Principal Backend Engineer, Search

Automattic is hiring a Principal Backend Engineer, Search to join our fully remote team in the United States. As a Principal Backend Engineer, Search, you'll design, build, and ship reliable software that scales to millions of users. This is a full-time, work-from-home role open to candidates across the US (Remote — US (East Coast)). About the role You'll design, build, and ship reliable software that scales to millions of users, partnering with a friendly, distributed team across US time zones. We care about outcomes over hours and give you the autonomy, tools, and support to do your best work from home. What you'll do: • Improve performance, reliability, and developer experience • Collaborate with product and design on new initiatives • Develop, test, and maintain features across the stack • Review pull requests and mentor teammates • Write clean, well-tested, and documented code What we offer: • Paid parental leave • Annual learning and professional development budget • 401(k) retirement plan with company match • Home office and wellness stipends • Generous paid time off and company holidays How we work We're remote-first and async-friendly. Expect clear documentation, regular feedback, supportive teammates, and real opportunities to grow your career. Automattic is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone.

Minimum qualifications: • 7+ years of experience, including leading teams or projects • Experience with version control and CI/CD • Solid understanding of data structures, APIs, and databases • Proficiency in one or more modern languages (TypeScript, Go, Python, or Java) • US work authorization Nice to have: • Familiarity with modern collaboration tools (Slack, Notion, Linear) • Experience working in a fully remote or distributed team