Staff Software Engineer

Position Overview

AppFolio is more than a company – we’re a community of dreamers, big thinkers, problem solvers, active listeners, and multipliers. We set the pace in innovating real estate technology while delivering effortless, yet meaningful experiences. We are looking for a pioneering technical leader to drive the architectural evolution of our Leasing Engineering Domain as a Staff Software Engineer. In this hands-on, full-stack leadership role, you will own the system’s architecture and translate sophisticated AI capabilities into robust, production-grade SaaS infrastructure, bridging gaps between Machine Learning Engineering, Product, and UX to bring strategic vision to life.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive the technical vision and strategy across the Leasing teams, influencing the product roadmap and making key architectural decisions that align with business goals.
• Lead the design and implementation of complex, distributed systems that power our agentic AI, balancing rapid innovation with the reliability and security our customers depend on.
• Raise the bar for engineering quality through hands-on leadership in design and code, while establishing standards and patterns that enable the team to ship with confidence.
• Act as a force multiplier by coaching engineers and fostering a high-trust, autonomous culture that values continuous learning and ownership.
• Collaborate with Product, Design, and Machine Learning leaders to bridge the gap between innovative AI possibilities and valuable customer outcomes.
• Operate in a highly autonomous team that owns the full lifecycle of the solutions built, from discovery to development to production.
• Proactively research and apply new technologies and patterns to improve system quality and accelerate delivery.

Required Qualifications

• You have 8+ years of experience developing and scaling web-based applications, preferably in a SaaS environment.
• You have a track record of leading high-stakes projects from initial ambiguity to successful launch – aligning stakeholders, making tough technical trade-offs, and ensuring long-term system health.
• You possess experience in leading architectural discussions, defining system design, and guiding technical decision-making.
• You have practical experience integrating AI/ML technologies into production-grade applications while ensuring non-deterministic systems remain reliable.
• You take a pragmatic approach to adopting new tools where they add value, while also mastering established technologies.
• You care about long-term maintainability, advocate for clean architecture, and drive continuous refactoring and improvement.
• You balance intensity with sustainability, going the extra mile when needed while modeling a healthy work-life balance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in Computer Science or a related technical discipline.
• Experience with technologies in our stack such as Ruby on Rails, React, AWS, or service-oriented architectures.

Benefits & Perks

• Compensation: $167,200 - $209,000 [base pay / OTE]
• Location: Find out more about our locations by visiting our site.
• Benefits: Regular full-time employees are eligible for a comprehensive Total Rewards package.