Lead Software Engineer - Backblaze

About Backblaze

Backblaze is the object storage leader in the open cloud movement, fueling customer success with cloud storage built purposefully to unlock budgets, unburden administrators, and unleash innovators. Together with our partners, we’re helping customers break free from restrictive, overpriced legacy solutions and blaze forward with the full power of the open cloud.

Founded in 2007, we scaled the business with less than $3 million in outside funding until our IPO on the Nasdaq in 2021. Today, Backblaze generates over $100M in revenue and manages over three billion gigabytes of data storage for 500K+ customers across 175+ countries.

What You'll Do

You will work on our storage platform supporting B2 Object Storage and Computer Backup products, responsible for reliably storing customer data. You will develop host-managed SMR support for the storage platform, optimizing for throughput and costs.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical design discussions and produce clear design documents
• Drive the implementation of large features
• Shape coding methodologies and engineering best practices

The Right Fit

• 10+ years of OOP experience (Java, Rust, C++, C#, etc.) in an enterprise environment, with a heavy focus on backend development
• Experience building host-managed SMR support for storage systems
• Experience benchmarking IO performance and resolving bottlenecks
• Experience building large-scale software systems running on thousands of servers
• Professional experience incorporating AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Gemini, Cursor, Claude Code)
• Comfortable with all aspects of the software development lifecycle, including design, implementation, testing, and rollout
• Curiosity and a drive to understand problems before proposing solutions
• Proactive remote communication skills—keeping the team informed, surfacing blockers early, and driving work forward
• Strong analytical thinking applied to ambiguous problems

Bonus Points

• Experience discovering and implementing performance improvements, including CPU and IO
• Familiarity with hard drive performance and optimization
• Experience building and interpreting models, dashboards, or reports
• Deep understanding of Linux internals and file systems

Benefits & Perks

• Healthcare for family, including dental and vision
• Competitive compensation and 401(k)
• RSU grants for full-time employees & ESPP program
• Flexible vacation policy
• Maternity & paternity leave
• MacBook Pro plus a generous workstation personalization stipend
• Childcare bonus
• Fertility treatment and support
• Learning & development program
• Commuter benefits
• Culture that supports a healthy work-life balance

Compensation

Base pay is benchmarked by level and geographic location:

• Non-Bay Area: $205,000 - $230,000
• Bay Area: $245,000 - $265,000