Staff Software Engineer, Safety Processing

About the Role

Discord is looking for a Staff Software Engineer to join our Safety Processing team. This team plays a crucial role in ensuring trust and safety across Discord, processing signals from user reports and automated systems to identify and remove harmful or illegal content from our platform. You’ll lead backend projects, provide architectural guidance, and help build scalable systems that protect our users.

What You'll Be Doing

• Lead, design, and build scalable backend systems for processing safety-related signals, primarily using Python.
• Guide and mentor the team through architectural and system design challenges, ensuring long-term scalability as Discord continues to grow.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to build tools for content moderation and related compliance efforts, including in-house solutions and vendor integrations.
• Implement and enhance ML/AI models and automation to improve efficiency in content moderation and decision-making processes.
• Build solutions with an adversarial mindset, anticipating and addressing safety challenges such as malicious behavior and illegal content.
• Drive workstreams and provide leadership to the team, mobilizing others to accomplish projects and deliver impactful outcomes.

What We Look For

• Python Expertise: Extensive experience developing and maintaining backend systems using Python.
• Architectural Leadership: Strong system design and architecture skills with the ability to build scalable, reliable systems for content moderation with an emphasis on large-scale initiatives measured in quarters or years.
• Leadership in Execution: Ability to define workstreams, lead projects, and guide other engineers through implementation.
• Adversarial Mindset: Experience in a domain that required an adversarial mindset such as trust, safety, security, or privacy.
• On-Call Experience: Experience being in a 24/7 on-call rotation for production systems.

Bonus Points

• Experience working with ML/AI models in content moderation.
• Familiarity with TypeScript, JavaScript, React, and frontend technologies.
• Familiarity with Rust.
• Previous experience at companies with a strong focus on safety, security, or trust & safety.

Location & Work Arrangement

• Candidates must be located in either the Los Angeles area or the San Francisco Bay Area.
• Candidates in the Los Angeles area can work remotely.
• Candidates in the San Francisco area are required to be in the office 2 days per week.