Senior Software Engineer

job summary:

We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer specializing in TypeScript, Node.js, and GraphQL, with an interest or background in Rust.

In this role, you will architect and scale high-throughput federated GraphQL APIs and backend-for-frontend (BFF) layers that handle billions of daily requests with sub-second latencies. You will work at the intersection of developer productivity and high-performance engineering-leveraging TypeScript and Node.js for rapid orchestration and feature delivery, while utilizing or migrating performance-critical pathways to Rust where ultra-low latency and memory safety are paramount.

location: Sunnyvale, California job type: Contract salary: $50 - 60 per hour work hours: 9am to 5pm education: No Degree Required

responsibilities:

API Architecture & Design: Architect, build, and maintain production-grade GraphQL APIs, Apollo Federation subgraphs, and RESTful microservices using TypeScript and Node.js.

Performance Engineering: Identify critical path bottlenecks in data hydration, query parsing, and serialization; evaluate and integrate Rust services or WebAssembly (Wasm) modules for high-compute, ultra-low-latency workloads.

Distributed Systems Integration: Interface seamlessly with enterprise backend platforms, distributed data stores (SQL/NoSQL), and event-driven architectures (Kafka/Event Hubs).

Schema Governance & Observability: Define schema evolutions, establish caching policies (Redis, CDN edge caching), and implement telemetry/distributed tracing (OpenTelemetry, Splunk, Dynatrace).

Resiliency & Scale: Design for high availability, zero-downtime deployments, and automatic failovers across cloud environments (Azure / GCP).

Engineering Excellence: Champion clean code, automated CI/CD workflows, comprehensive unit/integration testing (Jest, Mocha, Cargo test), and thorough peer design/code reviews.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with frontend engineers, product managers, security engineers, and enterprise architects to translate complex business needs into elegant technical solutions.

qualifications:

Experience:

4+ years of professional software development experience, OR 6+ years of equivalent professional engineering experience. Core Languages:

Deep proficiency in TypeScript and modern JavaScript (ESNext), with a mastery of asynchronous programming, event loop mechanics, and type safety.

Node.js Backend:

Demonstrated track record building resilient, production-grade microservices and middleware using Node.js (Fastify, Express, NestJS). GraphQL

Expertise: Strong hands-on experience designing GraphQL schemas, writing efficient resolvers, handling N+1 query batching (DataLoader), and working with federated architectures (e.g., Apollo Federation).

Databases & Caching: Experience working with relational databases (PostgreSQL/MySQL), distributed NoSQL systems (CosmosDB/Cassandra), and in-memory caches (Redis/Memcached).

Cloud & DevOps: Familiarity with Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, Jenkins), and cloud platforms (Azure, GCP, or AWS).

Preferred Qualifications

Rust Experience: Working knowledge of Rust (memory management, ownership/borrowing, concurrency primitives) with experience or an interest in systems-level performance tuning, Rust-based microservices (Axum, Actix-web), or Node-Rust FFI (napi-rs).

Large-Scale E-Commerce: Experience building high-traffic, multi-tenant distributed systems for consumer-facing checkout, search, catalog, or cart platforms.

Event-Driven Architectures: Hands-on experience with streaming platforms like Apache Kafka or RabbitMQ.

Security & Compliance: Solid grasp of OAuth 2.0, JWT, rate limiting, and API security best practices.

skills:

AWS,Apache Kafka,asynchronous programming,backend,Caching,caches,Cassandra,Cloud,CI/CD pipelines,streaming,Databases,DevOps,distributed systems,Docker,Event-Driven Architectures,frontend,GitHub Actions,GraphQL,GraphQL APIs,JWT,JavaScript,Jenkins,Kubernetes,low latency,Memcached,memory management,microservices,Azure,middleware,MySQL,NestJS,NoSQL systems,Node.js,Node,OAuth 2.0,performance tuning,PostgreSQL,RabbitMQ,rate limiting,Redis,relational databases,software development,API security,TypeScript,proficiency in TypeScript,resilient,E-Commerce,professional engineering,mechanics,high-performance engineering,safety,Security

Equal Opportunity Employer: Race, Color, Religion, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, National Origin, Age, Genetic Information, Disability, Protected Veteran Status, or any other legally protected group status.

At Randstad Digital, we welcome people of all abilities and want to ensure that our hiring and interview process meets the needs of all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation to make your application or interview experience a great one, please contact HRsupport@randstadusa.com.

Pay offered to a successful candidate will be based on several factors including the candidate's education, work experience, work location, specific job duties, certifications, etc. In addition, Randstad Digital offers a comprehensive benefits package, including: medical, prescription, dental, vision, AD&D, and life insurance offerings, short-term disability, and a 401K plan (all benefits are based on eligibility).

This posting is open for thirty (30) days.

Qualified applicants in San Francisco with criminal histories will be considered for employment in accordance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

We will consider for employment all qualified Applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.