Software Engineer – Backend – GitHub
GitHub is where the world builds software — hosting 100+ million developers and 420+ million repositories, making it the world's largest code hosting platform and the epicenter of the open-source ecosystem. GitHub's platform powers the software development workflow of every major technology company in the world, from Netflix's movie recommendation system to NASA's Mars helicopter code. GitHub Copilot is the world's most widely adopted AI coding tool with 1.3 million paid subscribers generating 50%+ of code at companies using it. We are hiring Backend Software Engineers to build the platform that 100+ million developers depend on every day.
Responsibilities
- Build GitHub's core platform features in Ruby on Rails and Go — including repository management, pull request workflows, code review, and branch protection
- Develop GitHub Actions CI/CD platform backend — implementing workflow orchestration, runner management, and artifact storage for 200+ million workflow runs daily
- Build GitHub Copilot backend services — implementing context retrieval, prompt engineering, and AI model serving for in-editor code suggestions
- Implement GitHub Packages and Container Registry services enabling secure artifact publishing for npm, Maven, Docker, and NuGet packages
- Design and optimize MySQL and Redis data models for GitHub's git repository storage metadata and social collaboration features
- Build GitHub Advanced Security backend — implementing secret scanning, code scanning (CodeQL), and dependency review for enterprise security teams
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field
- Proficiency in Ruby, Go, Python, or TypeScript (full-stack consideration)
- Understanding of git, version control, and software development workflows
- Familiarity with REST APIs, microservices, and cloud infrastructure (Azure — GitHub's parent Microsoft's cloud)
- Genuine passion for developer tools, open-source software, and the craft of software engineering
Benefits
- Competitive salary with GitHub RSU equity (Microsoft parent company RSUs)
- GitHub Enterprise and Copilot access for all employees
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits (Microsoft benefits package)
- 401(k) with Microsoft/GitHub matching
- Remote-first culture with GitHub's legendary developer-centric values