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Senior Software Engineer, Payments Platform

Design and build scalable systems for Airbnb's Payments Platform in a remote-eligible role.

Location
United States
Compensation
$196k–$227k/yr
Level
senior
Type
full time · Hybrid

Posted by employer 1 day ago

First seen on Joblaze 1 day ago

Last verified on the company career page 1 day ago

Skills & Technologies

Java React Kotlin Flexible on stack

What you'll build

  • Design and build service-oriented backend systems
  • Partner with product managers and data scientists
  • Take features from ideation through implementation
  • Set up and tune monitoring and alerting
  • Write high-quality, well-tested code

Must have

  • 5+ years of backend software engineering experience
  • Proficiency in Java and/or Kotlin
  • Experience with architectural patterns of large web applications
  • Commitment to code quality and automated testing
  • Strong communication skills

Nice to have

  • Familiarity with React or a similar JavaScript framework

Requirements

Experience
5+ years
Education
Bachelor's degree

Not disclosed in this posting: visa sponsorship.

Benefits

Equity/Stock Options Remote Work

Joblaze summary

In this role, the Senior Software Engineer will focus on designing and building scalable backend systems for Airbnb's Payments Platform, ensuring reliable processing of high transaction volumes. Key skills include proficiency in Java or Kotlin, experience with microservices, and a solid understanding of architectural patterns for large web applications. This position is ideal for seasoned engineers with a background in payments or fintech, who are comfortable collaborating across teams and delivering end-to-end product features. The Payments Platform team plays a crucial role in enhancing the user experience for both guests and hosts.

Joblaze insights

  • Listed yesterday — first seen on Joblaze October 13, 2026. Last confirmed on Airbnb's careers page October 13, 2026.
  • Salary band is in line with the typical range for Backend roles (median ~$180,000).
  • Starts above 87% of 98 comparable senior backend roles in United States that list Java we track (median $167,000 across 38 companies). See Java salary trends
  • Java appears in 23.4% of 496 comparable senior backend roles in United States; Kotlin appears in 6.3% of 496 comparable senior backend roles in United States.

Quick facts

Is the Senior Software Engineer, Payments Platform role remote?
It's hybrid — Airbnb expects some on-site time in United States.
What's the salary range?
Airbnb lists $196,000–$227,000 for this role.
How much experience is required?
At least 5 years of relevant experience for this Senior Software Engineer, Payments Platform role.
Where is the role based?
Airbnb is hiring for this position in United States.
What's the tech stack?
Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: Java, Kotlin, React.
What seniority level is this role?
Airbnb targets senior candidates for this position.
Is this full-time or contract?
Full-time for this Senior Software Engineer, Payments Platform role at Airbnb.

From the original posting

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 2 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.

The Community You Will Join:

You'll join the Payments Platform Engineering team, which owns everything involved in settling money in Airbnb's global marketplace, from collecting guest payments to paying out hosts. The team builds the platform behind all of Airbnb's lines of business, across infrastructure, core payment services, and user-facing payment experiences. You'll work closely with product managers, data scientists, designers, and operations, as well as engineering teams across Airbnb.

The Difference You Will Make:

You'll design and build the next generation of Airbnb's Payments Platform: scalable, highly available systems that process massive daily transaction volume. Success means shipping reliable, well-instrumented services and product features end-to-end, with strong code quality and observability, while making Airbnb the safest and easiest-to-use payments platform.

A Typical Day:

  • Design and build service-oriented, modular, observable backend systems with well-defined APIs.
  • Partner with product managers, data scientists, and operations to turn evolving business needs into product features.
  • Take features from ideation through planning, scoping, implementation, and experimental A/B testing.
  • Set up and tune monitoring and alerting to raise the quality and reliability of our systems.
  • Write high-quality, well-tested code and review others' code to uphold engineering best practices.
  • Work with other engineering teams across Airbnb to improve our engineering process and technical foundation.


Your Expertise:

  • 5+ years of backend software engineering experience, ideally in Payments or Fintech.
  • Proficiency in Java and/or Kotlin, and comfort working within a microservices environment (RPC frameworks, service IDLs, dependency injection), plus familiarity with React or a similar JavaScript framework.
  • Experience with architectural patterns of large, high-scale web applications, such as well-designed APIs, high-volume data pipelines, and efficient algorithms.
  • Experience delivering products end-to-end, including A/B testing.
  • Commitment to code quality, automated testing, and engineering best practices.
  • Strong communication skills and attention to detail, with experience collaborating in cross-functional teams.
  • Ability to make data-driven decisions and clearly articulate technical tradeoffs.
  • Bachelor's and/or Master's degree, preferably in CS, or equivalent experience.

Your Location:

This position is US - Remote Eligible. The role may include occasional work at an Airbnb office or attendance at offsites, as agreed to with your manager. While the position is Remote Eligible, you must live in a state where Airbnb, Inc. has a registered entity. Click here for the up-to-date list of excluded states. This list is continuously evolving, so please check back with us if the state you live in is on the exclusion list . If your position is employed by another Airbnb entity, your recruiter will inform you what states you are eligible to work from.

We strive to also provide a disability inclusive application and interview process. If you are a candidate with a disability and require reasonable accommodation in order to submit an application, please contact us at: reasonableaccommodations@airbnb.com. Please include your full name, the role you’re applying for and the accommodation necessary to assist you with the recruiting process.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

Airbnb values diversity & belonging and is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All individuals seeking employment at Airbnb are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected characteristic.

How We'll Take Care of You:

Our job titles may span more than one career level. The actual base pay is dependent upon many factors, such as: training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs and market demands. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. This role may also be eligible for bonus, equity, benefits, and Employee Travel Credits.

Pay Range
$196,000—$227,000 USD

Standard company text repeated across Airbnb's postings is omitted here.

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