About Rippling

Rippling gives businesses one place to run HR, IT, and Finance. It brings together all of the workforce systems that are normally scattered across a company, like payroll, expenses, benefits, and computers. For the first time ever, you can manage and automate every part of the employee lifecycle in a single system.

Take onboarding, for example. With Rippling, you can hire a new employee anywhere in the world and set up their payroll, corporate card, computer, benefits, and even third-party apps like Slack and Microsoft 365—all within 90 seconds.

Based in San Francisco, CA, Rippling has raised $1.4B+ from the world’s top investors—including Kleiner Perkins, Founders Fund, Sequoia, Greenoaks, and Bedrock—and was named one of America's best startup employers by Forbes.

We prioritize candidate safety. Please be aware that all official communication will only be sent from @Rippling.com addresses.

About the role

Rippling is building the future of global payroll and we’re looking for a Staff Engineer to help make that vision a reality.

In this high-impact role, you’ll be at the center of transforming Rippling’s global payroll data systems — leveraging AI-driven solutions and modern engineering practices to unify and scale payroll operations across multiple countries. You’ll play a key role in reimagining how global payroll data is processed, validated, and merged, driving the platform toward long-term goals such as filings automation, global data unification, and the decommissioning of legacy systems.

This is a rare opportunity to influence the architecture and design of one of Rippling’s core product pillars from the ground up. You’ll lead initiatives that span the entire development lifecycle, from defining and scoping new product functionality to rearchitecting critical systems for scale, accuracy, and performance. Whether it’s optimizing for complex, multi-country edge cases or introducing AI/ML-based solutions for intelligent data transformation, your work will directly shape the infrastructure powering one of Rippling’s largest and fastest-growing markets.

As a Staff Engineer, you’ll be more than just a technical expert. You’ll be a thought partner to product, a mentor to engineers, and a strategic voice in shaping Rippling’s next billion-dollar vertical. You’ll collaborate closely with some of the most talented engineers in the company, working in a fast-moving environment where innovation, autonomy, and ownership are the norm.

At Rippling, engineers at the Staff level are deeply embedded in product direction. You'll engage directly with users, contribute to go-to-market strategies, and become an expert in the domain. As an early member of this team, you'll also play a vital role in building team culture, process, and technical vision as we scale.

What you will do

• Design and build scalable, data-driven systems that transform, normalize, and reconcile payroll data across multiple countries, entities, and currencies.
• Drive platform evolution by re-architecting critical systems for scalability, reliability, and internationalization—enabling global payroll operations at scale.
• Develop AI- and ML-driven solutions to enhance accuracy, detect anomalies, automate workflows, and minimize manual intervention.
• Define and execute a long-term architectural vision for Rippling’s global payroll platform, balancing innovation with compliance, stability, and performance.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with product, design, finance, legal, compliance, data, and operations teams to deliver cohesive and compliant solutions.
• Champion customer-focused engineering, ensuring technical solutions directly drive operational excellence and user impact.
• Mentor and lead engineers, fostering high standards of technical quality, thoughtful design, and engineering best practices.
• Influence and align stakeholders across multiple teams and time zones, communicating clearly to drive shared product and technical goals.

What you will need

• 8+ years of experience building and scaling production systems (Python, Django, React, MongoDB, AWS).
• Proven ability to architect, own, and deliver complex, platform-scale projects end to end.
• Strong background in data modeling, system design, and modern architecture patterns.
• Experience or keen interest in applying AI/ML for automation and intelligent data systems.
• Deep platform sensibility—building extensible, compliant solutions for multiple countries.
• Track record of modernizing legacy systems and driving large-scale transformation.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills.
• Product mindset with focus on impact, reliability, and customer value.
• Proactive, growth-oriented approach with passion for solving complex global challenges.

Join us at Rippling and be part of a team that is shaping the future of work. Apply now and let's create something extraordinary together!

Additional Information:

Rippling is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected characteristics, Rippling is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities who need assistance during the hiring process. To request a reasonable accommodation, please email accommodations@rippling.com