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Software Developer, Backend Ads
San Francisco, CA
TextNow is building the future of communication. As one of the largest provider of free phone service in North America, we're connecting millions of people through affordable, accessible wireless and messaging experiences. Our mission is simple: help people stay connected, regardless of their financial circumstances.
Our products sit at the intersection of telecommunications, mobile technology, advertising, AI, and consumer software. Every day, millions of customers rely on TextNow to communicate with family, friends, businesses, and essential services. As we continue to grow, we're investing in the platforms, tools, and technologies that power those experiences at scale.
We are a collaborative team of builders, problem-solvers, and product-minded engineers who care deeply about customer impact. We value ownership, pragmatic decision-making, data-informed thinking, and moving quickly without sacrificing quality.
We're AI-enabled, not AI-driven. AI tools are increasingly part of how we work, but engineering judgment, customer empathy, and thoughtful execution remain at the center of every decision we make.
What You'll Do
- Build scalable backend services, APIs, and platform capabilities that power coreTextNow experiences for millions of users
- Partner with Product Managers, Designers, Data Scientists, and Engineers to deliver reliable, customer-focused solutions
- Contribute to architecture, technical design, and long-term platform strategy
- Use data, experimentation, and customer insights to improve product outcomes and operational efficiency
- Help define and implement engineering best practices across the organization
- Participate in design reviews, code reviews, and technical discussions
- Identifyand resolve performance, reliability, and scalability challenges
- Leverage AI tools and emerging technologies to accelerate development and improve customer experiences
- Work with our Ad Ops team to develop new ad solutions to provide increasing value to advertisers
- Collaborate with our Product team to ensure a high-quality user experience around our ads
- Debug performance issues with ad units and work with ad providers to resolve them
- Implement improvements to the ads code architecture
Who You Are
- 4+ years of professional software engineering experience in a product-focused environment
- Demonstrated ownership and the ability to independently drive projects through ambiguity
- Strong computer science fundamentals, including data structures, algorithms, and software design principles
- Experience building and operating distributed systems and cloud-based applications at scale
- Strong understanding of databases, APIs, and modern backend architectures
- Proficiency in one or more modern programming languages, with the ability to learn new technologies quickly
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with both technical and non-technical audiences
- Collaborative mindset with a passion for mentoring, learning, and building high-quality software
- Experience working in fast-moving startup or growth-stage environments
- Familiarity with cloud infrastructure, automation, observability, and modern development practices
- Interest in AI, automation, and emerging technologies that improve how teams build and operate software
Base Salary Range
The expected base salary range for this role is:
United States (NYC, CT, NJ, Seattle, LA, San Diego): USD $136,300 - $273,900
United States (San Francisco / Bay Area): USD $148,700 - $298,800
United States (All other areas not listed above): USD $123,900 - $249,000
Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.
Our goal is to offer a competitive package that reflects the impact and expertise you bring to the team.
This posting is for a current, active vacancy.
More about TextNow
Our culture
We’re proud of the culture that we’ve built at TextNow, but one of the most common questions we hear is ‘how do you continue to sustain it as the world and the company continues to change? The reality is that we’re only able to keep up because each and every TextNovian contributes to our culture through being involved, by living our values, sharing feedback, embracing change and more!
Our values
Customer Obsessed
We strive to have a deep understanding of our customers.
Do Right By Our People
We treat each other with fairness, respect, and integrity.
Accept the Challenge
We adopt a "Yes, We Can" mindset to achieve ambitious goals.
Act Like an Owner
We treat this company like it's our own... because it is!
Give a Damn
We are deeply committed and passionate about our work and achieving results.
Our benefits and more
This is a brief overview of the benefits that TextNow offers its employees. More complete details can be found in TextNow’s Benefit Guide and legal plan documents, which are available to employees on or shortly after their start date with TextNow. The benefits listed herein are for illustrative purposes only and may change from time-to-time in TextNow’s sole discretion.
Free phone service
Strong work life blend
Employee stock options
Unlimited vacation
12 paid holidays per year
Competitive pay
Health, dental, and vision benefits
Short-term & long-term disability
Annual wellness benefit or healthcare spending account
RRSP matching (Canada)
Parental leave for eligible employees
Learning & Development opportunities
We travel a few times a year for various team events, company-wide off-sites, and more
More information about our total rewards package will be available during the hiring process.
Dogfooding & Customer Obsession
At TextNow, every employee gets to actively use our app for calling and texting. Dogfooding helps us experience what customers do, to spot issues early, and drive better design, developer, and user experiences.
Diversity and Inclusion
Our aim is to make every person who joins TextNow feel like they belong, that they’re valued, and that they’re able to be their authentic selves at work.
We’re all accountable for creating an inclusive culture and a sense of belonging for one another. By doing this together, we’ll make TextNow better for everyone.
Equal opportunity
We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic.
Applicants who require reasonable accommodation during the hiring process may contact our Talent Team.
TextNow Candidate Policy
By submitting an application to TextNow, you agree to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with the TextNow Candidate Policy
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