Lead Software Engineer

Nubank•Palo Alto, CA

2d•$230,000 - $276,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Nu is seeking a Software Engineer to join a small, senior group shaping core technology that powers Nubank globally. The role spans data and experimentation platforms and shared services supporting products across business units and geographies. The work is highly 0→1, emphasizing long-term impact, technical quality, and global scale. The engineer will design, build, and operate distributed backend services and APIs for core platforms used by product teams worldwide. They will own services end-to-end, from architecture and implementation through observability, reliability, and continuous improvement in production. The role also involves defining contracts, SLOs, and guardrails for internal users; collaborating with data, ML, and infrastructure engineers; and leading new initiatives and modernization while setting technical standards for high-leverage systems. The position is based in Palo Alto, United States, with a hybrid schedule requiring office attendance at least twice per week. Base salary is $230,000–$276,000, and total compensation includes base salary, RSUs, and benefits.

Requirements

Solid experience as a backend or platform engineer owning production systems end-to-end, including design, implementation, operations, and ongoing evolution.
Proven track record working with distributed systems at scale and building APIs or microservices on modern cloud infrastructure.
Experience building or supporting platform-level services that many teams depend on for day-to-day work.
Comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-changing contexts and driving 0→1 technical decisions with a long-term mindset.
Strong collaboration and communication skills, including effective work with engineers across disciplines and locations.

Nice To Haves

Experience with data, ML, or AI-related infrastructure, such as experimentation, model serving, or ML platforms, used by multiple product teams.
Exposure to highly regulated or safety-critical domains, such as financial infrastructure or crypto, where reliability, compliance, and auditability are essential.
Background in fast-growing global tech companies, designing systems across products, markets, and regulatory environments.
Experience mentoring engineers and raising the engineering bar through reviews, discussions, and hiring.

Responsibilities

Design, build, and operate distributed backend services and APIs supporting core platforms used by product teams worldwide.
Own services end-to-end, including architecture, implementation, observability, reliability, and continuous improvement in production.
Define clear contracts, SLOs, and guardrails so internal teams can safely build on the platforms.
Collaborate with data, ML, and infrastructure engineers to turn models, datasets, and lower-level components into robust, easy-to-use internal products.
Lead 0→1 and modernization initiatives, make pragmatic trade-offs, and set technical standards for high-leverage systems.

Benefits

Opportunity to earn equity at Nu; total compensation includes base salary, RSUs, and benefits.
Medical insurance.
Dental and vision insurance.
Life insurance and AD&D.
Extended maternity and paternity leaves.
Nucleo learning platform of courses.
NuLanguage language-learning program.
NuCare mental health and wellness assistance program.
401K.
Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account saving plans.
Work-from-home allowance.
Relocation assistance package, if applicable.