Staff Software Engineer (SF)

Shepherd • San Francisco, CA

2d • $230,000 - $260,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Shepherd is an AI-native commercial insurance platform transforming how high-hazard industries get covered. Our mission is to make risk frictionless for the builders and operators shaping the physical world — protecting progress from concept through construction and into decades of operation. The infrastructure behind the AI boom — data centers, semiconductor fabs, renewable energy assets — has to be built and insured. But traditional carriers weren't built for this speed: Complex commercial construction projects routinely wait weeks for a single quote, legacy carriers rely on static applications and disconnected systems, and brokers chase carriers through calls, emails, and resubmissions. Shepherd's AI performs underwriting workflows in seconds and integrates real-time data from construction technology partners to see risk as it actually exists. The company is pursuing fully autonomous underwriting, aiming for the first fully agentic submission in the industry. Shepherd is building faster decisions, smarter pricing, and better risk outcomes for insureds who invest in safer practices, acting as the risk infrastructure for the next generation of financial services. This role is for a talented staff software engineer who is passionate about the company's mission and ready to do the best work of their career. The ideal candidate thrives on ownership, drives results, and cares deeply about both technical excellence and customer impact. They are comfortable with ambiguity, enjoy shipping product frequently while maintaining high quality, and are willing to wear multiple hats. They take end-to-end ownership of features and systems, care about improving construction safety and productivity, and enjoy mentoring other engineers. Strong communication skills and experience with insurance or InsurTech are also desired.

Requirements

• At least 8+ years of working experience (preferably as a full-stack engineer) with a track record of delivering high-impact products.
• Experience working with Javascript/Typescript (backend and/or frontend).
• Experience with insurance – either from a prior InsurTech role or actuarial role.
• Strong opinions, weakly held — advocate for your ideas but adapt when presented with better solutions.
• Communicate technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience working with React & Next.js.
• Experience with Typescript.
• Experience with GraphQL w/ Apollo.
• Experience with Node.js.
• Experience with Postgres & Redis.
• Experience with GraphQL APIs.

Nice To Haves

• You aren't afraid of ambiguity, and it may even excite you.
• You enjoy shipping product every day (maybe multiple times a day) while maintaining high quality standards.
• You enjoy wearing multiple hats while solving problems; as an engineer, product manager, and designer.
• You take end-to-end ownership of features and systems, from conception through release.
• You care about the built-world and how to improve construction safety and productivity.
• You care about others' growth and welcome mentoring other engineers — you've led or been a major contributor on significant projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead major initiatives and own a large area of Shepherd's product experience in each vertical while driving technical decisions for your domain.
• Work across the stack, even across different disciplines (e.g. underwriting, design, product management).
• Play an integral role in building company culture as the company grows and mentor other engineers as the team scales.
• Balance innovation with pragmatic delivery — staying current with emerging tech while shipping quality products.
• Contribute to product strategy and architectural decisions, not just implementation.
• Collaborate closely with PM, Mo (CTO) and the insurance team (underwriters, actuaries and more!).

Benefits

• Premium Healthcare (100% contribution to top-tier health, dental, and vision)
• Fertility benefits and family building support
• Unlimited PTO
• Daily lunches, dinners, and snacks
• SF, NYC, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago and LA Offices
• Professional Development (Access to premium coaching, including leadership development)
• Competitive 401(k) Plan
• Dog-friendly office

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed