Staff Software Engineer, Safety Processing

About the position Discord is looking for a Staff Software Engineer to join their Safety Processing team. This team is responsible for ensuring trust and safety on the platform by processing signals from user reports and automated systems to identify and remove harmful or illegal content. The role involves leading backend projects, providing architectural guidance, and building scalable systems to protect users. The work directly impacts platform safety and contributes to making Discord a more inclusive environment.

Responsibilities

• 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
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to build tools for content moderation and related compliance efforts, including in-house solutions and vendors
• 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

Requirements

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

Nice-to-haves

• 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

Benefits

• Relocation assistance may be available
• Equity
• Benefits