We're transforming the grocery industry
At Instacart, we invite the world to share love through food because we believe everyone should have access to the food they love and more time to enjoy it together. Where others see a simple need for grocery delivery, we see exciting complexity and endless opportunity to serve the varied needs of our community. We work to deliver an essential service that customers rely on to get their groceries and household goods, while also offering safe and flexible earnings opportunities to Instacart Personal Shoppers.
Instacart has become a lifeline for millions of people, and we’re building the team to help push our shopping cart forward. If you’re ready to do the best work of your life, come join our table.
Instacart is a Flex First team
There’s no one-size fits all approach to how we do our best work. Our employees have the flexibility to choose where they do their best work—whether it’s from home, an office, or your favorite coffee shop—while staying connected and building community through regular in-person events. Learn more about our flexible approach to where we work.
Overview
We’re looking for a creative and driven Senior Software Engineer to join our Caper Retailer Tools team. In our dynamic, startup-style environment, your ideas will directly shape the future of retail tech. As a core team member, you’ll enhance the tools behind our Caper smart shopping cart, relied on by thousands of retailers and shoppers daily. From streamlining operations to reinventing store auditing with technologies like generative AI, you’ll lead projects that push boundaries and leave a lasting impact.
About the Team The Caper Retailer Tools team is transforming retail operations. We build smart tools that help retailers easily manage Caper Carts at scale while solving key challenges like loss prevention, verification, and operational efficiency. By driving engagement and streamlining processes, we don’t just solve problems—we set new standards. Focused on innovation and tackling complex issues of scale, performance, and usability, our solutions are essential to retailers and central to Caper’s fast growth.
About the Job
As a Senior Software Engineer on the Caper Retailer Tools team, you will:
-
Design and maintain high-quality web applications and systems.
-
Lead improvements to frontend and backend systems, focusing on scalability and reliability.
-
Launch greenfield projects using generative AI and new technologies to enhance user experiences and cut costs.
-
Develop new features to improve shopping for customers and operations for retailers.
-
Take ownership of major product components to align with company standards and user needs.
-
Collaborate across teams to unify development approaches and deliver impactful results.
-
Plan and oversee project lifecycles from start to finish, including deployment and maintenance.
Minimum Qualifications:
-
5+ years of development experience with a deep track record of impactful project delivery.
-
Expertise in backend languages like Java or Kotlin.
-
Proficiency in frontend technologies such as TypeScript, React, Next.js.
-
Solid understanding of unit testing and problem-solving skills.
-
Proficient communication skills with experience leading and collaborating across diverse teams.
-
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
-
Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, communicate ideas effectively, and align business goals with projects.
-
Experience with monitoring and observability tools such as Datadog, Mode, etc.
-
Experience with startups or as a founder, showing you are good at solving problems, malleable, and have a spirit for entrepreneurship.
Ready to Build the Future of Retail?
Join us in delivering tools that enable retailers, inspire innovation, and elevate shopper experiences worldwide.
Instacart provides highly market-competitive compensation and benefits in each location where our employees work. This role is remote and the base pay range for a successful candidate is dependent on their permanent work location. Please review our Flex First remote work policy here.
Offers may vary based on many factors, such as candidate experience and skills required for the role. Additionally, this role is eligible for a new hire equity grant as well as annual refresh grants. Please read more about our benefits offerings here.
For US based candidates, the base pay ranges for a successful candidate are listed below.
CA, NY, CT, NJ
$192,000—$213,000 USD
WA
$184,000—$204,000 USD
OR, DE, ME, MA, MD, NH, RI, VT, DC, PA, VA, CO, TX, IL, HI
$176,000—$196,000 USD
All other states
$159,000—$177,000 USD
Top Skills
Similar Jobs at Instacart
What you need to know about the Seattle Tech Scene
Key Facts About Seattle Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 287,000; 13% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Google
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, software, biotechnology, game development
- Funding Landscape: $3.1 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Madrona, Fuse, Tola, Maveron
- Research Centers and Universities: University of Washington, Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, Allen Institute for Brain Science, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle Children’s Research Institute
