Lead Software Engineer

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About the Role

As a Software Engineer, you will join a small, senior group shaping the core technology that powers Nubank globally — from data and experimentation platforms to shared services that support products across multiple business units and geographies.

The work is highly 0→1, with a strong emphasis on long‑term impact, technical quality, and global scale rather than one‑off features.

You'll be responsible for

• Designing, building, and operating distributed backend services and APIs that support core platforms used by multiple product teams worldwide.
• Owning services end‑to‑end — from architecture and implementation to observability, reliability, and continuous improvement in production.
• Defining clear contracts, SLOs, and guardrails so internal teams can safely build on top of the platforms you own.
• Collaborating closely with data, ML, and infrastructure engineers to turn models, datasets, and lower‑level components into robust, easy‑to‑use internal products.
• Leading 0→1 and modernization initiatives, making pragmatic trade‑offs and setting technical standards for high‑leverage systems.

We are looking for a person who has

Required

• Solid experience as a backend or platform engineer, owning production systems end‑to‑end (design, implementation, operations, and ongoing evolution).
• Proven track record working with distributed systems at scale and building APIs or microservices on modern cloud infrastructure.
• Experience building or supporting platform‑level services where many teams depend on your systems for their day‑to‑day work.
• Comfort operating in ambiguous, fast‑changing contexts and driving 0→1 technical decisions with a long‑term mindset.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills, including working effectively with engineers across disciplines and locations.

Nice to have

• Experience with data, ML, or AI‑related infrastructure (e.g., experimentation, model serving, or ML platforms) used by multiple product teams.
• Exposure to highly regulated or safety‑critical domains (such as financial infrastructure or crypto) where reliability, compliance, and auditability are essential.
• Background in fast‑growing global tech companies, designing systems that work across products, markets, and regulatory environments.
• Experience mentoring other engineers and contributing to raising the engineering bar through reviews, discussions, and hiring.

Location & Work Model

• Location: Palo Alto, United States.
• Work model: Hybrid 2–3 times/week – our hybrid work model brings us to the office at least twice a week, on strategic days designed to maximize team connection and collaboration. For more details, visit https://building.nubank.com/nu-hybrid-work-model/.

Our Benefits

Our benefits program is designed to support your well‑being and performance while you enjoy life and work. For roles based in the United States, our current benefits include:

• Opportunity of earning equity at Nu
• Total compensation includes base salary, RSUs and benefits. Base salary range: $230,000 - $276,000
• Medical Insurance
• Dental and Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance and AD&D
• Extended maternity and paternity leaves
• Nucleo – our learning platform of courses
• NuLanguage – our language learning program
• NuCare – our mental health and wellness assistance program
• 401K
• Saving Plans – Health Saving Account and Flexible Spending Account
• Work‑from‑home Allowance
• Relocation Assistance Package, if applicable

Explore how we build technology at Nubank: building.nubank.com.br, youtube.com/@building.nubank, and our podcast on Spotify.