Staff Software Engineer, Shopper Activation & Engagement

ABOUT THE ROLE We're transforming the grocery industry at Instacart, a company that believes everyone should have access to the food they love and more time to enjoy it together. As a Staff Software Engineer on our Shopper Activation & Engagement team, you'll play a critical role in defining the technical strategy and architecture for shopper activation surfaces, driving fast, safe, and scalable solutions that directly influence shopper supply, marketplace efficiency, and our ability to scale sustainably. WHAT YOU'LL DO As the Activation Domain Tech Lead, you'll lead the end-to-end technical strategy and architecture for critical shopper activation surfaces, including onboarding funnel optimization, waitlist management, supply levers, and compliance systems. You'll partner closely with Product, Design, Data Science, Operations, Legal, Trust & Safety, and key onboarding vendors to deliver solutions that meet the needs of millions of shoppers. Your responsibilities will include: * Defining and driving the technical strategy and architecture for the activation domain * Leading product strategy in partnership with Product and Design across onboarding funnel optimization, waitlist management, incentives, and supply levers * Owning delivery of business-critical compliance and vendor initiatives, building auditable, privacy-first systems with strong observability and SLAs * Running large, cross-functional programs across multiple engineering and business teams * Mentoring and developing engineers through design reviews, high-quality code practices, and clear technical standards * Continuously improving reliability, performance, and cost efficiency of services WHAT YOU'LL NEED To succeed in this role, you'll need: * 10+ years of software engineering experience building and operating large-scale distributed systems, high-traffic services, or mobile backends * 3+ years owning end-to-end architecture and technical strategy for a domain or product area, from design through production operations * Proven track record leading cross-functional initiatives across 3+ teams and delivering under hard deadlines in ambiguous problem spaces * Proficiency in one or more backend languages (e.g., Go, Java, Python) and with modern cloud infrastructure (e.g., AWS or GCP) and data stores (e.g., Postgres, DynamoDB, Redis) * Hands-on experience building AI tooling or agentic automation and integrating AI into developer workflows or product features * Experience designing compliant systems involving identity, eligibility, certifications, or similarly sensitive workflows, with privacy and security best practices * Demonstrated mentorship and team development experience, including leveling up engineers through design guidance and rigorous code reviews * Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience WHY REMOTE As a Flex First team, we offer the flexibility to choose where you do your best work – whether it's from home, an office, or your favorite coffee shop – while staying connected and building community through regular in-person events. Learn more about our flexible approach to where we work. BENEFITS Instacart offers a competitive salary and benefits package, including a comprehensive health insurance plan, 401(k) matching, and a generous paid time off policy.