Software Engineer, SRE (Staff/Senior Levels) at Kustomer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Software Engineer, SRE (Staff/Senior Levels)
Company: Kustomer
Location: New York, New York, United States
Job Type: Full-Time (Remote OK)
Category: DevOps, Site Reliability Engineering
Date Posted: 2025-06-27
Experience Level: 10+ years
Remote Status: Remote OK

🚀 Role Summary

Key Responsibilities: Build and maintain cloud infrastructure, automate deployment processes, improve system performance and availability, collaborate with teams to drive engineering best practices, and ensure security compliance.
Key Technologies: AWS, Terraform, Linux/Unix, programming languages (Go, Python, JavaScript, Bash), databases (MongoDB, Redis), Elasticsearch, observability tools (ELK, Prometheus, distributed tracing).

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong background in infrastructure management, with a focus on cloud services and automation. The ideal candidate will have experience working with diverse teams and driving engineering best practices.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

Cloud Infrastructure Management: Maintain and expand cloud infrastructure, ensuring high availability, security, and scalability.
- 📝 Enhancement Note: This includes managing VPC, ELB, containers, and auto-scaling groups, as well as implementing and enforcing change management best practices.
Automation and CI/CD: Automate deployment processes, improve development testing efficiency, and optimize CI/CD pipelines.
- 📝 Enhancement Note: This involves automating the deployment of testing, staging, and production environments, as well as managing secrets and automated key rotations.
Performance Monitoring and Optimization: Measure, report, and drive improvements on scalability, performance, and availability.
- 📝 Enhancement Note: This includes implementing and managing observability tools, as well as creating SLAs, SLOs, and SLIs.
Security and Compliance: Collaborate with the InfoSec team to ensure infrastructure security, satisfy compliance requirements, and mitigate attacks and threats.
- 📝 Enhancement Note: This involves managing CDN, firewall rules, and other tools to optimize infrastructure security and compliance.
Cross-Team Collaboration: Participate in cross-team initiatives to drive engineering best practices, conduct code and architecture reviews, and provide education and support to the engineering team.
- 📝 Enhancement Note: This includes leading various scalability initiatives, conducting on-call rotations, and managing application performance monitoring.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 8+ years of experience building and managing large-scale, highly available, distributed web applications.

Required Skills:

Strong AWS experience managing infrastructure in a secure, highly available, automated fashion.
Strong background in Linux/Unix, networking, HTTP/2, DNS, REST, etc.
Experience with managing large databases and Lucene-based search systems such as Elasticsearch.
Experience with infrastructure as code and managing Terraform configurations in a sustainable and scalable way.
Experience with observability tools (ELK, Prometheus, distributed tracing).
A working understanding of a high-level programming language like Go, Python, JavaScript, Bash, etc.

Preferred Skills:

Experience with creating SLAs, SLOs, SLIs.
Experience developing internal tools for others.
Working knowledge of writing code and scripts in more than one language.
GitHub activity showing thoughtful, relevant contributions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The ideal candidate will have a strong background in infrastructure management, with a focus on cloud services and automation. Experience with AWS, Terraform, and programming languages is essential for this role.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Examples of large-scale web applications you've built and managed, highlighting your experience with infrastructure automation, cloud services, and performance optimization.
Case studies demonstrating your ability to lead large-scale system migrations and drive engineering best practices.
Projects showcasing your experience with security compliance, observability tools, and application performance monitoring.

Technical Documentation:

Code samples and scripts demonstrating your proficiency in programming languages and infrastructure management.
Documentation of your experience with AWS, Terraform, and other relevant tools.
Case studies detailing your approach to problem-solving, performance optimization, and system design.

📝 Enhancement Note: As this is a senior-level role, the portfolio should reflect your extensive experience and leadership in infrastructure management and DevOps practices.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $180,000 - $250,000 per year (USD), depending on experience and location.

Benefits:

100% healthcare coverage (US) / Pension (UK)
401K (US) / Supplemental health insurance (UK)
WiFi and mobile reimbursement
Generous vacation policy
Competitive salaries and stock options

Working Hours: Full-time (40 hours per week), with flexible working hours and remote work options.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is based on market research for senior-level Site Reliability Engineering roles in the United States. The actual salary may vary depending on the candidate's experience, location, and other factors.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Customer service and conversational CRM platform.

Company Size: Medium-sized company (201-500 employees).

Founded: 2015, with a strong focus on innovation, AI, and automation.

Team Structure:

The Foundation team, where this role is based, focuses on maintaining cloud infrastructure security, capacity planning, and optimizing CI/CD processes.
The team works closely with other engineering teams, InfoSec, and product management to drive engineering best practices and ensure the security, scalability, and performance of the Kustomer platform.

Development Methodology:

Agile/Scrum methodologies, with a focus on continuous integration, deployment, and improvement.
Regular code, architecture, and infrastructure reviews to ensure quality, security, and performance.
On-call rotations and application performance monitoring to maintain high system availability and responsiveness.

Company Website: Kustomer

📝 Enhancement Note: Kustomer values collaboration, innovation, and a customer-centric approach. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working in a dynamic, agile environment and driving change through technical leadership and best practices.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: Senior-level Site Reliability Engineering role, focusing on infrastructure management, automation, and driving engineering best practices.

Reporting Structure: This role reports to the Director of Engineering and works closely with other engineering team members, InfoSec, and product management.

Technical Impact: Responsible for maintaining and improving the security, scalability, and performance of the Kustomer platform, ensuring high availability and responsiveness for customers and users.

Growth Opportunities:

Technical leadership and mentoring opportunities within the Foundation team and across the engineering organization.
Opportunities to drive innovation and adoption of emerging technologies and best practices in infrastructure management and DevOps.
Potential career progression into a Principal Engineer or Engineering Manager role, focusing on technical strategy, architecture, and team leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: Kustomer offers significant growth opportunities for senior-level engineers looking to drive technical leadership and innovation in infrastructure management and DevOps.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Remote-friendly, with offices in New York, NY, and other locations worldwide.

Office Location(s): New York, NY, United States (with remote work options).

Workspace Context:

Collaborative workspaces, with a focus on communication, knowledge sharing, and continuous learning.
Access to development tools, multiple monitors, and testing devices to support infrastructure management and automation tasks.
Cross-functional collaboration with design, marketing, and business teams to ensure user-focused and customer-centric solutions.

Work Schedule: Full-time (40 hours per week), with flexible working hours and remote work options, including on-call rotations and maintenance windows.

📝 Enhancement Note: Kustomer's remote-friendly work environment fosters collaboration, communication, and flexibility, allowing engineers to balance work and personal responsibilities effectively.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

Technical Phone Screen: Assessment of your understanding of infrastructure management, cloud services, and automation, as well as your problem-solving skills and communication abilities.
On-site Technical Deep Dive: In-depth evaluation of your technical skills, including infrastructure management, automation, and performance optimization, as well as your approach to problem-solving, system design, and architecture.
Behavioral and Cultural Fit: Assessment of your cultural fit, communication skills, and alignment with Kustomer's values and mission.
Final Decision: Based on the results of the previous stages, a final decision will be made regarding your candidacy for the role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Highlight your experience with infrastructure management, automation, and performance optimization, using specific examples and case studies.
Demonstrate your ability to lead large-scale system migrations and drive engineering best practices, showcasing your technical leadership and problem-solving skills.
Emphasize your experience with security compliance, observability tools, and application performance monitoring, and how you've used these skills to improve system availability and responsiveness.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

Brush up on your knowledge of AWS, Terraform, and other relevant tools, focusing on infrastructure management, automation, and performance optimization.
Practice problem-solving exercises and system design questions, focusing on large-scale web applications and distributed systems.
Prepare for behavioral and cultural fit questions, emphasizing your communication skills, leadership abilities, and alignment with Kustomer's values and mission.

ATS Keywords:

Site Reliability Engineering, Infrastructure Management, Cloud Services, AWS, Terraform, Automation, CI/CD, Performance Optimization, Security Compliance, Observability Tools, Application Performance Monitoring, Large-Scale Web Applications, Distributed Systems, Technical Leadership, Problem-Solving, System Design, Architecture.

📝 Enhancement Note: Kustomer's interview process focuses on evaluating candidates' technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit, with a strong emphasis on infrastructure management, automation, and performance optimization.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Cloud Infrastructure:

AWS (VPC, ELB, Containers, Auto Scaling)
Terraform for infrastructure as code and sustainable, scalable configurations

Programming Languages:

Go, Python, JavaScript, Bash (with a working understanding of at least one high-level programming language)

Databases:

MongoDB, Redis
Elasticsearch for search and analytics

Observability Tools:

ELK (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) for log aggregation, search, and visualization
Prometheus and distributed tracing for performance monitoring and troubleshooting

CI/CD Pipelines:

Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or other CI/CD tools for automated testing, deployment, and release management

📝 Enhancement Note: Kustomer's technology stack focuses on cloud infrastructure, automation, and performance optimization, with a strong emphasis on AWS, Terraform, and other relevant tools.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Web Development Values:

Customer Focus: Prioritize user experience and customer needs in all aspects of infrastructure management and automation.
Innovation: Embrace emerging technologies and best practices to drive continuous improvement and growth.
Collaboration: Work closely with other teams to ensure alignment with business objectives, user needs, and technical requirements.
Quality: Maintain high standards for code quality, documentation, and testing to ensure system reliability, performance, and security.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-Functional Integration: Work closely with design, marketing, and business teams to ensure user-focused and customer-centric solutions.
Code Review Culture: Conduct regular code, architecture, and infrastructure reviews to ensure quality, security, and performance.
Peer Programming and Knowledge Sharing: Encourage peer programming, mentoring, and continuous learning to foster a culture of technical excellence and innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Kustomer's team culture emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and a customer-centric approach, with a strong focus on driving technical excellence and continuous improvement in infrastructure management and DevOps.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

Scalability and Performance: Optimize system performance and availability for large-scale web applications and distributed systems.
Security and Compliance: Ensure infrastructure security, satisfy compliance requirements, and mitigate attacks and threats in a dynamic and evolving threat landscape.
Automation and Innovation: Drive continuous improvement and innovation in infrastructure management, automation, and performance optimization through emerging technologies and best practices.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Technical Leadership: Develop and refine your technical leadership skills through mentoring, coaching, and driving engineering best practices.
Emerging Technologies: Stay up-to-date with emerging technologies and best practices in infrastructure management, automation, and performance optimization.
Career Progression: Pursue career progression opportunities, such as Principal Engineer or Engineering Manager roles, focusing on technical strategy, architecture, and team leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: Kustomer offers significant technical challenges and growth opportunities for senior-level engineers looking to drive innovation and continuous improvement in infrastructure management and DevOps.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

Cloud Infrastructure: Describe your experience with AWS, Terraform, and other relevant tools for managing cloud infrastructure, ensuring high availability, security, and scalability.
Automation and CI/CD: Explain your approach to automating deployment processes, improving development testing efficiency, and optimizing CI/CD pipelines.
Performance Monitoring and Optimization: Discuss your experience with measuring, reporting, and driving improvements on scalability, performance, and availability, as well as creating SLAs, SLOs, and SLIs.
Security and Compliance: Describe your experience with managing security vulnerabilities, upgrade schedules for EOL software, and implementing and enforcing change management best practices.
System Design and Architecture: Explain your approach to designing and architecting large-scale web applications and distributed systems, focusing on performance, scalability, and security.

Company & Culture Questions:

Company Culture: Describe your understanding of Kustomer's company culture, values, and mission, and how you would contribute to a collaborative, innovative, and customer-centric environment.
Team Dynamics: Explain your experience working in cross-functional teams and driving alignment with business objectives, user needs, and technical requirements.
Problem-Solving and Leadership: Describe a challenging infrastructure management or automation problem you've faced and how you approached it, demonstrating your problem-solving skills, technical leadership, and ability to drive change.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Technical Depth: Demonstrate your technical expertise and problem-solving skills by walking through your portfolio projects, highlighting your approach to infrastructure management, automation, and performance optimization.
User Focus: Emphasize your understanding of user needs and customer experience, and how you've used this understanding to drive innovation and improvement in infrastructure management and automation.
Collaboration and Communication: Showcase your ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams, driving alignment with business objectives, user needs, and technical requirements.

📝 Enhancement Note: Kustomer's interview process focuses on evaluating candidates' technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit, with a strong emphasis on infrastructure management, automation, and performance optimization.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Software Engineer, SRE (Staff/Senior Levels) position at Kustomer:

Customize Your Portfolio: Highlight your experience with infrastructure management, automation, and performance optimization, using specific examples and case studies to demonstrate your technical leadership and problem-solving skills.
Optimize Your Resume: Emphasize your relevant experience, skills, and accomplishments in infrastructure management, automation, and performance optimization, using web development and server administration industry-relevant keywords.
Prepare for Technical Challenges: Brush up on your knowledge of AWS, Terraform, and other relevant tools, focusing on infrastructure management, automation, and performance optimization. Practice problem-solving exercises and system design questions, focusing on large-scale web applications and distributed systems.
Research Kustomer: Familiarize yourself with Kustomer's company culture, values, and mission, and how you would contribute to a collaborative, innovative, and customer-centric environment. Prepare for behavioral and cultural fit questions, emphasizing your communication skills, leadership abilities, and alignment with Kustomer's values and mission.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and web development/server administration industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

Software Engineer, SRE (Staff/Senior Levels)