Senior Software Engineer - Web API Platform

Scribd, Inc. is on a mission to advance human understanding. Our four products — Scribd®, Slideshare®, Everand™, and Fable — help billions of people across the globe move beyond access and into insight, application, and expertise. Culture at Scribd, Inc. We support a culture where our employees can be real and be bold; where we debate and commit as we embrace plot twists; and where every employee is empowered to take action as we prioritize the customer. We believe the best work happens when individual flexibility is balanced with meaningful community connection. Scribd Flex empowers employees to choose the workstyle and location that support their best performance, while committing to intentional in-person moments that strengthen collaboration and culture. Occasional in-person attendance is required for all Scribd, Inc. employees, regardless of location. So what are we looking for in new team members? At Scribd, Inc., we hire for “GRIT.” Traditionally defined as the intersection of passion and perseverance toward long-term goals, GRIT reflects the mindset we expect from every employee. For us, it also serves as a practical framework for how we work: setting and achieving Goals, delivering Results within your role, contributing Innovative ideas and solutions, and strengthening the broader Team through collaboration and attitude. This posting reflects an approved, open position within the organization. About The Team The Web Platform team is part of our Developer Platform organization and supports our broader Web Modernization efforts across the company. Our mission is to help product teams move faster by providing a scalable, well-designed API foundation that supports modern web architectures. We work across the organization to reduce coupling, improve developer experience, and establish durable integration patterns between frontend experiences and backend systems. We operate with high autonomy and a long-term mandate. The platform we build will shape how teams develop, ship, and evolve our web products over time. About The Role We are hiring a Senior Software Engineer, Web API Platform to help establish a company-wide API platform that accelerates web modernization at Scribd. In this role, you will design, build, and own new product-facing web APIs that span our full web product surface across Scribd and Everand. These APIs will serve as the primary interface between modern web applications and existing backend systems, enabling teams to evolve toward more scalable, maintainable frontend architectures with confidence. Today, our web product relies on fragmented data access patterns and lacks standardized APIs and tooling. This role offers the opportunity to design APIs intentionally with a focus on clear contracts, predictable performance, and strong observability, improving developer experience and enabling teams to ship faster and more safely. This team will be the primary owner of product-facing web APIs. As the platform matures, the Web Platform team will design, implement, and maintain the majority of new web APIs, while providing a stable foundation that other teams can integrate with and extend when appropriate. You will work closely with frontend and backend teams to define integration patterns, guide API usage, and ensure the platform scales with real-world data volumes and access patterns. What You’ll Bring Key Attributes • Strong ownership mindset, owning API design and implementation from initial design through production, iteration, and long-term maintenance. • Pragmatic approach to system design, balancing ideal architecture with real-world constraints • Ability to design performance-aware APIs with intentional constraints that scale safely • Strong collaborator who works with frontend & backend teams toward better performance and integration outcomes • Long-term perspective on maintainability, extensibility, and developer experience Experience We Value • 6+ years of professional software engineering experience, with a strong backend or platform focus • Proven experience designing APIs for high-volume or data-intensive product workflows • Experience implementing and integrating APIs with a Ruby on Rails application • Familiarity with modern API paradigms (e.g., REST, GraphQL, gRPC), including their performance and operational tradeoffs • Experience with query patterns, caching, pagination, and common performance pitfalls • Experience designing APIs with explicit contracts, versioning, and testing strategies • Experience working with modern web frontends (e.g., React, Next.js, or similar) • Strong communication skills and experience championing API design across teams • Hands-on experience incorporating AI-assisted tools into development workflows (e.g., debugging, testing, documentation, or design exploration) What Sets You Apart • You’ve designed APIs where performance characteristics were explicit and intentional, not accidental • You consider observability, failure modes, and system health as part of API design, not afterthoughts • You’re comfortable placing thoughtful constraints on API consumers to protect scalability and developer experience • You treat APIs and developer tooling as products, not just infrastructure • You care deeply about how backend and API decisions impact end users • You enjoy greenfield work, while navigating integration with existing systems • You bring informed opinions and enjoy refining them through discussion and iteration At Scribd, Inc., your base pay is one part of your total compensation package and is determined within a range. Our pay ranges are based on the local cost of labor benchmarks for each specific role, level, and geographic location. San Francisco is our highest geographic market in the United States. In the state of California, the reasonably expected salary range is between $146,000 [minimum salary in our lowest geographic market within California] to $227,500 [maximum salary in our highest geographic market within California]. In the United States, outside of California, the reasonably expected salary range is between $120,000 [minimum salary in our lowest US geographic market outside of California] to $216,500 [maximum salary in our highest US geographic market outside of California]. In Canada, the reasonably expected salary range is between $152,500 CAD[minimum salary in our lowest geographic market] to $202,000 CAD[maximum salary in our highest geographic market]. We carefully consider a wide range of factors when determining compensation, including but not limited to experience; job-related skill sets; relevant education or training; and other business and organizational needs. The salary range listed is for the level at which this job has been scoped. In the event that you are considered for a different level, a higher or lower pay range would apply. This position is also eligible for a competitive equity ownership, and a comprehensive and generous benefits package. Working at Scribd, Inc. Are you currently based in a location where Scribd, Inc. can employ you? Employees must have their primary residence in or near one of the following cities. This includes surrounding metro areas or locations within a typical commuting distance: United States Atlanta | Austin | Boston | Dallas | Denver | Chicago | Houston | Jacksonville | Los Angeles | Miami | New York City | Phoenix | Portland | Sacramento | Salt Lake City | San Diego | San Francisco | Seattle | Washington D.C. Canada Ottawa | Toronto | Vancouver Mexico Mexico City Benefits At Scribd, Inc. • Scribd Flex (flexible work model) • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage • Mental health support and disability coverage • Generous paid time off, including vacation, sick time, holidays, winter break, volunteer time, and sabbaticals • Paid parental leave and family support benefits • Retirement matching and employee equity • Learning and development programs and professional growth opportunities • Wellness and home office stipends • Complimentary access to the Scribd, Inc. suite of products • Enterprise access to leading AI tools Get to Know Scribd, Inc. About Scribd, Inc. Life at Scribd, Inc. We want our interview process to be accessible to everyone. You can inform us of any reasonable adjustments we can make to better accommodate your needs by emailing accommodations@scribd.com about the need for adjustments at any point in the interview process. Scribd, Inc. is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We encourage people of all backgrounds to apply, and believe that a diversity of perspectives and experiences create a foundation for the best ideas. Come join us in building something meaningful.