Senior Staff Software Engineer, Data Governance and Metadata Systems
At Webflow, we’re building the world’s leading AI-native Digital Experience Platform, and we’re doing it as a remote-first company built on trust, transparency, and a whole lot of creativity. This work takes grit, because we move fast, without ever sacrificing craft or quality. Our mission is to bring development superpowers to everyone. From entrepreneurs launching their first idea to global enterprises scaling their digital presence, we empower teams to design, launch, and optimize for the web without barriers. We believe the future of the web, and work, is more open, more creative, and more equitable. And we’re here to build it together.
We’re looking for a Senior Staff Software Engineer, Data Governance and Metadata Systems to help us build the foundation for trusted, secure, and intelligent data systems that power governance, enable self-service, and unlock AI-driven insights across Webflow.
About the role:
- Location: Remote-first (United States; BC & ON, Canada; Ireland; United Kingdom; Mexico)
- Full-time
- Permanent
- Exempt
- The cash compensation for this role is tailored to align with the cost of labor in different geographic markets. We've structured the base pay ranges for this role into zones for our geographic markets, and the specific base pay within the range will be determined by the candidate’s geographic location, job-related experience, knowledge, qualifications, and skills.
- United States (all figures cited below are in USD and pertain to workers in the United States)
- Zone A: $200,200 - $288,500
- Zone B: $188,400 - $271,600
- Zone C: $176,500 - $254,300
- Canada (All figures cited below in CAD and pertain to workers in ON & BC, Canada)
- CAD 228,400 - CAD 328,500
- United States (all figures cited below are in USD and pertain to workers in the United States)
This role is also eligible to participate in Webflow's company-wide bonus program. Target amounts are a percentage of base salary and vary by career level. Payouts are based on company performance against established financial and operational goals.
Please visit our Careers page for more information on which locations are included in each of our geographic pay zones. However, please confirm the zone for your specific location with your recruiter.
- Reporting to the Senior Engineering Manager
As a Senior Staff Software Engineer, Data Governance and Metadata Systems, you’ll …
- Design, implement, and evolve Webflow’s Central Data Catalog, delivering the foundation for metadata ingestion, lineage, classification, access control, and policy enforcement - enabling trust, discoverability, and governance at scale.
- Architect privacy-aware infrastructure to meet regulatory requirements (e.g., EU/US residency, PII detection, audit logging, policy-as-code) and advance Webflow’s compliance readiness.
- Lead our governance and compliance strategy, partnering with legal, security, and analytics to embed metadata-driven enforcement into the platform.
- Apply ML/AI techniques to platform features, including RAG-based natural language search, vector similarity search, and AI-generated documentation for the data catalog. Bring experience with vector databases, embedding models, and LLM integration.
- Scale and harden our distributed data infrastructure - including Kafka, Airflow, EMR on EKS, Clickhouse - ensuring performance, reliability, and elasticity across batch, streaming, and ML workloads.
- Drive architectural improvements across networking (VPC), compute (EKS), observability (OpenSearch, Datadog), and CI/CD - optimizing for security, cost-efficiency, and high availability.
- Build infrastructure APIs and automation frameworks that enable secure, self-service onboarding of pipelines, datasets, and streaming resources such as Kafka topics and connectors.
- Mentor and uplevel engineers across the team, shaping engineering standards, reviewing designs, and guiding delivery on high-impact, cross-functional initiatives.
In addition to the responsibilities outlined above, at Webflow we will support you in identifying where your interests and development opportunities lie and we'll help you incorporate them into your role.
About you:
Requirements:
- BA/BS degree or equivalent experience
You’ll thrive as a Senior Staff Software Engineer, Data Governance and Metadata Systems if you:
- Bring 10+ years of backend or infrastructure engineering experience, with a track record of leading large-scale, high-impact platform initiatives.
- Have hands-on expertise in metadata systems and data catalog platforms (e.g., OpenMetadata, DataHub), with experience building lineage and governance workflows.
- Understand the architectural and legal implications of data compliance and translate requirements into scalable, automated enforcement mechanisms.
- Are deeply familiar with modern data infrastructure - Kafka, Spark, Iceberg, Airflow (MWAA), S3, EMR on EKS, Clickhouse, Druid - and the trade-offs involved in scaling them.
- Have designed secure, production-grade environments using EKS, VPCs, Pulumi/Terraform, and observability tooling like OpenSearch and Datadog.
- Have applied ML/AI to infrastructure or platform features - including embedding pipelines, vector search, or RAG - and understand how to build with LLMs and vector databases.
- Thrive in ambiguity and enjoy working at the intersection of infrastructure, compliance, and enablement - where cross-functional alignment and long-term thinking are key.
- Stay curious and open to growth - actively building fluency in emerging technologies like AI to unlock creativity, accelerate progress, and amplify impact.
Our Core Behaviors:
- Build lasting customer trust. We build trust by taking action that puts customer trust first.
- Win together. We play to win, and we win as one team. Success at Webflow isn't a solo act.
- Reinvent ourselves. We don't just improve what exists, we imagine what's possible.
- Deliver with speed, quality, and craft. We move fast because the moment demands it, and we do so without lowering the bar.
Benefits
- Ownership in what you help build. Every permanent Webflower receives equity (RSUs) in our growing, privately held company.
- Health coverage that actually covers you. Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans for full-time employees and their dependents, with Webflow covering most premiums.
- Support for every stage of family life. 12 weeks of paid parental leave for all parents and 6+ weeks of additional paid leave for birthing parents. Plus inclusive care for family planning, menopause, and midlife transitions.
- Time off that’s actually off. Flexible vacation, paid holidays, and a sabbatical program to help you recharge and come back inspired.
- Wellness for the whole you. Access to mental health resources, therapy and coaching.
- Invest in your future. A 401(k) with 100% employer match (up to $6,000/year) in the U.S., and support for retirement savings globally.
- Monthly stipends that flex with your life. Localized support for work and wellness expenses — from Wi-Fi to workouts.
- Bonus for building together. All full-time, permanent, non-commission employees are eligible for our annual WIN bonus program.
Temporary employees may be eligible for paid holiday and time off, statutory leaves of absence, and company-sponsored medical benefits depending on their Fixed Term Contract and their country/state of employment.
Remote, together
At Webflow, equality is a core tenet of our culture. We are an Equal Opportunity (EEO)/Veterans/Disabled Employer and are committed to building an inclusive global team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, beliefs, and experiences. Employment decisions are made on the basis of job-related criteria without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Webflow will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Stay connected
Not ready to apply, but want to be part of the Webflow community? Consider following our story on our Webflow Blog, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and/or Glassdoor.
Please note:
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Upon interview scheduling, instructions for confidential accommodation requests will be administered.
To join Webflow, you'll need a valid right to work authorization depending on the country of employment.
If you are extended an offer, that offer may be contingent upon your successful completion of a background check, which will be conducted in accordance with applicable laws. We may obtain one or more background screening reports about you, solely for employment purposes.
For information about how Webflow processes your personal information, please review Webflow’s Applicant Privacy Notice.
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