Grindr is an AI-native platform powering how millions of gay people connect globally. With 15M+ monthly users, 130B+ annual messages, and a team of fewer than 200, we move fast, stay lean, and tackle technical problems at a scale few companies ever see.
This role sits on the Ecosystem Health team and owns the end-to-end stack behind Grindr's moderation — the tools used by human moderators, automated photo moderation, fraud and spam prevention, and regulatory compliance . As a Staff engineer, you'll set the technical direction for how we architect, ship, and scale these systems, working across the front-end and back-end with equal fluency. You'll partner directly with Product, Design, Marketing, and Backend Platform to make decisions that show up in production within weeks, not quarters. The systems you build are trusted by millions of users to protect their privacy and serve them reliably at scale.
At Grindr, we operate in Grindr Mode. Moderately hardcore day to day, truly hardcore when it counts. It's about doing great work without burning out. Outcomes over outputs. Smart, driven people who raise your bar, with room to live full lives.
This is a hybrid role based in our Chicago and will require you to be in person Tuesdays and Thursdays.
About the Job:
Set the technical direction for Grindr's moderation systems — architect, build, and deliver applications and services that span the full stack and work seamlessly across devices
Be the point person for the React tools that enable our human moderators and its associated backend
Build security, privacy, and accessibility into everything — millions of users trust Grindr to protect them, and the bar for what ships is yours to hold
Maintain existing third-party integrations and develop new integrations as we pivot to being AI first
Raise the engineering bar across the team — mentor engineers, lead code reviews with empathy, and influence how the broader org thinks about web architecture, performance, and reliability
Lead the integration of AI into how we build and operate the web stack — from developer tooling to product features
Role Requirements:
8+ years of professional software engineering experience, with deep production experience across both front-end and back-end systems
Expert-level proficiency building user interfaces with React, including a strong grasp of modern web performance, state management, and accessibility
Strong back-end experience in at least one modern language (Java, Kotlin, Node.js, Python, or Go) and the judgment to make architectural decisions that scale
Hands-on experience operating cloud-native systems on AWS or GCP, including the tradeoffs between managed services and self-hosted infrastructure
Comprehensive understanding of database fundamentals with production experience across both relational and NoSQL systems
Track record of leading technical work end-to-end at a Staff level — setting direction, driving execution across teams, and shipping outcomes without heavy process
Embraces AI-native workflows — you actively use AI tools to increase your output quality and speed, and you're excited to work at a company where AI is core infrastructure, not a feature
You May Thrive in this Role if You:
Have built and operated consumer-facing web products at scale, where performance, privacy, and reliability are non-negotiable
Are energized by being the most senior engineer in the room on web — you make defensible decisions, document them, and stand behind them
Care equally about the system you're building and the experience it delivers — modern web design fundamentals and UX instincts inform how you write code
Have experience working on distributed teams across time zones and borders
Benefits and Perks:
Health, Dental & Vision Full premium coverage for you. Partial coverage for dependents.
Family Formation Up to $300,000 in fertility and family-building support, covering IVF, surrogacy, egg freezing, and adoption.
Retirement: 401(k) with 6% match and immediate vesting.
Compensation: Industry-competitive compensation, company bonus, and equity for every employee.
Gender-Affirming Care : Industry-leading gender-affirming offerings with up to 90% cost coverage, access to Included Health, monthly stipends for HRT, and more.
Time Off & Rest Flexible vacation policy. Two company-wide rest weeks per year.
Other Benefits: Monthly stipends for cell phone, internet, wellness, food, and commuting, breakfast/lunch
About Grindr:
Grindr is building the Global Gayborhood in your Pocket. With more than 15 million monthly active users, Grindr has become a fundamental part of the gay community and is charting a path to make the world more free, equal, and just.
As a public company, we're moving into the next chapter: becoming an AI-native organization that's redefining what's possible for our community. We're embedding AI into our product and operations, moving with startup speed while operating at scale.
Everything we do is rooted in impact for our users and outcomes for the business. This isn't social work, it’s impact through excellence. Business success is what gives us the power to serve our community and the seat at tables others can't reach. How we work is defined by Grindr Mode, our operating model that's moderately hardcore day-to-day and truly hardcore when it counts. We think like owners, drive real outcomes, create clarity through action, and push each other to go further than we thought possible.
We’re headquartered in West Hollywood with offices in the Bay Area, Chicago, and New York. Our work extends beyond the product through Grindr for Equality, our nonprofit that's partnered with 100+ community organizations globally to advance safety, health, and human rights for LGBTQ+ people worldwide.
We're profitable, growing, and building a team of smart, driven people who bring different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to the work. Want to build technology at a massive scale that serves millions? Come join us!
Grindr is an equal-opportunity employer.
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