Orchestrate and influence multiple technical tracks on the team from the core query engine and performance infrastructure to API ergonomics and reliability tooling, ensuring they interlock into a coherent, world-class developer platform.
Champion the evolution of Viaduct’s global GraphQL schema: guide the multi-partner steering committee, strengthen governance processes, and drive a long-term vision that scales with Airbnb’s growing product surface and data-as-a-service strategy.
Act as a multiplier for senior talent on the team: mentor teammates, cultivate technical leadership across Viaduct sub-teams, and foster an environment where every engineer can drive impactful initiatives.
Serve as a key technical voice partnering with product, infrastructure, and leadership stakeholders to align Viaduct’s roadmap with Airbnb’s strategic objectives.
Shape how hundreds of engineers and external open-source adopters build, ship, and operate GraphQL services by advancing Viaduct Modern and defining the next wave of capabilities.

Requirements

12+ years of backend & platform engineering designing, building, and operating mission-critical distributed systems at scale.
Proven experience guiding multi-year technical roadmaps: aligning long-term platform vision with day-to-day execution across multiple sub-teams or “tracks,” and influencing without relying on formal authority.
Deep expertise in GraphQL, API gateways, and schema design/federation. You have led the evolution of organization-wide schemas or contracts and can articulate best-in-class governance patterns (versioning, deprecation, breaking-change management).
Builder of developer experience & tooling: you treat internal developers as customers and champion self-service, documentation, and delightful DX.
Hands-on with modern languages (e.g., Kotlin/Java) and comfortable evaluating and introducing new technologies including AI-assisted development workflows (LLMs, code generation).
Exceptional communication and influence skills, equally effective white-boarding with senior ICs, partnering with cross-functional leads, and presenting strategy to executives and the broader engineering community.

Benefits

This role may also be eligible for bonus, equity, benefits, and Employee Travel Credits.

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools

backend engineeringplatform engineeringdistributed systemsGraphQLAPI gatewaysschema designfederationKotlinJavaAI-assisted development workflows

Soft Skills

mentoringtechnical leadershipcommunicationinfluencecollaborationstrategic alignmentcustomer advocacydocumentationpresentationproblem-solving