Staff Software Engineer (Backend) - Fable Core

Company Mission and Culture

Scribd, Inc. aims to enhance global human understanding through its suite of products including Scribd®, Slideshare®, Everand™, and Fable, helping billions transition from access to insight and mastery.

The company fosters a culture where employees can express authenticity and boldness, engage in open debates and commitment, and are empowered to prioritize customer needs. The work environment balances individual flexibility with meaningful in-person collaboration through the Scribd Flex model, requiring occasional onsite presence from all employees.

About the Role

The Staff Software Engineer will join the Fable Core team, responsible for the backend, infrastructure, and platform supporting Fable, a popular social reading app with over 1 million monthly active users. Requirements include setting the technical direction for the backend, ensuring platform reliability, collaborating cross-functionally, and mentoring the team to improve design and operational standards. The tech stack includes Python/Django, Postgres, Kubernetes, Datadog, and cloud platforms GCP/AWS.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and communicate technical strategy for the Fable backend by authoring design documents and leading architecture reviews.
• Maintain backend platform health, including managing staging, CI/CD pipelines, databases, queues, cost efficiency, and observability.
• Lead comprehensive incident response processes, including documentation, meetings, and enforcement of corrective actions.
• Act as the Fable backend representative in cross-team planning and foster strong execution across functions.
• Elevate team performance through code review, mentorship, pairing sessions, and by upholding high standards for design, testing, and operations.
• Develop and enhance backend platform capabilities to accelerate safe and efficient feature delivery.
• Promote and integrate agentic engineering methodologies into daily workflows and team practices.

Qualifications

• Over 10 years of experience in backend development, including significant expertise with Python/Django and at least one additional language such as Go, Node.js, Java, or Kotlin.
• Proven ability to manage production systems in major cloud environments, handling scalable OLTP databases, container orchestration, queues, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Demonstrated ownership of incident management from start to finish, ensuring effective resolution and follow-up.
• Skilled at creating clear Technical Design Documents understandable to peers and product leads, and transforming vague product concepts into concrete backend solutions.
• Excellent collaboration with senior product managers, designers, and machine learning teams prioritizing overall system success over personal viewpoints.
• Strong systems-thinking approach with focus on addressing root causes rather than symptoms.
• Hands-on experience implementing agentic engineering tools and workflows in live production settings.

Preferred Skills

• Background working with subscription and entitlement platforms such as Stripe, RevenueCat, or app store billing ecosystems.
• Experience leading platform or infrastructure migrations (e.g., on-premises to cloud, AWS to GCP, monolith to microservices).
• Collaborative experience alongside machine learning teams on recommendation or feed system development.

Compensation and Locations

The salary range for this role in Canada is CAD 179,000 to CAD 228,500 annually, with variations based on market location and individual factors. The position may also include equity participation and comprehensive benefits.

Employment eligibility applies to residents near select cities in the United States (e.g., Atlanta, Boston, San Francisco), Canada (Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver), and Mexico City in Mexico. Occasional onsite presence is required.

Employee Benefits

• Flexible work model (Scribd Flex)
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage
• Support for mental health and disability
• Generous paid time off including vacation, sick leave, holidays, winter break, volunteer time, and sabbaticals
• Paid parental leave and family support
• Retirement contribution matching and equity participation
• Programs for learning and professional development
• Home office and wellness stipends
• Free access to Scribd product suite
• Access to leading AI tools for enterprise use

Equal Opportunity and Inclusion

Scribd is dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce, providing accommodations as needed in the hiring process, and encourages applicants from all backgrounds to join their team.