Sr. Software Engineer, Backend

About this role

About Betterment

Betterment is a leading, technology-driven financial services company that offers investing, savings and retirement solutions for retail investors and investment advisors as well as financial wellness solutions, including a 401(k) for small and medium-sized businesses. Our team is passionate about our mission, to empower people to build wealth with confidence and ease. We’re headquartered in NYC and offer hybrid NY-based positions (four days/ week in-office, with no required office days during the summer and winter holidays).

About the role

Broker Dealer is the core of the Betterment platform. On a busy day, we securely move millions of dollars through the Betterment system and ensure each transaction flows through a complex series of risk checks for strict regulatory compliance. Every ounce of efficiency and intelligence we pour into this system translates into more value for our customers. We’re looking for engineers to help us answer some of our most difficult backend scaling, software design, and optimization questions. As a Senior Engineer in our Broker Dealer organization, you'll help balance on-time delivery of new platform features alongside system stability and scale, all while helping mentor and grow a team of amazing engineers.

This role is based out of our NYC office. Below we've reflected the base salary range for this position. Actual salaries may vary depending on factors including but not limited to location, experience, and performance. The range listed is just one component of Betterment’s total compensation package for employees.

• New York City: $175,000 - $215,000

This job may also be eligible for variable compensation in the form of a company incentive bonus.

A day in the life

• Build innovative trading and money-movement technology that empowers people to make the most of their money so they can live better

• Solve “impossible” problems. Take your ideas to the next level right away. We experiment, iterate, learn, and repeat

• Uphold a standard of excellence in your work, continuously seeking improvement and welcoming guidance from more experienced engineers

• Collaborate with purpose. You’ll work in small groups with other talented thinkers and figure out how to make Betterment’s software even better

• Gain trust through transparency. We believe in taking the guesswork out of investing. That means a consistent experience for our customers — you’ll build the tools to make it possible

• Create efficiency. Our software helps customers save time and money. We maintain it through clean code, pragmatic programming, and lean engineering

• Contribute to an environment of open communication where engineers feel empowered to share ideas and take initiative to solve problems that achieve company objectives

What we’re looking for

• 5+ years professional experience in at least one object-oriented language

• Familiarity with writing Java code

• 5+ years professional experience with SQL and relational databases, including designing schemas and writing detailed SQL queries

• A strong command of fundamental algorithms and data structures

• Experience working in large-scale distributed systems

• Experience designing, building, scaling, and maintaining core backend software components

• Proven ability to lead and manage projects that span one or more teams, considering tradeoffs to ensuring on-time delivery while maintaining high standards of quality, performance and security

Join a team built on these core values

We change lives

Be a part of a community of innovators working to transform financial outcomes for real people. Your work will make an impact, always laddering up to our mission; to empower people to build wealth with confidence and ease.

We set audacious goals

We set them for the company, our customers, and ourselves, and we won’t stop until we reach them. We don’t just show up; we give our all, then celebrate our wins.

We value all perspectives

When we collaborate, we're at our best. We believe diverse perspectives lead to better outcomes and strive to uphold our supportive and inclusive community.

We simplify financial services

We’re financial services pioneers, always finding new ways to improve, optimize, and enhance. Constant improvement is in our DNA.

Our Commitment to Your Total Well-being:

• We offer a competitive suite of benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage; life and AD&D insurance; short- and long-term disability; infertility support and WPATH-aligned transgender health benefits; an Employee Assistance Program (EAP); transit benefits and FSA and HSA…