Full-Time

Staff Software Engineer

Updated on 9/4/2026

Earnest

Earnest

201-500 employees

Fintech lender offering low-interest student loans

Compensation Overview

$207.6k/yr

+ Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) + Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Remote in USA

Remote

Bachelor's

Category
Software Engineering (1)
Required Skills
Agile
JavaScript
React.js
Software Testing
Node.js
Redux.js
SQL
Postgres
Docker
TypeScript
AWS
JIRA
Mocha
DevOps
React Native
Angular

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Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a closely related field.
  • At least 3 years of software development experience.
  • At least 3 years of experience building highly distributed microservices.
  • At least 3 years of experience with SQL databases, including PostgreSQL, caching, performance, monitoring, and scalability.
  • At least 3 years of experience with server-side technologies, including Node.js, TypeScript, and JavaScript.
  • At least 3 years of experience with client-side technologies, including React Native and Angular.
  • At least 2 years of experience with AWS or similar cloud-based infrastructure.
  • At least 2 years of experience leading the architecture, design, development, and deployment of large-scale projects.
Responsibilities
  • Drive the technical strategy and execution for engineering teams.
  • Lead the development of a scalable, high-performance lending ecosystem from customer onboarding to checkout.
  • Architect and build customer-centric financial products, ensuring a frictionless and optimized user experience and orchestrating large-scale financial transactions.
  • Define and execute the technical vision and best practices for a high-performing engineering team.
  • Lead architectural decisions to enhance the scalability, reliability, and efficiency of the lending platform.
  • Collaborate with Product, UX, and Business teams to align technology with strategic goals.
  • Design, build, and maintain customer-facing lending applications using Node.js, TypeScript, React/Redux, Angular, Sequelize, PostgreSQL, and Docker.
  • Develop and optimize high-quality, testable code, implementing unit and integration tests with Mocha, Chai, Sinon, and Sequelize.
  • Ensure performance, security, and scalability through software engineering practices.
  • Identify and resolve defects through debugging, profiling, logging, log analysis, tracing, and FullStory session replays.
  • Oversee code deployment to Staging and Production environments.
  • Partner with Quality Engineers to address issues found in testing and improve automated testing coverage.
  • Lead and participate in Agile ceremonies.
  • Break down product requirements into engineering deliverables in Jira.
  • Review and provide critical feedback on Product Requirements Documents, Epics, and User Stories, influencing the technical and business roadmap.
  • Recommend alternative technical solutions to optimize delivery speed, enhance customer experience, and reduce costs.
  • Maintain technical documentation.
  • Contribute to Earnest's DevOps culture and participate in rotating on-call support for production applications.

Earnest provides low-interest loans in the United States, specializing in student loan refinancing, private student loans, and personal loans. The platform uses data analysis and underwriting software to tailor rates to each borrower's financial profile. Loans come with flexible repayment plans and terms, and the company earns revenue from the interest on issued loans. Earnest distinguishes itself through data-driven underwriting that customizes pricing for individual borrowers and by offering adaptable repayment options, appealing to financially responsible customers. Its goal is to stay competitive by adjusting rates to market conditions while helping people manage education and personal debt.

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

Acquired

Total Funding

$327M

Headquarters

San Francisco, California

Founded

2013

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Earnest announced May 19, 2026 refinancing for graduates using signed job offers.
  • Credible says Earnest has refinanced about $24 billion for more than 420,000 borrowers.
  • Federal loan rate pressure in 2025-2026 keeps refinance demand alive for high-rate borrowers.

What critics are saying

  • Massachusetts AG settled in July 2025 over biased AI underwriting and compliance failures.
  • Washington class-action allegations in June 2026 target misleading e-mail advertising by Earnest and Navient.
  • Navient’s 2024 CFPB ban and 2026 restitution keep its brand under regulatory glare.

What makes Earnest unique

  • Earnest’s May 2026 grace-period-match refinancing lets grads refinance before repayment starts.
  • It underwrites with bank-account, savings, and income data, not just FICO scores.
  • It still offers zero origination fees and customizable payments across long loan terms.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

401(k) Company Match

Home Office Stipend

Phone/Internet Stipend

Tuition Reimbursement

Paid Vacation

Parental Leave

Company Equity

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

9%

1 year growth

10%

2 year growth

10%
PR Newswire
May 19th, 2026
Earnest lets US graduate students refinance loans before graduation while keeping 9-month grace period

Earnest, a fintech company, has announced that eligible graduate students can now refinance their loans before graduation whilst maintaining their existing grace period for up to nine months. The initiative aims to help students reduce interest accrual on high-rate loans and align repayment with post-graduation income. The new offering addresses a gap in the market, as most lenders do not consider future income or match borrowers' grace periods. Federal Grad PLUS loan rates currently stand at 9.08% for 2024-2025 and 8.94% for 2025-2026. New federal loan caps taking effect on 1st July will further limit graduate borrowing capacity. Through the Job Offer Refinancing + Grace Period Match programme, borrowers can refinance within six months of graduation using a signed job offer letter, whilst preserving their grace period.