Skip to Main Content

Job Title


Senior Software Engineer (Python Distributed systems)


Company : Scribd, Inc.


Location : Toronto, Ontario


Created : 2026-01-27


Job Type : Full Time


Job Description

Join to apply for the Senior Backend Engineer (Python + Distributed systems) role at Scribd, Inc. 3 days ago Be among the first 25 applicants About The Company At Scribd (pronounced scribbed), our mission is to spark human curiosity. Join our team as we create a world of stories and knowledge, democratize the exchange of ideas and information, and empower collective expertise through our four products: Everand, Scribd, Slideshare, and Fable. We support a culture where our employees can be real and be bold; where we debate and commit as we embrace plot twists; and where every employee is empowered to take action as we prioritize the customer. When it comes to workplace structure, we believe in balancing individual flexibility and community connections. Its through our flexible work benefit, Scribd Flex, that employees in partnership with their manager can choose the daily workstyle that best suits their individual needs. A key tenet of Scribd Flex is our prioritization of intentional inperson moments to build collaboration, culture, and connections. For this reason, occasional inperson attendance is required for all Scribd employees, regardless of their location. So what are we looking for in new team members? Well, we hire for GRIT. The textbook definition of GRIT is demonstrating the intersection of passion and perseverance towards long term goals. At Scribd, we are inspired by the potential that this can unlock, and ask each of our employees to pursue a GRITty approach to their work. In a tactical sense, GRIT is also a handy acronym that outlines the standards we hold ourselves and each other to. Heres what that means for you: were looking for someone who showcases the ability to set and achieve G oals, achieve R esults within their job responsibilities, contribute I nnovative ideas and solutions, and positively influence the broader T eam through collaboration and attitude. About The Team The ML Data Engineering team powers metadata extraction, enrichment, and content understanding across all Scribd brands. We process hundreds of millions of documents, billions of images, and deliver highquality metadata to enable content discovery and trust for millions of users worldwide. Our systems operate at massive scale, supporting diverse datasets like usergenerated content (UGC), ebooks, audiobooks, and more. We work at the intersection of machine learning, data engineering, and distributed systems, collaborating closely with applied research and product teams to deploy scalable ML and LLMpowered solutions in production. Role Overview Were seeking a Senior Software Engineer with deep experience building eventdriven, distributed, and scalable systems in Python. In this role, youll design and optimize largescale data and service pipelines running on AWS, supporting Scribds content enrichment and metadata systems. Youll work closely with crossfunctional teams to design reliable backend services that integrate machine learning models and LLMbased components when needed. This role offers the opportunity to work on cuttingedge generative AI and metadata enrichment problems at a truly global scale. Tech Stack Our backend systems are primarily built in Python, leveraging AWS services such as Lambda, ECS, SQS, and ElastiCache for eventdriven and distributed processing. We also use Airflow, Spark, Databricks, Terraform, and Datadog for orchestration, data processing, and observability. Key Responsibilities Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and guidance to engineers across the organization, driving secure coding best practices. Lead the design, implementation, and scaling of eventdriven, distributed systems to extract, enrich, and process metadata from largescale document and media datasets. Partner with Data Science, Infrastructure, ML Engineering, and Product teams to architect and deliver robust systems that balance scalability, high performance, and rapid iteration. Contribute to the teams engineering strategy, identifying gaps, proposing new initiatives, and improving existing frameworks. Build and maintain scalable APIs and backend services for highthroughput content processing. Leverage AWS services (ECS, Lambda, SQS, ElastiCache, CloudWatch) to design and deploy resilient, highperformance systems. Optimize and refactor existing backend systems for scalability, reliability, and performance. Ensure system health and data integrity through monitoring, observability, and automated testing. Requirements 7+ years of professional software engineering experience with a focus on backend or distributed systems development. Strong proficiency in Python (5+ years). Experience with Scala is a plus. Expertise in designing and architecting largescale eventdriven and distributed systems. Strong cloud expertise with AWS services (ECS, Lambda, SQS, SNS, CloudWatch, etc.). Experience with infrastructureascode tools like Terraform. Solid understanding of system performance, profiling, and optimization. Experience leading technical projects and mentoring engineers. Bachelors degree in Computer Science or equivalent professional experience. Bonus: Familiarity with data processing frameworks (Spark, Databricks) and workflow orchestration tools. Bonus: Experience integrating ML or LLMbased models into production systems. Compensation At Scribd, your base pay is one part of your total compensation package and is determined within a range. Our pay ranges are based on the local cost of labor benchmarks for each specific role, level, and geographic location. SanFrancisco is our highest geographic market in the United States. In the state of California, the reasonably expected salary range is between $146,500to $228,000. In the United States, outside of California, the reasonably expected salary range is between $120,000to $217,000. In Canada, the reasonably expected salary range is between $153,000CADto $202,000CAD. We carefully consider a wide range of factors when determining compensation, including but not limited to experience; jobrelated skill sets; relevant education or training; and other business and organizational needs. The salary range listed is for the level at which this job has been scoped. In the event that you are considered for a different level, a higher or lower pay range would apply. This position is also eligible for a competitive equity ownership, and a comprehensive and generous benefits package. Working at Scribd, Inc. Are you currently based in a location where Scribd is able to employ you? Employees must have their primary residence in or near one of the following cities. This includes surrounding metro areas or locations within a typical commuting distance: United States Atlanta | Austin | Boston | Dallas | Denver | Chicago | Houston | Jacksonville | Los Angeles | Miami | NewYorkCity | Phoenix | Portland | Sacramento | SaltLakeCity | SanDiego | SanFrancisco | Seattle | WashingtonD.C. Canada Ottawa | Toronto | Vancouver Mexico Mexico City Benefits, Perks, And Wellbeing At Scribd Benefits/perks listed may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Scribd and the geographical location where you work. Healthcare Insurance Coverage (Medical/Dental/Vision): 100% paid for employees 12 weeks paid parental leave Shortterm/longterm disability plans 401(k)/RSP matching Onboarding stipend for home office peripherals + accessories Learning & Development allowance Learning & Development programs Quarterly stipend for Wellness, WiFi, etc. Mental Health support & resources Free subscription to the Scribd Inc. suite of products Referral Bonuses Book Benefit Sabbaticals Companywide events Team engagement budgets Vacation & Personal Days Paid Holidays (+ winter break) Flexible Sick Time Volunteer Day Companywide Employee Resource Groups and programs that foster an inclusive and diverse workplace. Access to AI Tools: We provide free access to bestinclass AI tools, empowering you to boost productivity, streamline workflows, and accelerate bold innovation. Want to learn more about life at Scribd? https://www.linkedin.com/company/scribd/life We want our interview process to be accessible to everyone. You can inform us of any reasonable adjustments we can make to better accommodate your needs by emailing [email protected] about the need for adjustments at any point in the interview process. Scribd is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We encourage people of all backgrounds to apply, and believe that a diversity of perspectives and experiences create a foundation for the best ideas. Come join us in building something meaningful. Seniority level MidSenior level Employment type Fulltime Job function Engineering and Information Technology Industries Software Development Back End Developer - MasterLevel Internship Greater Toronto Area, Canada 2 months ago Software Engineer II (Full Stack Developer) Were unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI. Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Scribd, Inc. by 2x Get notified about new Back End Developer jobs in Toronto, Ontario, Canada . Get notified about new Back End Developer jobs in Toronto, Ontario, Canada . #J-18808-Ljbffr