Ziff Davis
Staff Software Engineer - Applications Engineering
Ziff Davis, Denver, Colorado, United States, 80285
Overview
Were looking for a Staff Software Engineer on our Applications Engineering team with deep expertise in backend engineering, distributed systems, and data-intensive architectures. This role will focus on designing, implementing, and scaling systems that ingest, process, and serve billions of data points, enabling mission-critical insights for millions of users worldwide. Key Responsibilities
Design and build scalable, fault-tolerant backend systems in Go, ensuring high throughput and low latency for massive data pipelines. Develop and optimize distributed data processing architectures leveraging AWS services (e.g., S3, Athena, Lambda, Redshift, Glue, ECS/EKS). Architect solutions for real-time data ingestion and transformation, powering analytics, ML/AI pipelines, and user-facing features. Champion best practices in system design, including observability, performance tuning, and security. Mentor and guide engineers across teams, elevating engineering standards and fostering technical excellence. Partner closely with product managers, scientists, and business stakeholders to translate requirements into robust engineering solutions. Lead technical roadmap initiatives, balancing short-term delivery with long-term scalability and maintainability. Curiosity and interest in AI-driven software development. Job Qualifications
Bachelors or Masters degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience. 8+ years of backend engineering experience, with at least 4+ years in senior/staff-level roles designing complex distributed systems. Strong expertise in Go (primary language), with solid experience in at least one additional backend language (e.g., Python, Java, or Ruby). Deep experience with cloud-native architectures on AWS, including containerization and orchestration (ECS, EKS, Kubernetes). Proven ability to design high-performance APIs, microservices, and event-driven systems. Strong understanding of data engineering fundamentals: streaming (Kafka, Kinesis), storage formats (Parquet, Iceberg), and query engines (Athena, Singlestore, Presto). Proficiency with SQL and NoSQL databases (PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, Redis, Redshift). Experience implementing observability stacks (metrics, tracing, logging) and resilience patterns (circuit breakers, retries, failover). Familiarity with real-time analytics, data governance, or ML/AI infrastructure. Excellent troubleshooting and analysis skills Strong communication skills both in person and via virtual mediums Strong planning and time management skills A self-driven work ethic Excited to learn and work with new technologies in a dynamic environment Background Check Required About Ookla
Ookla is a global leader in connectivity intelligence, offering unparalleled network insights through the combined expertise of Speedtest, Downdetector, RootMetrics, and Ekahau. Ooklas complementary datasets combine crowdsourced and controlled, public and private collection methods, QoS and QoE metrics, and more to unlock correlations and actionable insights helping organizations optimize networks, enhance digital experiences, and create better connected experiences for end-users. Our team is a group of people brought together through passion and inspired by possibility, solving problems and turning clever ideas into exceptional products. About Ziff Davis
Ziff Davis (NASDAQ: ZD) is a vertically focused digital media and internet company whose portfolio includes leading brands in technology, shopping, gaming and entertainment, connectivity, health, cybersecurity, and martech. Its brands include IGN, Mashable, RetailMeNot, PCMag, Humble Bundle, Spiceworks, Ookla (Speedtest), RootMetrics, Everyday Health, BabyCenter, Moz, iContact and Vipre Security. Benefits & Compensation
Competitive base pay with a compensation range of $180,000/year to $202,000/year. Final pay is determined based on experience, scope, and other factors. Ziff Davis is an Equal Opportunity Employer. DEI initiatives focus on fairness, equal opportunity, and belonging. Equivalency and Seniority
Seniority level: Mid-Senior level Employment type: Full-time Job function: Technology, Information and Internet
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Were looking for a Staff Software Engineer on our Applications Engineering team with deep expertise in backend engineering, distributed systems, and data-intensive architectures. This role will focus on designing, implementing, and scaling systems that ingest, process, and serve billions of data points, enabling mission-critical insights for millions of users worldwide. Key Responsibilities
Design and build scalable, fault-tolerant backend systems in Go, ensuring high throughput and low latency for massive data pipelines. Develop and optimize distributed data processing architectures leveraging AWS services (e.g., S3, Athena, Lambda, Redshift, Glue, ECS/EKS). Architect solutions for real-time data ingestion and transformation, powering analytics, ML/AI pipelines, and user-facing features. Champion best practices in system design, including observability, performance tuning, and security. Mentor and guide engineers across teams, elevating engineering standards and fostering technical excellence. Partner closely with product managers, scientists, and business stakeholders to translate requirements into robust engineering solutions. Lead technical roadmap initiatives, balancing short-term delivery with long-term scalability and maintainability. Curiosity and interest in AI-driven software development. Job Qualifications
Bachelors or Masters degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience. 8+ years of backend engineering experience, with at least 4+ years in senior/staff-level roles designing complex distributed systems. Strong expertise in Go (primary language), with solid experience in at least one additional backend language (e.g., Python, Java, or Ruby). Deep experience with cloud-native architectures on AWS, including containerization and orchestration (ECS, EKS, Kubernetes). Proven ability to design high-performance APIs, microservices, and event-driven systems. Strong understanding of data engineering fundamentals: streaming (Kafka, Kinesis), storage formats (Parquet, Iceberg), and query engines (Athena, Singlestore, Presto). Proficiency with SQL and NoSQL databases (PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, Redis, Redshift). Experience implementing observability stacks (metrics, tracing, logging) and resilience patterns (circuit breakers, retries, failover). Familiarity with real-time analytics, data governance, or ML/AI infrastructure. Excellent troubleshooting and analysis skills Strong communication skills both in person and via virtual mediums Strong planning and time management skills A self-driven work ethic Excited to learn and work with new technologies in a dynamic environment Background Check Required About Ookla
Ookla is a global leader in connectivity intelligence, offering unparalleled network insights through the combined expertise of Speedtest, Downdetector, RootMetrics, and Ekahau. Ooklas complementary datasets combine crowdsourced and controlled, public and private collection methods, QoS and QoE metrics, and more to unlock correlations and actionable insights helping organizations optimize networks, enhance digital experiences, and create better connected experiences for end-users. Our team is a group of people brought together through passion and inspired by possibility, solving problems and turning clever ideas into exceptional products. About Ziff Davis
Ziff Davis (NASDAQ: ZD) is a vertically focused digital media and internet company whose portfolio includes leading brands in technology, shopping, gaming and entertainment, connectivity, health, cybersecurity, and martech. Its brands include IGN, Mashable, RetailMeNot, PCMag, Humble Bundle, Spiceworks, Ookla (Speedtest), RootMetrics, Everyday Health, BabyCenter, Moz, iContact and Vipre Security. Benefits & Compensation
Competitive base pay with a compensation range of $180,000/year to $202,000/year. Final pay is determined based on experience, scope, and other factors. Ziff Davis is an Equal Opportunity Employer. DEI initiatives focus on fairness, equal opportunity, and belonging. Equivalency and Seniority
Seniority level: Mid-Senior level Employment type: Full-time Job function: Technology, Information and Internet
#J-18808-Ljbffr