Staff Software Engineer- UI Foundations Team

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff Software Engineer - UI Foundations

Company: Amplitude

Location: San Francisco Bay Area, Hybrid

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Software Engineering - Frontend Infrastructure & Developer Experience

Date Posted: August 13, 2026

Experience Level: 10+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive architectural decisions for Amplitude's frontend platform, focusing on scalability, performance, and developer productivity.

• Lead the development and implementation of AI-agent-driven engineering workflows to enhance overall engineering velocity across the organization.

• Enhance frontend infrastructure, including architecture, performance metrics, developer experience, tooling, and build systems.

• Champion technical direction and standards for the frontend engineering organization, mentoring senior and staff-level engineers.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a high-leverage, low-oversight position, indicating a significant opportunity for an experienced engineer to shape the technical direction of Amplitude's frontend platform and its adoption of AI in engineering workflows. The emphasis on "AI-first" and "agentic workflows" suggests a forward-thinking approach to development, requiring candidates to have both deep technical expertise and a vision for the future of software development automation.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own and evolve the architectural foundations of Amplitude's frontend platform, including module boundaries, micro-frontend patterns, shared component/design-system infrastructure, and state management strategies.

• Diagnose and resolve systemic frontend application performance issues, such as bundle size, load times, runtime performance, and rendering bottlenecks; establish scalable performance budgets and guardrails.

• Build and maintain essential developer experience components, including build systems, local development environments, CI/CD pipelines, linting/codegen tools, and internal developer tooling.

• Lead the identification and automation of engineering workflow bottlenecks using AI-agent-driven and LLM-powered solutions, creating a "software factory" to increase engineering velocity.

• Set technical direction and standards for the frontend organization, mentor senior/staff-track engineers, and review architecture proposals impacting shared frontend infrastructure.

• Partner closely with product engineering teams, design systems, and platform/infrastructure teams to ensure foundational investments address real product team pain points.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly delineate a focus on both foundational frontend platform development and the innovative application of AI in engineering processes. The "software factory" concept implies a systematic approach to automating complex engineering tasks, which will be a key evaluation point for candidates.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field is typically expected for Staff-level roles. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience: A minimum of 10 years of professional software engineering experience, with a demonstrated track record of operating at a Staff level or equivalent scope and impact.

Required Skills:

• Deep expertise in modern frontend architecture (e.g., React or equivalent component frameworks).

• Strong infrastructure and systems engineering instincts, with comfort in build tooling, CI/CD, and developer environments.

• Demonstrated experience improving frontend application performance at scale (e.g., bundle optimization, rendering performance, load-time metrics).

• Proven experience designing and shipping internal developer tooling or platform infrastructure that measurably improved developer velocity.

• Hands-on experience with AI-agent-driven or LLM-powered engineering workflows (e.g., agentic coding tools, autonomous pipelines, AI-assisted codegen/migration), or a strong vision for their development.

• Exceptional technical judgment and the ability to drive consensus on ambiguous, cross-cutting architectural decisions.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence through documents, proposals, design reviews, and cross-team discussions. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with monorepo tooling, micro-frontend architectures, or large-scale frontend platform migrations.

• Familiarity with design systems and component library architecture.

• Prior experience building "agent harness" style infrastructure, including evaluation frameworks, agent orchestration, or tool-use frameworks for LLMs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for both deep frontend expertise and infrastructure/systems engineering instincts is critical. The emphasis on AI/LLM experience, even if theoretical, signals a key differentiator for candidates.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrated experience in architecting and evolving complex frontend platforms, showcasing architectural decision-making processes and impact.

• Evidence of significant contributions to frontend performance improvements, supported by quantifiable metrics and case studies of systemic issue resolution.

• Examples of internal developer tooling or platform infrastructure projects, highlighting the problem solved, the solution implemented, and the measurable impact on developer velocity and efficiency.

• Contributions or clear conceptualization of AI-agent-driven workflows, demonstrating an understanding of automating engineering tasks, managing LLM integrations, or building agent harnesses.

• Examples of technical leadership, including driving consensus on architectural decisions, mentoring other engineers, and contributing to technical strategy documents. Process Documentation:

• Clear documentation of architectural proposals and their evolution, detailing trade-offs considered and stakeholder alignment.

• Case studies detailing the process of identifying and resolving performance bottlenecks, including methodologies for measurement and ongoing monitoring.

• Workflow documentation for internal tools or platform components, illustrating the development lifecycle and user adoption strategies.

• Documentation outlining the strategy and implementation of AI-driven automation initiatives, including pilot programs, iterative development, and impact assessment.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Staff-level role, a portfolio should highlight not just technical execution but also strategic thinking, leadership, and the ability to influence technical direction across an organization. The AI component requires specific attention in portfolio examples.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on California legislation, the salary range for this position in California is $192,000 - $264,000 base salary (inclusive of bonus or commission). For Washington state, the range is $173,000 - $238,000 base salary. For New York City, the range is $192,000 - $264,000 base salary. For Colorado, the range is $173,000 - $238,000 base salary.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance coverage, with 100% employer-paid premiums for employees on select plans.

• Flexible time off, paid holidays, and generous annual stipends for wellness, commuter transit, learning and development, and home office equipment.

• Excellent Parental benefits including 12-20 weeks of Paid Parental Leave, Carrot Fertility Benefits/Adoption/Surrogacy support, and Back-up Child Care support.

• Mental health and wellness benefits, including no-cost employee access to Modern Health coaching & therapy sessions and a One Medical membership (select U.S. locations).

• Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP).

• Company-sponsored 401(k) retirement plan (specific to Washington state).

Working Hours: The role is listed with standard working hours, typically 40 hours per week, with flexibility expected for a Staff-level position to manage projects and collaborate across time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary ranges provided are specific to different US states and cities based on the input data. The extensive benefits package highlights Amplitude's commitment to employee well-being and professional development, which are attractive elements for experienced engineers.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology - AI-first Digital Analytics Platform. Amplitude is a leader in product analytics, enabling companies to understand and optimize user behavior.

Company Size: Amplitude is a publicly traded company (founded in 2012, went public in 2021) with offices globally, indicating a mid-to-large-sized organization with established processes and a significant market presence.

Founded: 2012. Amplitude has a history of innovation, recognized for product development and market leadership.

Team Structure:

• The UI Foundations team is a core infrastructure team within the engineering organization, responsible for the frontend platform used by all product engineers.

• This role reports into a lead or manager overseeing frontend platform engineering, with significant autonomy and influence.

• Close collaboration is expected with product engineering teams, design systems, and other platform/infrastructure teams. Methodology:

• Amplitude emphasizes a data-driven approach, leveraging its own analytics platform to inform product and engineering decisions.

• The company values a "growth mindset," "ownership," and "humility," fostering an environment of continuous learning, accountability, and collaborative problem-solving.

• The "AI-first" approach suggests a strong focus on leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to drive innovation and efficiency in both its product and internal operations.

Company Website: https://amplitude.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Amplitude's culture is defined by its core values and its position as an AI-first company. This implies a fast-paced, innovative environment where data insights and technological advancement are paramount. The "software factory" concept aligns with this drive for efficiency and automation.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Staff Software Engineer - This is a senior individual contributor role, often considered the pinnacle of technical expertise without direct management responsibilities. It requires deep technical knowledge, the ability to influence technical direction across multiple teams, and a strong focus on foundational systems and long-term technical strategy.

Reporting Structure: This role reports to a Director or VP of Engineering, with significant autonomy in setting technical direction for the UI Foundations team. The engineer will mentor other senior and staff-level engineers.

Operations Impact: The Staff Software Engineer on the UI Foundations team has a profound impact on the entire engineering organization's productivity, velocity, and the quality of the frontend products. By improving the underlying infrastructure and introducing AI-driven automation, this role directly contributes to faster product iteration cycles and better customer experiences.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Leadership: Opportunity to become a recognized subject matter expert in frontend architecture, performance, and AI-driven development, potentially leading to Principal or Distinguished Engineer roles.

• Strategic Influence: Shape the long-term technical vision for Amplitude's frontend development and AI integration strategies.

• Mentorship & Development: Grow leadership skills by mentoring other senior engineers and contributing to the development of the broader engineering team.

• Innovation: Drive cutting-edge initiatives in AI for software engineering, positioning Amplitude at the forefront of developer productivity tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Staff" level implies a high degree of autonomy and influence. Growth opportunities are heavily focused on deepening technical expertise, strategic impact, and leadership within the engineering domain, particularly concerning AI integration.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is described as "Hybrid" and located in the "San Francisco Bay Area." This typically means a combination of remote work and in-office days at a company office.

Office Location(s): While the specific office is not detailed, Amplitude has offices in San Francisco (HQ), New York, Vancouver, Amsterdam, London, Paris, Singapore, and Tokyo. The San Francisco Bay Area location suggests proximity to the main HQ.

Workspace Context:

• The hybrid model allows for focused remote work while leveraging in-office time for collaborative sessions, design reviews, and team building.

• As a foundational team, expect access to robust development tools, cloud infrastructure, and potentially cutting-edge AI/ML development environments.

• The role involves significant cross-functional interaction, requiring strong communication and collaboration skills within a dynamic tech environment.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 per week) are expected, with flexibility to manage project timelines and attend necessary meetings across different time zones, especially given Amplitude's global presence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role offers a balance between focused individual work and collaborative team engagement, a common and sought-after arrangement in the tech industry.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your application and resume, likely focusing on alignment with Staff-level experience and specific technical skills (frontend architecture, infrastructure, AI).

• Technical Interviews: Expect multiple rounds of deep technical interviews. These will likely cover frontend architecture, performance tuning, system design, build systems, and potentially a discussion or coding exercise related to AI-driven workflows or agentic systems.

• System Design/Architecture Review: A dedicated session to discuss architectural decisions, trade-offs, and your approach to solving complex infrastructure problems. Portfolio examples will be crucial here.

• Behavioral/Leadership Interview: Focus on your experience in technical leadership, mentorship, driving consensus, handling ambiguity, and cross-functional collaboration, aligned with Amplitude's values.

• Hiring Manager/Team Lead Interview: A final discussion to assess fit with the team, role expectations, and overall strategic alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Quantify Impact: For every project, clearly articulate the problem, your solution, and the measurable impact (e.g., X% reduction in bundle size, Y% increase in build speed, Z% improvement in developer onboarding time).

• Showcase Leadership: Highlight instances where you drove technical direction, influenced architectural decisions, or mentored other engineers.

• Demonstrate AI Vision: If you have direct experience with AI-driven workflows, showcase it. If not, articulate your understanding, proposed solutions, and the potential impact of AI on engineering processes.

• Structure for Clarity: Organize your portfolio logically, perhaps by project type (architecture, performance, tooling, AI initiatives) or by impact. Prepare concise summaries for each item.

• Prepare to Discuss Trade-offs: Be ready to discuss the pros and cons of different technical approaches and architectural decisions you've made.

Challenge Preparation:

• System Design: Practice designing scalable frontend architectures, performance optimization strategies, and developer tooling systems. Consider how AI could be integrated into these designs.

• Coding: Brush up on modern JavaScript/TypeScript, React, and common frontend build tools. Be prepared for complex problem-solving scenarios.

• AI/LLM Concepts: Familiarize yourself with current trends in AI for software development, including agent frameworks, prompt engineering, and autonomous systems. Be ready to discuss how these could be applied to Amplitude's context.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a Staff role is rigorous and designed to assess deep technical expertise, strategic thinking, and leadership potential. A well-prepared portfolio is essential for demonstrating impact and vision.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Frontend Frameworks: React (explicitly mentioned), potentially other modern component-based frameworks.

• Build Systems: Expertise in modern build tools (e.g., Webpack, Vite, esbuild, Rollup) and monorepo tooling (e.g., Lerna, Nx, Turborepo).

• CI/CD: Experience with continuous integration and continuous delivery pipelines (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions).

• Version Control: Git.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Amplitude: Deep familiarity with product analytics platforms is highly beneficial, given the company's core product.

• Performance Monitoring Tools: Experience with browser developer tools, Lighthouse, WebPageTest, and APM tools for frontend performance analysis.

CRM & Automation:

• AI/ML Platforms: Experience with LLM providers (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic), agent frameworks (e.g., LangChain, AutoGen), or custom AI infrastructure.

• Internal Tooling: Development of custom internal tools and platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't exhaustively listed, the role implies proficiency in the entire modern frontend development ecosystem, with a strong emphasis on infrastructure, build tooling, and emerging AI technologies for development.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Growth Mindset: Embrace challenges, learn from feedback, and continuously seek to improve your skills and the platform.

• Ownership: Take responsibility for the frontend platform's success, from architecture to performance and developer experience, including the adoption of new AI technologies.

• Humility: Operate with empathy, seek diverse perspectives, and collaborate openly to achieve shared goals.

• Customer-Centricity: Ensure that foundational investments directly benefit product teams and ultimately lead to better customer experiences.

• Innovation: Drive forward-thinking solutions, particularly in leveraging AI to revolutionize engineering workflows.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Work closely with product engineers, designers, and platform teams to ensure alignment and address needs effectively.

• Technical Influence: Lead through technical expertise, clear communication, and collaborative problem-solving rather than strict authority.

• Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing: Actively mentor other engineers and contribute to a culture of shared learning and best practices, especially around complex frontend systems and AI applications.

📝 Enhancement Note: Amplitude's core values are deeply embedded in their culture. Candidates will be assessed on how well their working style and approach align with these principles, particularly in the context of driving innovation with AI.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Foundational Work with Innovation: Simultaneously maintaining and improving core frontend infrastructure while driving the adoption of cutting-edge AI-driven workflows.

• Driving Consensus on Ambiguous Architectural Decisions: Influencing a diverse set of engineering teams to adopt new standards and technologies without direct authority.

• Scaling AI Automation: Developing and implementing AI-agent-driven solutions that are reliable, scalable, and genuinely improve engineering velocity across a large organization.

• Keeping Pace with Evolving Technologies: Continuously learning and adapting to the rapid advancements in frontend technologies and AI/LLM capabilities.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into AI for Engineering: Become a leader in applying AI/LLM technologies to solve real-world software development challenges.

• Architectural Leadership: Hone skills in designing and evolving large-scale, complex software systems.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Develop advanced communication and stakeholder management skills by working across multiple departments.

• Industry Recognition: Contribute to thought leadership in areas like frontend platforms, developer experience, and AI-powered engineering.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents significant challenges related to innovation and influencing change, which are typical for Staff-level positions. These challenges are also framed as substantial growth opportunities.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you significantly improved frontend performance at scale. What was your process, and what were the key metrics?" (Focus on methodology, data, and impact.)

• "How would you design an AI-agent system to automate code migrations or refactoring across a large codebase? What are the potential pitfalls?" (Prepare to discuss architecture, agent orchestration, and risk mitigation.)

• "You need to introduce a new architectural pattern (e.g., micro-frontends) to teams that are resistant to change. How would you approach this?" (Highlight influence, communication, and consensus-building strategies.)

• "What is your vision for the 'software factory' concept, and how can AI agents contribute to it?" (Articulate a clear strategy and roadmap for automating engineering workflows.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do Amplitude's values (growth mindset, ownership, humility) align with your own working style, especially in a high-leverage role?" (Prepare specific examples.)

• "How would you ensure that the foundational work of your team directly addresses the pain points of product engineering teams?" (Discuss collaboration, feedback loops, and user empathy.)

• "Given Amplitude's AI-first approach, where do you see the biggest opportunities for AI to impact our engineering processes?" (Demonstrate strategic thinking and industry awareness.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• The "STAR" Method: Structure your portfolio examples using Situation, Task, Action, Result to clearly articulate your contributions and impact.

• Focus on Technical Depth and Breadth: Be prepared to dive deep into the technical details of your most impactful projects, covering architecture, implementation, and challenges.

• Highlight Leadership and Influence: Clearly articulate your role in driving technical decisions, mentoring others, and influencing cross-functional teams.

• Emphasize AI/Automation: If you have relevant experience or strong ideas, dedicate time to presenting these, showcasing your forward-thinking approach.

• Conciseness and Clarity: Practice presenting your portfolio items succinctly, focusing on the key takeaways and impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not only technical mastery but also strategic thinking, leadership potential, and a clear understanding of how to leverage AI to drive engineering efficiency and innovation.

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📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Staff Software Engineer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and any linked portfolio (e.g., GitHub, personal website) to highlight your experience in frontend architecture, performance optimization, developer tooling, and any work related to AI/LLM applications in software development.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your impact at previous senior/staff-level roles, using quantifiable achievements and keywords relevant to this job description (e.g., "architected," "optimized," "led," "mentored," "AI-driven automation").

• Interview Preparation: Practice answering system design and behavioral questions, focusing on demonstrating your technical depth, strategic thinking, and alignment with Amplitude's values. Prepare to walk through key portfolio projects.

• Company Research: Deeply understand Amplitude's product, their AI-first strategy, and their company values to tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

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