Full-Time

Principal Engineer 1

Backend

Posted on 6/12/2025

Zeta

Zeta

1,001-5,000 employees

Cloud-native payment card issuer platform

No salary listed

Hyderabad, Telangana, India

In Person

Category
Software Engineering (1)
Requirements
  • Deep Understanding of Java
  • Core Library/Language Constructs: Proficiency in core language constructs, object-oriented programming principles, and advanced topics such as concurrency, memory management, and compiler optimizations.
  • Knowledge of System Internals
  • Processor, Memory, Network, and Storage Internals
  • Familiarity with I/O Optimized Algorithms
  • Deep Understanding of Distributed Systems
  • Fault Modeling, Concurrency, Isolation, Consensus
  • Dynamo, HBase, Messaging Systems, Time, Clocks, Ordering of Events, Rate Control, Load Distribution: Studying distributed systems
  • Design and Problem-Solving Skills: Great design and problem-solving skills with a strong basis for architecting performance, scalability, security, and reliability
  • Conversant with the Internals of Systems
  • Kafka, Cassandra/Scylla, Redis
  • Working Knowledge of Hosting and Network Infrastructure (Kubernetes)
  • Kubernetes (K8s)
  • Familiarity with Low-Level Network Protocols: gRPC, HTTP/2, QUIC
  • Troubleshooting and Performance Optimization: Memory Issues, GC Tuning, Resource Leaks
  • Understanding of Branching, Build, Deployment, CI/CD Methodologies
  • Deep Understanding of OOAD and Algorithms: OOAD and Efficient Data Structures
  • Cloud Technologies: AWS/Google Cloud, Azure, OpenStack
  • 8+ years of experience in software development and delivery
  • Experience in Java, Spring, REST, SQL (PostgreSQL or MYSQL) Messaging systems, ELK stack, and microservices is required
  • Engineering degree in computer science or equivalent
Responsibilities
  • Microservices Architecture Enhancement: Scalability Enhancement: Elevate microservices architecture to the next level of scalability, ensuring optimal performance in diverse scenarios.
  • Microservices Architecture Enhancement: Efficiency Optimization: Streamline and enhance the efficiency of microservices, exploring innovative solutions for resource optimization.
  • Microservices Architecture Enhancement: Observability Implementation: Implement robust observability mechanisms, enabling comprehensive monitoring and diagnostics.
  • Microservices Architecture Enhancement: Availability Enhancement: Improve the availability of microservices, ensuring reliability even in high-demand scenarios.
  • Multi-Region and Multi-Cloud Deployment: Cross-Region Systems: Build, deploy, and run multi-homed systems designed to operate seamlessly across multiple regions.
  • Multi-Region and Multi-Cloud Deployment: Cloud Provider Flexibility: Develop systems that function across various cloud providers, enhancing flexibility and minimizing dependencies.
  • Petabyte-Scale Data Processing: Data Processing Systems: Design and open-source data processing, storage, and retrieval systems at the petabyte scale.
  • Petabyte-Scale Data Processing: Cost-Effective Scaling: Ensure scalability while maintaining the lowest cost per gigabyte, responding rapidly even at the 99th percentile.
  • Platform and Library Development: Platform Creation: Develop platforms, reusable libraries, and utilities to enhance the efficiency and consistency of development efforts.
  • Platform and Library Development: Open Source Initiatives: Contribute to open-source projects, sharing innovations and solutions with the broader community.
  • Code Quality and Best Practices: High-Quality Code: Write high-quality, modular, functional, and testable code to drive the reliability of microservices.
  • Code Quality and Best Practices: Coding Standards: Establish and promote the adoption of the best coding practices within the development team.
  • Decision-Making Authority: Strategic Decision-Making: Exercise strong decision-making abilities, particularly in matters related to architecture, scalability, and efficiency

Zeta provides cloud-native, API-connected payment card issuer processing platforms for banks, financial institutions, and fintechs. Its core product, Omni Stack, lets clients launch and manage digital credit, debit, and prepaid card programs through integrated APIs and cloud services. Transactions and card program management are handled via the platform, often with managed services and partner integrations (e.g., Sparrow) to offer comprehensive payment solutions. The company differentiates itself with a fully cloud-native, API-first approach combined with strong regulatory compliance (ISO IEC 27001, PCI DSS 4.0, SOC 2 Type 2), enabling rapid deployment and secure operation of embedded banking and payments. Zeta’s goal is to accelerate the world toward invisible payments by rethinking payment systems from core to edge.

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

Late Stage VC

Total Funding

$430M

Headquarters

San Francisco, California

Founded

2015

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Raised $50M from Optum in 2025, boosting valuation to $2B from $1.15B.
  • Serves 25M accounts, plans 25M more, with $50M+ annual revenue.
  • Digital Credit as a Service launched 2024 processes 2M daily UPI transactions.

What critics are saying

  • Optum builds competing card processing, poaches Zeta customers within 12-24 months.
  • Mastercard integrates issuer processing, bypasses Zeta for issuers in 18-36 months.
  • Profitability target missed by March 2026, collapses investor confidence immediately.

What makes Zeta unique

  • Zeta's Omni Stack enables rapid launch of compliant digital cards and loans.
  • Tachyon platform powers Sparrow's top-rated credit card for underserved since October 2023.
  • Cloud-native API stack supports issuing, fraud, and digital banking apps globally.

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Benefits

Professional Development Budget

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

1%

2 year growth

-2%
Tech in Asia
Oct 14th, 2025
Zeta raises $50M, valuation hits $2B

Zeta, an Indian fintech firm, has raised $50 million from Optum, boosting its valuation to $2 billion, up from $1.15 billion in 2021 when it received $250 million from SoftBank Vision Fund 2. Founded in 2015, Zeta aids banks and fintechs in modernizing services with cloud tech. It serves 25 million accounts, plans to add 25 million more, and aims for profitability by March 2026. The US is its largest market, followed by India, generating over $50 million annually.

VentureCapital.com
Jun 24th, 2025
Acorns Acquires Zeta for Family Finance

Acorns has acquired Zeta, a financial planning platform for couples and families, to enhance its financial wellness offerings across various life stages. This acquisition, which includes Zeta co-founders Kevin Hopkins and Aditi Shekar joining Acorns, marks the company's fifth strategic acquisition in under two years. Existing Zeta customers will gain access to Acorns' financial wellness benefits. Financial terms were not disclosed.

TechCrunch
Feb 11th, 2025
Zeta valued at $2B in new funding | TechCrunch

Zeta, a provider of banking software to banks and fintech startups, has raised $50 million from a strategic investor at a $2 billion valuation. The new Zeta, a provider of banking software to banks and fintech startups, has raised $50 million from a strategic investor at a $2 billion valuation.

Entrackr
Feb 11th, 2025
Zeta secures $50M, valued at $2B

Zeta, a modern banking tech company, has raised $50 million from an undisclosed strategic investor, valuing the company at $2 billion. Zeta became a unicorn in May 2021 with a $250 million Series C round from SoftBank Vision Fund 2. The company also received $30 million from Mastercard in March 2022 at a $1.5 billion valuation. Zeta's Indian entity reported a 9.42% revenue increase to ₹893.12 crore in FY24, with PAT rising 5.4x to ₹119.82 crore.

Business Wire
Mar 7th, 2024
Zeta Powers Sparrow’S Industry-Leading Credit Card For The Underserved

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Zeta, a leading provider of next-gen card processing solutions to banks and credit unions, is proud to announce its partnership with Sparrow Financial to power the most modern credit card program in existence for non-prime customers.Sparrow is founded by industry veterans - Evan Feldman and Lisa Sturm - who have spent 30+ years building and managing large-scale credit card portfolios. They embarked on a quest for a modern card processing solution to launch a differentiated card program for underserved Americans. After meticulous evaluation of various card processors, they chose Zeta's Tachyon platform.Evan Feldman, Co-CEO of Sparrow Financial, said: “Sparrow has built the #1 credit card experience for the underserved in every respect, from a seamless application journey and instantaneous underwriting, a user-friendly mobile app, cutting-edge virtual card experience, a hassle-free repayment process, and an operations center that puts the customer first. This achievement has been made possible through the next-gen capabilities and integrated stack of Zeta.”The Sparrow credit card went live in October 2023, leveraging Zeta for card processing, mobile app, servicing, and advanced data & analytics capabilities. And, in under 6 months of launch, it has received glowing reviews for its intuitive and modern experience from customers with consistently high ratings on Credit Karma and mobile app stores, such as:Great card, easy to use app | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“The virtual card is available right away on the app, which was super convenient. Overall the app is really easy to use, especially compared to some of my other cards.”| ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “The virtual card is available right away on the app, which was super convenient

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