Senior Software Engineer - Web API Platform

About The Team The Web Platform team is part of our Developer Platform organization and supports our broader Web Modernization efforts across the company. Our mission is to help product teams move faster by providing a scalable, well‑designed API foundation that supports modern web architectures. We work across the organization to reduce coupling, improve developer experience, and establish durable integration patterns between frontend experiences and backend systems.

We operate with high autonomy and a long‑term mandate. The platform we build will shape how teams develop, ship, and evolve our web products over time. About The Role We are hiring a Senior Software Engineer, Web API Platform to help establish a company‑wide API platform that accelerates web modernization at Scribd.

In this role, you will design, build, and own new product‑facing web APIs that span our full web product surface across Scribd and Everand. These APIs will serve as the primary interface between modern web applications and existing backend systems, enabling teams to evolve toward more scalable, maintainable frontend architectures with confidence. Today, our web product relies on fragmented data access patterns and lacks standardized APIs and tooling.

This role offers the opportunity to design APIs intentionally with a focus on clear contracts, predictable performance, and strong observability, improving developer experience and enabling teams to ship faster and more safely. This team will be the primary owner of product‑facing web APIs. As the platform matures, the Web Platform team will design, implement, and maintain the majority of new web APIs, while providing a stable foundation that other teams can integrate with and extend when appropriate.

You will work closely with frontend and backend teams to define integration patterns, guide API usage, and ensure the platform scales with real‑world data volumes and access patterns. Key Attributes Strong ownership mindset, owning API design and implementation from initial design through production, iteration, and long‑term maintenance. Pragmatic approach to system design, balancing ideal architecture with real‑world constraints.

Ability to design performance‑aware APIs with intentional constraints that scale safely. Strong collaborator who works with frontend and backend teams toward better performance and integration outcomes. Long‑term perspective on maintainability, extensibility, and developer experience.

Experience We Value 6+ years of professional software engineering experience, with a strong backend or platform focus. Proven experience designing APIs for high‑volume or data‑intensive product workflows. Experience implementing and integrating APIs with a Ruby on Rails application.

Familiarity with modern API paradigms (e.g., REST, GraphQL, gRPC), including their performance and operational tradeoffs. Experience with query patterns, caching, pagination, and common performance pitfalls. Experience designing APIs with explicit contracts, versioning, and testing strategies.

Experience working with modern web frontends (e.g., React, Next.js, or similar). Strong communication skills and experience championing API design across teams. Hands‑on experience incorporating AI‑assisted tools into development workflows (e.g., debugging, testing, documentation, or design exploration).

What Sets You Apart You’ve designed APIs where performance characteristics were explicit and intentional, not accidental. You consider observability, failure modes, and system health as part of API design, not an afterthought. You’re comfortable placing thoughtful constraints on API consumers to protect scalability and developer experience.

You treat APIs and developer tooling as products, not just infrastructure. You care deeply about how backend and API decisions impact end users. You enjoy greenfield work, while navigating integration with existing systems.

You bring informed opinions and enjoy refining them through discussion and iteration. Benefits Scribd Flex (flexible work model) Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage Mental health support and disability coverage Generous paid time off, including vacation, sick time, holidays, winter break, volunteer time, and sabbaticals Paid parental leave and family support benefits Retirement matching and employee equity Learning and development programs and professional growth opportunities Wellness and home office stipends Complimentary access to the Scribd, Inc. suite of products Enterprise access to leading AI tools Pay Range In the state of California, the reasonably expected salary range is between $146,000 to $227,500. In the United States, outside of California, the range is between $120,000 to $216,500.

In Canada, the range is between $152,500 CAD to $202,000 CAD. This position is also eligible for competitive equity ownership and a comprehensive benefits package. Location Requirement Employees must have their primary residence in or near one of the following cities: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Chicago, Houston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington D.C. (United States); Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver (Canada); Mexico City (Mexico).

EEO Statement Scribd, Inc. is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We encourage people of all backgrounds to apply, and believe that a diversity of perspectives and experiences create a foundation for the best ideas. Come join us in building something meaningful. #J-18808-Ljbffr