Senior Systems Engineer

Estuary is a real-time data integration platform built for both fast-moving developers and large-scale enterprises. We combine change data capture (CDC), stream processing, and declarative configuration into a unified system that simplifies complex data movement. With Estuary, teams build reliable, low-latency pipelines—without the overhead of managing data infrastructure.

The Role

As a Senior Systems Engineer, you will be a core contributor to our Control and Data Planes. This is a high-impact role where you will build the high-performance backbone that manages distributed state, ensures sub-second latency, and scales to handle massive throughput. You’ll join a high-trust, collaborative team that values technical excellence, diverse perspectives, and clear communication.

What You’ll Do

• Architect & Build: Design and implement high-performance components for our data plane (stream processing and transport) and control plane (orchestration and state management).
• Optimize for Scale: Profile and optimize systems primarily written in Rust to minimize latency and maximize resource efficiency.
• Solve Distributed Problems: Lead initiatives around fault tolerance, consensus protocols (e.g., Raft), and high-performance networking.
• Ensure Correctness: Write production-grade, highly-tested code and participate in thoughtful code reviews that help the whole team level up.
• Collaborate & Mentor: Participate in technical design docs and code reviews, helping the team maintain high standards for performance, correctness, and developer experience.

What We’re Looking For

• 8+ years of experience in backend software development, with a focus on distributed systems or real-time infrastructure.
• Systems Programming Expertise: Proficiency in Rust is highly preferred. Significant experience in Go or C/C++ with a desire to master Rust is also great.
• Experience with Large-Scale Systems: You have a track record of building and operating systems that handle significant traffic or complex distributed state.
• Strong Fundamentals: A deep understanding of concurrency, memory management, and networking (gRPC, TCP/IP).
• Clear Communication: Ability to explain complex technical trade-offs to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Practical Experience: While a degree can be helpful, we value equivalent practical experience and your demonstrated ability to solve hard problems at scale.

We know that excellence comes in many forms. If you don’t meet 100% of these qualifications but have a strong systems background and are excited about what we’re building, we encourage you to apply.

Bonus Points For

• Data Infrastructure Background: Experience with Change Data Capture (CDC), Kafka, Flink, or similar streaming technologies.
• Open Source Contributions: Experience contributing to or maintaining data-centric open-source projects.
• Startup Grit: Experience in fast-paced environments where you’ve balanced rapid iteration with long-term system stability.

Why Estuary?

Estuary is VC-backed and led by experienced, repeat founders. We are building a diverse, low-ego team that values ownership, fast iteration, and mutual respect.

We offer:

• Competitive compensation, equity, and full benefits.
• Flexible remote work with a culture that respects work-life boundaries.
• A high-autonomy environment where your contributions have a direct impact on the product.
• Quarterly team offsites in cities like Miami, Austin, Boulder, and New Orleans to build community and connection.