • Experience breaking down ambiguous product or platform problems into practical technical solutions.
  • Strong system design skills and experience building reliable, maintainable distributed systems.
  • The ability to lead engineering execution for initiatives involving multiple engineers while partnering effectively with Product, Design, Data Science, and other cross-functional teams.
  • A strong bias toward action-you move with urgency, make thoughtful trade-offs, and consistently deliver high-impact work.
  • Excellent product instincts. You prioritize customer and business impact and can clearly articulate why the work you're doing matters.
  • The ability to solve new and unfamiliar technical challenges with a high degree of autonomy.
  • A track record of mentoring teammates and contributing to a collaborative, high-performing engineering culture.

Technical Environment:
We primarily use Python, Elixir, and JavaScript across backend and frontend systems, with infrastructure powered by modern cloud and data platforms. Experience with these technologies is a plus, but we care most about strong engineering fundamentals and the ability to learn quickly.
Benefits
  • Generous Holiday and Time off Policy
  • Health Insurance options including Medical, Dental, Vision
  • Work From Home Support
    • Home office setup allowance
    • Monthly allowance for cell phone and internet
  • Care benefits
    • Monthly allowance for wellness
    • Annual allowance towards Childcare
    • Lifetime benefit for family planning, such as adoption or fertility expenses
  • Retirement; 401k offering for Traditional and Roth accounts in the US (employer match up to 4% of base salary) and Pension plans internationally
  • Monthly allowance to dogfood the app
    • All Whatnauts are expected to develop a deep understanding of our product. We're passionate about building the best user experience, and all employees are expected to use Whatnot as both a buyer and a seller as part of their job (our dogfooding budget makes this fun and easy!).
  • Parental Leave
    • 16 weeks of paid parental leave + one month gradual return to work *company leave allowances run concurrently with country leave requirements which take precedence.
EOE
Whatnot is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, parental status, disability status, or any other status protected by local law. We believe that our work is better and our company culture is improved when we encourage, support, and respect the different skills and experiences represented within our workforce.

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