Senior Software Engineer

Appian•McLean, VA

2d•$125,000 - $250,000•Onsite

About The Position

As a Senior Software Engineer on Appian’s platform team, you will build and evolve an AI-powered process automation platform used by global enterprise customers. The role spans the platform’s high-performance data layer, cross-platform user interface, and application-design tools. You will address challenges in distributed systems, performance, scalability, and resilience, with your technical decisions and code supporting mission-critical operations at large organizations. The position involves architecting and building resilient platform features, APIs, and shared frameworks; optimizing performance; supporting enterprise integrations; and helping ensure the platform remains modular and scalable as customer demands grow. You will collaborate with product and engineering teams, contribute to engineering standards through code reviews and refactoring, investigate performance and scalability issues, and provide technical leadership and mentorship. Hands-on use of AI tools to improve productivity and efficiency is expected. The role is based in McLean, Virginia, and is on-site. The stated base salary range is $125,000–$250,000 USD. Appian describes a range of benefits and development resources, which may vary by country and are subject to change.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field.
At least 6 years of professional software development experience building enterprise-scale applications.
Expert-level proficiency in Java and object-oriented design principles.
Deep understanding of data structures and algorithms and their practical use in solving performance challenges.
Proven experience designing and implementing REST APIs for enterprise integrations.
Strong foundation in software design patterns and architectural principles for scalable systems.
Experience with CI/CD in cloud environments such as AWS and continuous integration systems such as Jenkins.

Nice To Haves

Experience with AWS cloud services and distributed cloud-native architectures.
Experience building high-throughput, low-latency systems serving large user bases.
Familiarity with relational and NoSQL database optimization techniques.

Responsibilities

Architect and build high-performance, resilient platform features, robust APIs, and shared frameworks.
Use data structures and algorithms to optimize platform performance, reduce latency, and improve throughput for customer workflows.
Design and implement reliable, high-performing REST APIs for integrations across enterprise systems.
Conduct technical spikes to support architectural decisions and ensure stability, modularity, and long-term scalability.
Partner with product and engineering teams to turn customer requirements into technical solutions that balance flexibility and performance.
Conduct code reviews, establish engineering best practices, and improve code quality and system reliability.
Investigate performance bottlenecks and scalability challenges and implement solutions for future growth.
Lead refactoring and optimization efforts, including work to improve low-latency performance.
Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior and mid-level engineers.
Use AI tools hands-on to enhance productivity and efficiency.

Benefits

401(k) plan with company match.
Discretionary bonus may be awarded based on individual and company performance.
Flexible time off.
Paid parental leave.
Medical, dental, and vision plans.
Life insurance and disability insurance.
Wellness programs and wellness dollars.
Flexible spending accounts and health savings account contributions.
Employee referral bonus program.
Learning and development resources, including training, mentorship, and Appian University.
Tuition reimbursement.
Employee Assistance Program with free mental health support.
Employee Stock Purchase Program; certain positions may be eligible for equity awards.
Family-forming benefits.
Benefits vary by country.