Affinidi is a technology company dedicated to changing data ownership for good. We empower businesses and individuals with control and ownership of their data, with a comprehensive approach to managing their holistic identity – accounting for all aspects of their digital footprint while ensuring privacy and security.
Affinidi’s technology enables users to benefit from decentralised digital identity solutions. We believe that everyone has the right to own and control their data, and we are committed to creating a trusted digital credentials ecosystem that empowers businesses and individuals to securely exchange data and services across borders and industries.
About the Role
We are in search of a solution-oriented Staff Software Engineer (Backend) with deep, demonstrable expertise and experience in Rust, to lead the development of secure, scalable, and high-performance backend systems for the Affinidi Elements platform. In this role, you will work with global peers on teams dedicated to areas of the product portfolio, from the product, design, infrastructure, architecture, and back/front-end engineering teams. You will be responsible for the continued enhancement and development of a multi-component platform, where your expert skills in designing, architecting, and building quality systems will intersect with your hands-on coding, performance testing, and integrating experience.
Our work culture at Affinidi is shaped by the following tenets:
We are unapologetically customer-focused
We invest in cultures and teams to enable high performance
Embraces experimentation and builds fast
We have the courage to be misunderstood
**We work together to unlock data **
Further, Affinidi’s focus on the open source community, and collaboration with standards bodies to develop the next version of the internet – the Internet of Trust – guides every engineering and product decision we make.
Key Responsibilities:
Build and deliver secure, high-quality features and improvements for the Affinidi Elements Platform using Rust. Experience in TypeScript and Dart will set you above other applicants for this role
Create standards-compliant world-class software systems and components, most of which will be open sourced as our commitment to the OSS and decentralised community
Influence architectural direction and long-term technical strategy while staying hands-on with development
Design and implement solutions to complex, large-scale technical challenges
Identify and drive the most critical improvements in product quality, security, and performance
Raise the bar for engineering excellence through mentorship, code reviews, and workshops
Guide the team to build well-tested, secure, and performant services
Establish and refine best practices for high-scale distributed systems
Collaborate closely with product, security, and engineering peers in a fast-paced, iterative environment
Requirements:
Proven experience with performance optimization and a track record of diagnosing and preventing system bottlenecks
Strong backend development skills with Rust as a core expertise
Deep knowledge of TypeScript/Node.js; Dart experience strongly preferred. Familiarity with C# or Go is a plus
Expertise in cloud computing (AWS) and cloud-native environments
Proven track record in designing and deploying distributed systems using modern design patterns
Skilled in technical documentation (C4 Model, ADRs) and clear communication of architectural decisions
Strong advocate for privacy by design, security-first principles, and high-performance systems
Expertise in applying asynchronous cryptography in production-grade products
Experience with authorization/authentication domains; knowledge of identity, verifiable credentials, or secure data exchange is a strong plus
Comfortable thriving in autonomous, fast-moving startup environments and collaborating across global teams
Bonus points:
Experience working across functions, locations, and time zones
Expertise in decentralized identity solutions
Experience building systems with advanced cryptography requirements