> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/3067988-staff-software-engineer-unified-data-store](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/3067988-staff-software-engineer-unified-data-store). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Staff Software Engineer, Unified Data Store - **Company:** Airbnb - **Location:** San Francisco, CA, United States (Remote available) - **Experience:** Expert - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Artificial Intelligence, Data Infrastructure, Data Stores, Data Systems, Distributed Systems, Fault Tolerance, Data Access Layer, Reliability of Systems, Data Management - **Published:** September 25, 2026 - **Apply:** https://arc.dev/remote-jobs/j/redirect/on1nk55f6q ## About the Role * Experience: 9+ years of relevant industry experience, with a proven track record of operating at a Senior or Staff level in a high-growth environment. * Distributed Systems Mastery: Deep expertise in large-scale distributed systems, including storage internals, networking, and consistency models. * Technical Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead complex technical initiatives, influence architectural decisions across multiple teams, and mentor senior talent. * Platform Mindset: A passion for building high-performance infrastructure services that prioritize developer experience and system reliability at scale. * Communication: Exceptional ability to articulate complex infrastructure challenges to both technical partners and internal customers. * Innovation: A strong interest in leveraging emerging technologies, including Applied AI, to optimize data management and system observability. ## Description The Unified Data Store (UDS) team is the architect of Airbnb's global system-of-record. We design, build, and operate the mission-critical storage platform that powers every user profile, listing, reservation, and financial transaction on the platform. Supporting over 150 million users worldwide, our work is the bedrock of Airbnb's reliability and efficiency. As a Staff Engineer in our Brazil Engineering Hub, you will join a high-impact group of technical leaders who value craft and operational excellence. You won't just be managing data; you will be building a modern distributed infrastructure service that enables hundreds of product teams to ship features with total confidence. The Difference You Will Make We are looking for a hands-on technical leader who thrives on solving deep architectural challenges and leading through ambiguity. As a Staff Engineer, you will serve as the Technical North Star for the UDS Client Stack, ensuring our data access layer is seamless, high-performance, and future-proof. A Typical Day * Define Technical Strategy: Lead the multi-year roadmap and long-term architecture for the UDS client stack, balancing immediate execution with systemic platform evolution. * Architect for Scale: Design and operate a high-performance data access layer that abstracts complexities like indexing, replication, and global consistency models. * Drive Engineering Excellence: Lead deep-dive design reviews and establish best practices for building fault-tolerant distributed systems across the organization. * Empower Developers: Act as a bridge between infrastructure and product, creating a unified interface that simplifies how engineers interact with complex data systems. * Collaborate Globally: Partner with UDS and Data Infrastructure teams globally to align architecture, drive adoption, and deliver high-impact solutions. ## Related Videos - [Fault Tolerance and Consistency at Scale: Harnessing the Power of Distributed SQL Databases](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1520-fault-tolerance-and-consistency-at-scale-harnessing-the-power-of-distributed-sql-databases) - [From Messy Queries to Scalable Systems - How Data Engineering actually works](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100203-from-messy-queries-to-scalable-systems-how-data-engineering-actually-works) - [Modern Data Architectures need Software Engineering](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1030-modern-data-architectures-need-software-engineering) - [System Resilience: Surviving the Software Storm](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/874-system-resilience-surviving-the-software-storm) - [Why Your AI Agent Keeps Hallucinating Your Data: Building Deterministic Context Layers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/2055-why-your-ai-agent-keeps-hallucinating-your-data-building-deterministic-context-layers) - [Fault Tolerance and Consistency at Scale: Harnessing the Power of Distributed SQL Databases](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1146-fault-tolerance-and-consistency-at-scale-harnessing-the-power-of-distributed-sql-databases) ## Related Articles - [Highest Paying Tech Companies for Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/220-highest-paying-tech-companies-for-developers) - [Navigating the AI Shift](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/629-navigating-the-ai-shift) - [Dev Digest 132 - Binging WADFlix?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/473-dev-digest-132-binging-wadflix) - [Highest Paying Tech Companies in Europe](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/162-highest-paying-tech-companies-in-europe) - [Dev Digest 120 - Apple and peers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/455-dev-digest-120-apple-and-peers) - [Why Attend a Developer Event in 2026?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/688-why-attend-a-developer-event-in-2026)