Platform Engineer - New York, United States

About Vellum · Vellum is on a mission to empower the reinsurance industry to cover the risks of tomorrow.  · This is a $500+ billion industry responsible for covering global catastrophic events, and it's running on technology that hasn't changed in decades. We're here to change t ...

Job description

About Vellum

Vellum is on a mission to empower the reinsurance industry to cover the risks of tomorrow. 

This is a $500+ billion industry responsible for covering global catastrophic events, and it's running on technology that hasn't changed in decades. We're here to change that, leveraging modern technology, advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI to solve problems on a massive scale. Backed by leading fintech VCs, our team has deep experience in transforming antiquated industries, and we're looking for builders to join us.

Build the Foundation

This is an opportunity to help us build a foundational platform. You will have a direct hand in shaping our technical direction and our culture, and see your work translate directly into customer value and company success.

Your mission will be to:

• Build and ship the core services that power our platform, from data processing to customer-facing APIs and applications.
• Turn complex data into a competitive advantage by implementing robust and reliable data interfaces and pipelines.
• Write clean, effective code and help us choose the right tools and frameworks to build a modern, scalable technology stack.
• Tackle unique challenges in a massive industry, solving high-impact problems that are critical to our success.

Who You Are: A Pragmatic Builder

You are a builder at heart who thrives on turning ambitious ideas into reality. 

You have 3+ years of experience with modern engineering and are ready to take on significant ownership.

We're hiring across multiple levels—from Software Engineer to Staff Engineer—and we'll tailor the role's scope to your experience.  

Beyond your technical skills, your mindset and approach are what matter most. We're looking for someone who is:

• An Owner: You think like a partner, holding yourself accountable and taking ownership of outcomes, not just tasks.
• Self-Directed: You thrive on autonomy and are a self-directed problem-solver, comfortable navigating ambiguity and taking the lead when you see an opportunity. 
• Driven by Curiosity: You're compelled to understand the 'why' behind the 'what.' You ask questions, follow threads to get the complete picture, and look for ways to improve the product, the process, and yourself.
• A Proactive Communicator: You believe that transparency and clear updates are essential for a high-performing team and make your progress and challenges visible. 

We're looking for someone who is familiar with these areas and has a deep expertise in one or two:

• Application Development: You write clean, effective code, whether it's building backend services (Python, SQL), or creating full-stack applications (TypeScript, React, , PostgreSQL).
• Cloud Architecture & Infrastructure: You know how to build on the modern cloud (AWS/Azure/GCP) and believe in the power of Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CDK, etc.).
• Data Processing & Orchestration: You have experience architecting systems that move and transform data reliably using tools like Airflow, Prefect, or AWS Step Functions. 
• Data Quality & Observability: You believe that data is only valuable if it's trusted, and you have experience with tools that ensure its quality and visibility.

Most importantly, you are collaborative, ambitious, and biased towards action.
You can champion your ideas while remaining open to others, and you have a relentless drive to succeed. 

Our Commitment to Your Growth

We are a foundational team looking for talented engineers and are hiring at multiple seniority levels. We are committed to providing a clear path for your growth as your impact and responsibilities scale with your experience. 

Engineering Levels at Vellum

We are looking for talented engineers to join our foundational team and are hiring at multiple seniority levels. Your responsibilities and impact will scale with your experience, and we are committed to providing a clear path for growth.

Software Engineer

As a Software Engineer, you are a core builder and a key contributor to our team. You are proficient at turning ideas into high-quality, reliable code and are growing into a technical leader.

• Scope & Impact: You will implement and ship critical features that deliver direct value to our customers. Your work will focus on building well-designed, tested, and maintainable components of the Vellum platform.
• Autonomy: You can work independently on well-defined tasks and collaborate effectively with teammates to tackle more complex or ambiguous problems.
• Contribution & Growth: You are an active participant in code reviews and technical discussions, contributing to a culture of quality and continuous improvement. This role is on a direct path to a senior position.

Senior Engineer

As a Senior Engineer, you are a strong individual contributor who can take a complex, loosely defined project and see it through to completion. You are a technical leader within your team.

• Scope & Impact: You will own major features and components of the Vellum platform. Your work will directly impact our partners and form the core of our product offering.
• Autonomy: You operate with a high degree of autonomy on ambiguous tasks, turning business needs into well-designed, reliable, and scalable technical solutions.
• Leadership & Mentorship: You will mentor other engineers, lead code and design reviews, and help establish the technical standards and best practices for our growing team.

Staff Engineer

As a Staff Engineer, you are a technical leader with a broad impact across the entire engineering organization. You solve the most challenging and ambiguous "un-scoped" problems that are critical to the company's long-term success.

• Scope & Impact: You will influence the technical direction for major parts of the Vellum platform and architecture. Your decisions will have a multi-year impact on the business.
• Autonomy: You proactively identify and solve complex technical challenges and business risks before they become critical problems. You define the roadmap, not just execute on it.
• Leadership & Mentorship: You will mentor senior engineers, lead by example, and drive technical strategy across teams. You are a go-to technical expert for the entire company, including leadership and product teams.

Benefits

• High-Impact Work: See your work directly impact the company's trajectory and an entire industry.
• Competitive Compensation: engineers can make 125k-225k across levels
  
• 401k Match   
• Comprehensive Health Benefits:
  Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage.