This is a high-ownership, high-impact role where you’ll
Build and scale distributed systems that handle large volumes of real-time events
Drive architecture and technical direction, not just implementation
Improve performance, reliability, and operability of core platform services
Collaborate across mobile, backend, embedded, and data teams to deliver end-to-end experiences
Help establish engineering practices and technical culture for a growing Seattle team
What You’ll Do
Design and implement high-scale cloud services and APIs used by mobile apps, cameras, and smart home devices
Own systems end-to-end: design, deployment, observability, and production operations
Contribute to and lead architecture discussions for new platform capabilities
Build systems that are secure, resilient, and low-latency in a distributed environment
Develop event-driven systems and integrations across IoT, backend services, and mobile platforms
Mentor engineers and raise the overall engineering bar
What We’re Looking For
Required Qualifications
5+ years of experience building and operating production systems (we are open to Senior → Staff level)
B.S. in Computer Science or related field preferred
Strong experience in Go, Python, or similar backend languages
Experience designing distributed systems with scalability, availability, and performance in mind
Experience building REST and/or gRPC APIs
Strong problem-solving skills and a track record of ownership and execution
Experience working with modern cloud-native tooling (containers, orchestration, CI/CD)
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with event-driven architectures (Kafka, messaging systems)
Experience with IoT systems or device communication protocols (e.g., MQTT)
Familiarity with Kubernetes, Docker, and cloud infrastructure
Experience with NoSQL databases (e.g., MongoDB)
Experience with video streaming and technologies (e.g. MP4, HLS, ffmpeg)
Experience using AI-assisted development tools for engineering workflows
What Makes This Role Different
Greenfield team in Seattle – help define the culture, technical direction, and hiring bar
Massive real-world scale – millions of connected devices generating continuous event streams
Full ownership – from design through production
Cross-domain complexity – IoT + cloud + mobile + real-time systems
Innovation-first culture – including programs like quarterly Innovation Week to explore new ideas
Compensation & Benefits
Competitive compensation
Performance bonus (AIP)
Comprehensive health benefits, 401(k), and wellness programs
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Flexible time off
Why Join Us
You’ll work on systems that matter—where reliability, latency, and correctness directly affect people’s homes and safety. This is a chance to join at an inflection point, influence the architecture, and help build a high-caliber engineering hub.
The base salary range for this position is: $153,000 - $185,000* *The base salary range above represents the low and high end of the salary range for this position. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors including but not limited to location, experience, and performance. The range listed is just one component of the total compensation package for employees. Other rewards may include annual bonus, short- and long-term incentives, and program-specific awards. In addition the position may be eligible to participate in the benefits program which include, but are not limited to, medical, vision, dental, 401K, and flexible spending accounts.
NRG Energy is committed to a drug and alcohol-free workplace. To the extent permitted by law and any applicable collective bargaining agreement, employees are subject to periodic random drug testing, and post-accident and reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol testing. EOE AA M/F/Protected Veteran Status/Disability. Level, Title and/or Salary may be adjusted based on the applicant's experience or skills.
EEO is the Law Poster (The poster can be found at http://www.eeoc.gov/employers/upload/poster_screen_reader_optimized.pdf)
Official description on file with Talent.
We support the use of AI tools to help you prepare for your interview (e.g., practicing responses, researching the role, or refining your resume). However, during interviews and assessments, we expect responses to reflect your own thinking, experience, and communication. Use of AI to generate or read answers in real time, complete assessments, or misrepresent your qualifications is not permitted and may impact your candidacy.
