Senior Software Engineer - Publishing

Kit is an email-first operating system for creators who mean business. We help creators grow and monetize their audience with ease. For coaches, YouTubers, authors, podcasters, and other creatives, there isn't a better marketing hub to rely on to grow audiences, automate email marketing, and sell digital products — all within one platform.
More importantly, there isn't a team more committed to helping creators earn a living. We're on a mission to help creators earn $1 billion using our creator marketing platform. We have always been 100% independent and 100% remote.
We are proud to have built a product that our customers love, and we look for people who have enthusiasm and belief in our mission, vision, and values to join our team. We're also embracing AI thoughtfully — both in how we build and how we hire to ensure our team is adaptable, innovative, and ready for what's next.

We’re looking for a Senior Software Engineer to build Kit’s core publishing platform and creator growth experiences.

You will be joining the Builders team, which builds the suite of publishing tools creators use to create emails, landing pages, and newsletters. Our team is responsible for creators' first experiences in the app, from onboarding, to activation, and conversion. And we steward Kit’s core application experience and design system.

This is a hands-on role for a product-minded full-stack engineer who excels at crafting exceptional user experiences. You'll architect complex features across the stack while collaborating closely with Product and Design to deliver impactful solutions that elevate how creators experience our publishing platform.

You'll report to the Engineering Manager who leads the Builders team, a cross-functional product team at Kit. You'll collaborate closely with a Product Manager, Product Designer, and peer Software Engineers.

You’ll also have access to a group of Engineers across Kit for support and mentorship, and will start with a peer onboarding buddy who will help you navigate our systems and codebase.

• First Week: Dive into our codebase and publishing platform architecture. Set up your local environment and merge your first production code. Take part in Get To Know You's to meet our distributed team.

• First Month: Work through your personal onboarding plan. Begin understanding how our publishing tools support creators from onboarding to conversion, and identify opportunities for improvement. Join team activities for planning, building, and measuring the experiences we ship to creators. Actively participate in code reviews, and contribute PRs weekly.

• First Six Months: Own and deliver at least one complex feature from concept to launch. Improve our codebase through thoughtful refactoring while maintaining quality standards. Ensure service reliability by participating in on-call rotations. Present at least one Lunch & Learn session. Proactively identify and act on opportunities to improve our product and development processes. 

•  Expertise developing complex web applications with high-craft beautiful user experiences, using React, JavaScript, and modern CSS frameworks like tailwind

• Expertise with Ruby on Rails (preferred). Or experience with other backend frameworks with willingness to learn and master Rails. You’re a strong contributor across the stack, from the browser to the database

• Ability to plan, estimate, and execute complex ambiguous projects independently while keeping stakeholders informed

• Ability to write high-quality, well-tested, performant, and accessible code with minimal guidance

• Clear communication skills with ability to drive clarity with Engineers, Product Managers, and Designers

• Partnering effectively with Product and Design to create delightful experiences, prioritizing user outcomes and business impact in your technical solutions

• Working across a legacy codebase and evolving it safely through migrations and system refactors

• Diagnosing root causes of problems and proposing solutions with clear trade-offs and business impact

• Mentoring and teaching other engineers formally and informally 

• High agency and ability to work independently while collaborating closely with teammates

• Adaptability within a dynamic and ambiguous environment, with proactive ownership of problems

• Interest in AI and eagerness to experiment with the evolving landscape to make our work more efficient and effective

• Openness to direct feedback and continuous improvement, with ability to give thoughtful peer feedback

• Embraces learning with growth mindset and a demonstrated ability to build new skills quickly

You will stand out with:

• Experience building rich text editors using frameworks like SlateJS or ProseMirror

• Experience writing email-safe HTML and CSS

• Experience shipping user-facing AI features

• Experience building design systems and component libraries

• Proficiency with frontend bundling and development tools

• Background in creator economy or publishing platform

We're 100% remote with team members across the globe. We work mostly on East Coast time—so if you're based on the West Cost of the United States, Europe, or Asia, you might have a few early mornings or late evenings. We do our best to keep things reasonable, but a little time zone juggling comes with the territory. The core collaboration hours for this team are 10:45am to 2pm Eastern Time. We promote flexible work outside these core hours.

Kit has standardized salaries based on position, no matter where you live. For this role, we’re hiring at a level 3 ($153,000), out of five levels. Level is determined based on experience and our interview process.

• Profit Sharing

• Kit equity

• 401k with a 5% match

• We cover up to $1,950 per month toward medical premiums, with dental and vision premiums fully covered. We offer Health Insurance plans through Aetna.

• $4,000 equipment allowance for your first two years, $3,000 budget every following two years

• Individual learning + development budget ($3,500/year)

• Gender affirming benefits

• Childcare benefit up to $3,000 annually

• Twenty (20) days of paid time off during each year of employment

• Paid paid vacation: An after-tax bonus of $1,000 for taking five consecutive days of vacation where you’re fully unplugged from work

• Ten (10) paid holidays a year

• Two weeks of paid sick time each year, including mental health + well being days

• Twelve (12) weeks paid parental leave and flexible scheduling in your child’s first year

• Up to six weeks of paid bereavement leave, medical leave, and disaster after six months of employment, two weeks of each paid leave in your first six months

• Winter Break Closure: Kit closes for a week at the end of December, giving everyone a collective break to enjoy the holiday season. Essential support services remain available, with teams coordinating to ensure coverage during this period

• Four-week, paid sabbatical after five years with the team

• Fantastic in-person or virtual retreats with the team twice a year

We usually receive a large number of applications, and our goal is to follow up with you within two weeks. You’ll hear from us either way. Here’s what you can expect from the rest of our hiring process:

1. A phone screen with our recruiter

2. Hiring manager screen 

3. Take-home assignment

4. A technical interview

5. Technical execution & collaboration interview

We’ll keep you informed through every step. To get started, complete this application, including a cover letter and answers to the questions on the next page. We read every single application, and your cover letter and responses help put your experience into context.

Kit is an equal opportunity employer

We value diversity in all of its forms. Research tells us that applicants who are female or non-binary, as well as applicants who are people of color, are less likely to apply for roles they do not feel 100% qualified for. If you think you meet more than 50% of our requirements but fewer than 100% of them, please apply.

We’re imperfect communicators, so think of our job postings as the starting point for discussion rather than proof that you shouldn’t apply.

Kit does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits.