Software Engineer, Cloud Infrastructure

Staff Software Engineer, Cloud Infrastructure

Location:

Chicago, IL

• Take ownership of and lead the cloud infrastructure platform strategy and multi‑quarter roadmap across engineering teams.
• Serve as the principal infrastructure authority on platform architecture, cloud patterns, and engineering standards.
• Define reference architectures and reusable infrastructure models that empower engineering teams to build and ship reliably at scale.
• Partner with product and engineering leadership to ensure infrastructure capabilities are built early in the solution lifecycle.
• Take responsibility for the security stance of the cloud infrastructure platform in collaboration with the security team.
• Define and enforce cloud governance policies, tagging standards, access controls, and architectural guardrails.
• Take responsibility for Fin Ops methods related to the cloud platform, delivering insights and suggestions to engineering and finance leadership.
• Build and maintain production‑quality internal platform tooling and automation across Azure and AWS.
• Direct the assessment and incorporation of new infrastructure technologies, take part in the on‑call rotation, and apply production experience to guide platform enhancements.
• Proactively identify and resolve technical conflicts and priority misalignments across teams; lead technical build reviews.
• Guide Senior and mid‑level engineers, take an active role in the hiring process, and foster a culture of knowledge sharing.

• Hands‑on proficiency in Infrastructure as Code, especially Terraform.
• Strong software engineering skills with proficiency in Python, Go, Power Shell, and/or Bash.
• Proven experience owning cloud security and governance in a regulated environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading Fin Ops practices and communicating findings to leadership.
• Track record of defining and accomplishing multi‑quarter infrastructure roadmaps.
• Experience serving as a principal technical authority and setting engineering standards.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills.
• Experience taking part in on‑call rotations and applying that exposure to guide platform decisions.
• A strong approach to mentorship and talent development.
• Ideally, experience in financial services or another highly regulated industry.

Other common names for this role:
Lead Cloud Infrastructure Engineer, Cloud Platform Architect

IL Annual Base Salary Range: $196,000 — $245,000 USD

• The opportunity to build in a fast‑paced start‑up environment with experienced industry leaders.
• A learning environment where you can dive deep into the latest technologies and make an impact. A professional development budget to support other modes of learning.
• Thrive in an environment where every employee is a respected, valued, and empowered part of the team.
• In‑office collaboration for moments that matter is important to our culture, and we give managers and teams the flexibility to decide which 10+ days a month they come in.
• Bi‑weekly all‑company meeting - business updates and ask me anything style discussion with our Leadership Team.
• We come together for moments that matter which include team offsites, team bonding activities, happy hours and more!
• Competitive salary, bonuses, and equity.
• Competitive benefits that cover physical and mental healthcare, retirement, family forming, and family support.
• Employee giving match.
• R&R days so you can rest and recharge.
• Generous wellness reimbursement and weekly onsite & virtual programming.
• Generous vacation policy - work with your manager to take time off when you need it.
• Industry‑leading parental leave policies. Family planning benefits.
• Catered lunches, fully‑stocked kitchens with premium snacks/beverages, and plenty of fun events.

Benefits listed above are for full‑time employees.

Ripple is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We do not discriminate against qualified employees or applicants because of race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, sexual identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, military status, or any other characteristic protected by local law or ordinance.