Staff Software Engineer, Query and Access Control

About the role

Asana is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to lead the design and implementation of the query and access‑control layer that powers every data read in the platform. You will ensure correctness, performance, and auditability as customer domains and permission structures become more complex, and as AI agents begin to call the system.

Key responsibilities

• Design and build a scalable query layer over the Work Graph that remains correct and performant as domains grow.
• Evolve the access‑control model to keep permission checks sound, auditable, and fast on every read path.
• Define authorization for new caller classes, including AI agents, without weakening guarantees.
• Drive multi‑quarter, cross‑team projects from design through deployment and iteration.
• Align design decisions with engineers and leaders across teams and maintain that alignment during implementation.
• Mentor peers through design reviews, code reviews, and knowledge sharing.

Required profile

• 8+ years of experience building and operating reliable backend services at scale.
• 3+ years leading large‑scale, multi‑team technical initiatives.
• Deep problem‑solving ability, taking designs from first principles to production.
• Strong communication skills for conveying technical concepts to cross‑functional partners.
• Rigorous approach to system correctness and impact analysis.

Required skills

• Experience with backend services and large‑scale data systems.
• Knowledge of query engines, query planning, caching, or graph‑shaped data access.
• Familiarity with infrastructure‑as‑code tools such as Terraform.
• Experience with container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes.

What we offer

• Competitive base salary ranging from 1 600 000 to 1 800 000 ISK per month.
• Equity and additional compensation components.
• Mental health, wellness, and fitness benefits.
• Career coaching and inclusive family‑building benefits.
• Long‑term savings or retirement plans.
• On‑site culinary options catering to dietary preferences.