Senior Software Engineer, Backend (Capacity Modeling)

At Affirm, we exist for the moments that matter—giving people a clear, predictable way to pay over time, with no hidden fees, no surprises, and no tradeoffs on what matters most.

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Hey! Read this!

The role you are opening is part of Nova's Standardized Job Description program. Use the instructions below to create your job description. Do not write your own!

You can learn more about this project here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IjB47NtlFX1fMuyqWwyvi1nFIsTNo-R6QyCu-5ckXc0/edit

Please share any feedback on your experience using the Google Form linked in the announcement above, or reach out to nova@affirm.com with any questions.
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Affirm is reinventing credit to make it more honest and friendly, giving consumers the flexibility to buy now and pay later without any hidden fees or compounding interest.


The Capacity Modeling team ensures Affirm can safely handle forecasted traffic—especially during peak sales events—by translating demand forecasts into concrete, testable capacity plans. They build and maintain statistical capacity models that map traffic inputs (e.g., checkout volume, app opens, batch/job activity) to resource outputs (CPU, memory, connections) and then convert those forecasts into recommended capacity settings such as pod counts, HPA ranges, and/or infrastructure sizing changes across regions and environments.


What You'll Do


· You will be responsible for owning and delivering quarterly goals for your team, leading engineers on your team through ambiguity to solve open-ended problems, and ensuring that everyone is supported throughout delivery.
· You will support your peers and stakeholders in the product development lifecycle by collaborating with product management, design & analytics by participating in ideation, articulating technical constraints, and partnering on decisions that properly consider risks and trade-offs.
· You will proactively identify project, process, technology or business issues, advocate for them, and lead in solving them.
· You will support the operations and availability of your team’s artifacts by creating and monitoring metrics, escalating when needed, and supporting “keep the lights on” & on-call efforts.
· You will foster a culture of quality and ownership on your team by setting or improving code review and design standards for your team, and advocating for them beyond your team through your writing and tech talks.
· You will help develop talent on your team by providing feedback and guidance, and leading by example.


What We Look For


[ONLY THE NEXT BULLETS ONLY FOR BACKEND ROLES]
· You have 4+ years of experience designing, developing and launching backend systems at scale using languages like Python or Kotlin.
· You have a track record of developing highly available distributed systems using technologies like AWS, MySQL and Kubernetes.
· You have experience supporting scale up and down of large scale sales event such as Prime Day, Black Friday Cyber Monday, or other sales holidays

· You have tuned autoscaling, CPU/Memory, and multi-threading for compute type workloads.
[KEEP ALL OF THESE BULLETS]
· You have experience defining a technical plan for the delivery of a significant feature or system component with an elegant, simple and extensible design. You write high quality code that is easily understood and used by others.
· You are proficient at making significant changes in a large code base, and have developed a suite of tools and practices that enable you and your team to do so safely.
· Your experience demonstrates that you take ownership of your growth, proactively seeking feedback from your team, your manager, and your stakeholders.
· You have strong verbal and written communication skills that support effective collaboration with our global engineering team.
[KEEP FOR U.S. ENG ROLES ONLY]
· This position requires either equivalent practical experience or a Bachelor’s degree in a related field.

 

[**THE BELOW ARE INSTRUCTIONS FOR RECRUITERS.*** WHEN COPYING INTO WORKDAY, INCLUDE ALL OF THE TEXT BELOW.DO NOT DELETE OR FILL OUT ANY OF THE INFORMATION BELOW.]
[DELETE IF NOT APPLICABLE TO ROLE] For U.S. non-variable roles use the template below:

Base Pay Grade -
Equity Grade -
Employees new to Affirm typically come in at the start of the pay range. Affirm focuses on providing a simple and transparent pay structure which is based on a variety of factors, including location, experience and job-related skills.
Base pay is part of a total compensation package that may include equity rewards, monthly stipends for health, wellness and tech spending, and benefits (including 100% subsidized medical coverage, dental and vision for you and your dependents.)
USA base pay range (CA, WA, NY, NJ, CT) per year: $X - $X
USA base pay range (all other U.S. states) per year: $X - $X
[DELETE IF NOT APPLICABLE TO ROLE] For U.S. variable roles use the template below:

Base Pay Grade -
Equity Grade -
Employees new to Affirm typically come in at the start of the pay range. Affirm focuses on providing a simple and transparent pay structure which is based on a variety of factors, including location, experience and job-related skills.
Base pay is part of a total compensation package that may include equity rewards, monthly stipends for health, wellness and tech spending, and benefits (including 100% subsidized medical coverage, dental and vision for you and your dependents.)
For sales roles, the range provided is the role’s On Target Earnings ("OTE") range, which includes the annual base pay and the sales incentive target.
USA On Target Earnings (CA, WA, NY, NJ, CT) per year: $X - $X
USA On Target Earnings (all other U.S. states) per year: $X - $X
[DELETE IF NOT APPLICABLE TO ROLE] For CAN/GBR roles use the template below:

Base Pay Grade -
Equity Grade -
Employees new to Affirm typically come in at the start of the pay range. Affirm focuses on providing a simple and transparent pay structure which is based on a variety of factors, including location, experience and job-related skills. [IF APPLICABLE] For sales roles, the range provided is the role’s On Target Earnings ("OTE") range, which includes the annual base pay and the sales incentive target.
Base pay is part of a total compensation package that may include monthly stipends for health, wellness and tech spending, and benefits (including 100% subsidized medical coverage, dental and vision for you and your dependents). In addition, the employees may be eligible for equity rewards offered by Affirm Holdings, Inc. (parent company).
(CHOOSE ONE - CAN or GBR) base pay range per year: $X - $X
[DELETE IF NOT APPLICABLE TO ROLE] For POL roles use the template below:

Total Rewards

We believe the people building honest financial products at Affirm should share in its success. That's why our total rewards are designed to support your health, growth, financial well-being, and future.

In service of our mission, we reward employees through a combination of base pay, equity (from parent company), and comprehensive benefits.

Base Pay Grade – N

$XXX-$XXX

Base pay ranges and placement within those ranges are determined based on several factors, including role, experience, and job-related skills.

In addition to base pay, all employees in this role are eligible to receive equity from the parent company each year. This means as Affirm’s parent company grows, employees have the opportunity to share in that growth financially.

Equity Grade – 4 (awarded in US Dollars)

Affirm Holdings, Inc. Equity Grade example

Equity grade: 2

New hire equity: $16,000-$24,000

Annual Refresh: $5,000

Reward equity: $0-$75,000

Affirm also provides flexible spending wallets to all employees for technology and wellbeing related needs, which are reimbursable up to 1390 zł per month.

In addition to your compensation, our comprehensive benefits are designed to support you and the people who matter most. Benefits include:

• Competitive paid time off, paid public holidays, and additional paid Away Days to rest and recharge.
• Comprehensive private healthcare through Lux Med's Platinum package.
• A MultiSport card to support your health and well-being.
• Learning and development programs to help you grow professionally. 
• Family healthcare support through Maven and parental leave support through Parentaly.
• Mental well-being support through Lyra, including up to 12 confidential counseling or coaching sessions each year for you and your household members.
• Financial well-being support through Northstar, with unlimited access to Certified Financial Advisors and planning tools at no cost to you.
• Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that foster connection and inclusion.
• Eligibility for creative tax benefits, subject to applicable law, role, and company policy.
   

Location - Remote Poland

The majority of our roles can be located anywhere in Poland.

**This job description is not a contractual document, and is not intended to have binding force.**

LI-Remote

[DELETE IF NOT APPLICABLE TO ROLE] For ESP roles use the template below:
Compensation & Benefits

Base Pay Grade -
Equity Grade -
Employees new to Affirm typically come in at the start of the pay range. Affirm focuses on providing a simple and transparent pay structure which is based on a variety of factors, including location, experience and job-related skills.
Base pay is part of a total compensation package that may include monthly stipends for health, wellness and tech spending, and benefits (including 100% subsidized medical coverage, dental and vision for you and your dependents). In addition, the employees may be eligible for equity rewards offered by Affirm Holdings, Inc. (parent company).
ESP base pay range per year: €X - €X
Additional benefits include:
• Flexible Spending Wallets for tech, food and lifestyle
• Away Days - wellness days to take off work and recharge
• Learning & Development programs
• Parental benefits
• Employee Resource & Community Groups
[ONLY KEEP THIS IF WE DO NOT SPONSOR THE ROLE] Please note that visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
[REMOVE IF POSTING IS NOT REMOTE] LI-Remote

Remote-first with flexibility built in
Affirm is proud to be a remote-first company. Most roles can be done from almost anywhere within the country of employment. Some positions may occasionally require in-person work at an Affirm office, and a few are office-based due to the nature of the work. All new hires will be invited to attend an in-person onboarding experience.

Benefits designed for you
Our benefits reflect our commitment to care, transparency, and flexibility. Here are a few highlights:

• Health coverage at no cost: We cover 100% of premiums for employees and their dependents.
• Spending stipends: Monthly stipends support your tech setup, and the ability to choose health and wellness options that are right for you.
• Time off to recharge: Flexible time off and generous holiday calendars help you rest when you need to.
• Own a piece of what you build: Our employee stock purchase plan (ESPP) lets you buy Affirm stock at a discount.

We’re committed to providing an inclusive interview process, including accommodations for candidates with disabilities. If you need support, we’re happy to help.

For positions based in San Francisco or Los Angeles: Affirm considers qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, as required by law.

By clicking "Submit Application," you acknowledge that you have read Affirm's Global Candidate Privacy Notice and consent to the use of your personal information as described.