Staff Software Engineer, Backend Java

OverviewPayPal has been revolutionizing commerce globally for more than 25 years. Creating innovative experiences that make moving money, selling, and shopping simple, personalized, and secure, PayPal empowers consumers and businesses in approximately 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy. We operate a global, two-sided network at scale that connects hundreds of millions of merchants and consumers. We help merchants and consumers connect, transact, and complete payments, whether online or in person. We provide proprietary payment solutions accepted by merchants that enable the completion of payments on our platform on behalf of our customers. We offer our customers the flexibility to use their accounts to purchase and receive payments for goods and services, as well as the ability to transfer and withdraw funds. We enable consumers to exchange funds more safely with merchants using a variety of funding sources, which may include a bank account, a PayPal or Venmo account balance, PayPal and Venmo branded credit products, a credit card, a debit card, certain cryptocurrencies, or other stored value products such as gift cards, and eligible credit card rewards. Our PayPal, Venmo, and Xoom products also make it safer and simpler for friends and family to transfer funds to each other. We offer merchants an end-to-end payments solution that provides authorization and settlement capabilities, as well as instant access to funds and payouts. We also help merchants connect with their customers, process exchanges and returns, and manage risk. We enable consumers to engage in cross-border shopping and merchants to extend their global reach while reducing the complexity and friction involved in enabling cross-border trade. Our beliefs are the foundation for how we conduct business every day. We live each day guided by our core values of Inclusion, Innovation, Collaboration, and Wellness. Together, our values ensure that we work together as one global team with our customers at the center of everything we do – and they push us to ensure we take care of ourselves, each other, and our communities.Job Description Summary: At PayPal, Backend Software Engineers are the architects of our global payment platform. You’ll design, develop, and optimize the core systems that power millions of transactions daily—directly shaping customer experiences and driving the company’s success. As a Staff Backend Java Engineer, you’ll define the technical roadmap and lead innovation across large-scale, distributed systems. Collaborating closely with product and engineering leadership, you’ll translate complex requirements into scalable designs, advocate for engineering excellence, and deliver impactful solutions that move PayPal’s mission forward. You’ll bring deep technical expertise, exceptional problem-solving skills, and a passion for mentoring teams toward building robust, high-quality software.Job Description:Essential Responsibilities:Acts as a project or system leader, coordinating the activities of other engineers on the project or within the systemDetermines the technical tasks that other engineers will followActions result in the achievement of customer, operational, program or service objectivesProactively improves existing structures & processesExercises judgement in reconciling diverse and competing priorities (time, quality, complexity risk) to identify optimal solutions to problemsNotices patterns and condenses repetition into densely meaningful generalized solutionsCollaborates with management to set/improve standards for engineering rigorTrusted to represent PayPal, Inc to the outside world via interactions with partners, customers, or industry organizationsExpected Qualifications:Minimum of 8 years of relevant work experience and a Bachelors degree or equivalent experience.Additional QualificationsAdditional Responsibilities and Preferred QualificationsProficiency in Java and deep expertise in Java EE technologies (e.g., application servers, servlet containers, JMS, JPA, Spring MVC, Hibernate).Proven experience architecting and developing large-scale backend systems, microservices, and cloud-native solutions.Strong leadership in defining and executing backend technology strategies and driving technical roadmaps that align with business goals.Expertise in fault-tolerant, highly available architectures, including disaster recovery and performance optimization.Experience designing and implementing secure backend systems, with advanced understanding of secure coding, encryption, and access control.Demonstrated ability to mentor and influence engineering teams, fostering innovation, craftsmanship, and continuous improvement.Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate requirements into scalable, maintainable software designs.Advocacy for engineering excellence, clean code practices, and quality-driven development processes.Preferred QualificationsExperience with Agile/Scrum methodologies and delivering in iterative development environments.Experience building and operating large-scale, high-performance distributed systems.Knowledge of the payment processing industry, compliance, and relevant regulatory frameworks.Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure).Contributions to open-source projects or active participation in technical communities.About The TeamThe SMB & Financial Services (SMB&FS) Engineering team empowers small and medium-sized businesses to grow through PayPal’s trusted payment and commerce solutions. By helping merchants adopt PayPal products and leveraging our suite of Financial Services offerings—including Credit and Debit Cards, Business Loans, Buy Now Pay Later options, and Money Management tools—the team drives business expansion, operational efficiency, and customer success. These financial products also strengthen consumer engagement and loyalty by expanding how customers can pay, finance, and manage their money through PayPal. SMB&FS Engineering plays a key role in advancing PayPal’s mission to revolutionize commerce globally.PayPal is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. Actual compensation is based on various factors including but not limited to work location, and relevant skills and experience. The total compensation for this position may include an annual performance bonus (or other incentive compensation, as applicable), equity, and medical, dental, vision, and other benefits. For more information, visit https://www.paypalbenefits.com. The U.S. national annual pay range for this role is $160,500 to $238,700. PayPal does not charge candidates any fees for courses, applications, resume reviews, interviews, background checks, or onboarding. Any such request is a red flag and likely part of a scam. To learn more about how to identify and avoid recruitment fraud please visit https://careers.pypl.com/contact-us. For the majority of employees, PayPal's balanced hybrid work model offers 3 days in the office for effective in-person collaboration and 2 days at your choice of either the PayPal office or your home workspace, ensuring that you equally have the benefits and conveniences of both locations.Our Benefits:At PayPal, we’re committed to building an equitable and inclusive global economy. And we can’t do this without our most important asset-you. That’s why we offer benefits to help you thrive in every stage of life. We champion your financial, physical, and mental health by offering valuable benefits and resources to help you care for the whole you. We have great benefits including a flexible work environment, employee shares options, health and life insurance and more. To learn more about our benefits please visit https://www.paypalbenefits.comWho We Are:To learn more about our culture and community visit https://about.pypl.com/who-we-are/default.aspxCommitment to Diversity and InclusionPayPal provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. In addition, PayPal will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you are unable to submit an application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at paypalglobaltalentacquisition@paypal.com.Belonging at PayPal:Our employees are central to advancing our mission, and we strive to create an environment where everyone can do their best work with a sense of purpose and belonging. Belonging at PayPal means creating a workplace with a sense of acceptance and security where all employees feel included and valued. We are proud to have a diverse workforce reflective of the merchants, consumers, and communities that we serve, and we continue to take tangible actions to cultivate inclusivity and belonging at PayPal.Any general requests for consideration of your skills, please Join our Talent Community.We know the confidence gap and imposter syndrome can get in the way of meeting spectacular candidates. Please don’t hesitate to apply.REQ ID R0132436 #J-18808-Ljbffr