Job Description
Make something that matters
Great writing is valuable. It respects readers' time, their intelligence, and their trust. It helps us make sense of and change the culture we live in. At Substack, we're building a business model that enables great writing to thrive. Learn more about our opportunity and mission.
Substack is looking to expand its Top Publisher Team. We are a small but growing team, and there is more to build than we could ever imagine. Thatโs why we need you. We work closely with the biggest writers and publications on Substack, expanding the capabilities of the platform to meet their needs.
We aim to take pragmatic approaches to problem solving while shipping high-quality products that allow the writing on Substack to take the spotlight. We work on many of Substackโs core product surfaces: the writer dashboard, its editor, publication analytics, podcasting & video features, and much more.
We believe that a diverse team will help us build a product that best serves the needs of a wildly diverse ecosystem of writers. So whatever your background or perspective, weโd welcome your input to help build the best possible version of Substack.
Engineers on the Top Publisher Team are responsible for the core product platform, from frontend UI and testing, to APIs, low-level services, and database operations. We work in close partnership with designers, product thinkers, and writers to build out new product offerings and tooling across the platform. They are on the front-lines of product development and are responsible for creating whatโs next for Substack.
Substackโs compensation package includes a market competitive salary, equity for all full time roles, and exceptional benefits. Our cash compensation salary range for this role is $175,000 - $215,000. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including candidate experience and expertise and may vary from the amounts listed above.
Role
- Develop the platform for Substackโs biggest writers and publications. We expect that engineers can jump into any area of the product, learn quickly, and add value for writers.
- Scale systems to handle ever-increasing load and a fast-growing ecosystem of writers and readers.
- Contribute to the whole product process in collaboration with designers, writers, support staff, and many others. From product concept and research to implementation and deployment, we expect you to own your work and deliver high-quality solutions.
- Work directly with writers to solve their problems. The entire company (CEO included) participates in customer support in order to drive empathy for our users and help us build better products.
- We work with JavaScript, especially Node/Express and React, and Postgres. Itโs helpful if you know these technologies already. If not, weโll be excited to help you learn.
- We are a fully remote team with quarterly meet-ups in Substackโs San Francisco or New York offices.
About You
- At least 5 years of software engineering experience.
- Can contribute across the full web stack, but may have a deeper passion for certain technologies and systems.
- Independent and autonomous. Weโre too small to micromanage, and expect that every person at the company owns their work and can be a leader.
- Hold yourself and others to a high standard when working on production systems.
- Take pride in building elegant and delightful product experiences. Substack works best when it gets out of the way so writers can focus on writing and connecting with their readers.
- Enjoy collaboration with a diverse group of thinkers while bringing our own unique experience and background to the team.
- Believe in Substackโs mission to build a better business model for writing.
Substack is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or transgender status), age, national origin, veteran or disability status. Weโre seeking people passionate about enabling independent expression and building a better business model for creators. If you want to see what media, communities, and content can become when unmoored from advertising models, and you have the skills and experience to contribute, weโd love to meet you.