Distinguished Software Architect

Description

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Essential Responsibilities:

• Develops the methods, techniques and evaluation criteria for projects, programs, and people
• Guides the business by aligning business opportunities with technical innovations
• Exercises complete latitude in determining how to achieve success for associated group, relying on corporate priorities and peer relationships to inform personal goal setting
• Delivers results that have long-term effect on PayPal’s success
• Navigates unprecedented situations and sets “new norms” that integrate technology, business and personnel factors
• Anticipates risks, trends & opportunities marketplace, and identifies and strategic solutions
• Reconciles situations without a “right answer,” selecting the compromises the business can most afford
• Acts as a leader and visionary, by inspiring, steering, and driving other leaders towards a compelling goal
• Collaborates with senior leadership on strategic decisions

Expected Qualifications:

• 12+ years relevant experience and a Bachelor’s degree OR Any equivalent combination of education and experience.

Additional Responsibilities & Preferred Qualifications:

Your way to impact:

As a Distinguished Software Architect at PayPal, you work at the intersection of technology and business. You will drive the architectural evolution of our critical systems, ensuring our platforms are cutting-edge, resilient, and adaptable to future needs. You’ll do this by engaging intensively with stakeholders to translate ideas into reality, navigating complex decision-making landscapes, and providing clarity amidst ambiguity. Along the way, you’ll leave a lasting mark on the company’s technical culture, setting the standard for excellence.

PayPal’s ambition is to provide the best way to pay and shop on- and offline. In this role, you will join the leadership team of Consumer Engineering, responsible for driving the overarching technology strategy for PayPal and Venmo’s customer-facing systems. Your portfolios will include Digital Wallet, P2P payments, Shopping, Ads, Marketing and Rewards. Working directly with Consumer VP/SVPs, portfolio architects, and business leaders outside the group, your role will be to translate Consumer's ambitious product roadmap into a coherent and achievable technical strategy.

The impact of this role is multi-dimensional: from ensuring the architecture of our systems is robust and future-proof, to developing the skills of junior engineers, to helping our leadership navigate the complex interplay of business goals and technical execution. PayPal’s Distinguished Software Architects provide clarity when navigating conflicting viewpoints, and guide teams toward solutions that are both pragmatic and innovative.

Your day-to-day:

• Collaborate with business and engineering leaders to define product visions and translate them into actionable technical roadmaps.
• Lead the design and review of new and existing system architecture.
• Conduct deep research into our existing platform and systems, learning our platform and identifying areas for optimization.
• Write documents, draw diagrams, and give presentations that convey requirements and architectural strategies, serving as an example for how technical challenges are approached.
• Act as a mentor and coach, helping to develop technical leadership across the organization.

What do you need to bring:

• Creativity, pragmatism and empathy; technology and business are full of puzzles, and grand visions are realized in steps, by humans, so success in this role requires both technical and interpersonal savviness.
• A love of technology and a growth mindset.
• Strong communication skills (written, verbal, and visual), with a proven ability to translate technical topics for a diverse audience.
• 10+ years of software engineering experience, with a significant portion in a senior technical leadership role.
• Successful experience designing large-scale software systems, particularly in complex, multi-stakeholder environments, and a track record of delivering strategic outcomes via incremental, risk-managed milestones.
• Experience mentoring engineers and fostering technical talent across an organization.
• Ideally, experience with large-scale iOS, Android and web applications; personalization, experimentation and performance optimization; advertising and marketing technologies; feature engineering, ML/AI model development & operation.

Subsidiary:

PayPal

Travel Percent:

0

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The base pay for this role will depend on where you work and the relevant experience and expertise you bring. The expected range of pay for this role by location is:

Primary Location | Pay Range:

New York City, New York | ($242,000.00 - $359,150.00 Annually)

Additional Location(s) | Pay Range:

No other locations are assigned to this requisition currently.Additional compensation for this role may include an annual performance bonus, equity, or other incentive compensation, as applicable.

PayPal does not charge candidates any fees for courses, applications, resume reviews, interviews, background checks, or onboarding. Any such request is a red flag and likely part of a scam. To learn more about how to identify and avoid recruitment fraud please visit .

For the majority of employees, PayPal's balanced hybrid work model offers 3 days in the office for effective in-person collaboration and 2 days at your choice of either the PayPal office or your home workspace, ensuring that you equally have the benefits and conveniences of both locations.

Our Benefits:

At PayPal, we’re committed to building an equitable and inclusive global economy. And we can’t do this without our most important asset-you. That’s why we offer comprehensive, choice-based programs, to support all aspects of personal wellbeing—physical, emotional, and financial—delivering meaningful value where it matters most. We strive to create a flexible, balanced work culture with a holistic approach to benefits, including generous paid time off, healthcare coverage for you and your family, and resources to create financial security and support your mental health.

Who We Are:

to learn more about our culture and community.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

PayPal provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. In addition, PayPal will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you are unable to submit an application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at .

Belonging at PayPal:

Our employees are central to advancing our mission, and we strive to create an environment where everyone can do their best work with a sense of purpose and belonging. Belonging at PayPal means creating a workplace with a sense of acceptance and security where all employees feel included and valued. We are proud to have a diverse workforce reflective of the merchants, consumers, and communities that we serve, and we continue to take tangible actions to cultivate inclusivity and belonging at PayPal.

Any general requests for consideration of your skills, please .

We know the confidence gap and imposter syndrome can get in the way of meeting spectacular candidates. Please don’t hesitate to apply.

Notice to Applicants and Employees who reside within New York City. Click to view the notice.