Senior Backend Engineer - Search

Verkada
$180,000—$300,000 USD
flexible benefit account, parental leave, paid holidays, sick time
United States, California, San Mateo
406 East 3rd Avenue (Show on map)
Apr 25, 2026
Who We Are Verkada is transforming how organizations protect their people and places with an integrated, AI-powered platform. A leader in cloud physical security, Verkada helps organizations strengthen safety and efficiency through one connected software platform that includes solutions for video security, access control, air quality sensors, alarms, intercoms, and visitor management. Over 30,000 organizations worldwide, including more than 100+ companies in the Fortune 500, trust Verkada as their physical security layer for easier management, intelligent control, and scalable deployments. Founded in 2016, Verkada has expanded rapidly with 15 offices and 2,200+ full-time employees. About the Role We build the search and computer vision backend that powers Verkada's camera intelligence. Our systems let customers find what they need across billions of frames in seconds, from person search and reverse image search to natural language search powered by modern LLMs and VLMs. We own both the customer-facing products and the underlying infrastructure that makes them possible. If you've ever wondered what it takes to make real-time physical security search feel instant across tens of thousands of camera deployments, that's us. We take engineering rigor seriously. Our systems run at a scale that few engineers get to work at, and we're pushing into genuinely new territory with agentic, multi-modal search experiences powered by modern LLMs and VLMs. You'll work closely with ML, infrastructure, and frontend engineers to take ideas from research to products that customers use every day. Who You Are Excited by modern search infrastructure: vector databases, embedding-based retrieval, and what it takes to make semantic search fast at scale Excited by modern search infrastructure - vector databases, embedding-based retrieval, and what it takes to make semantic search fast at scale You think about building robust, scalable infrastructure, not just shipping endpoints You can take an ambiguous problem and drive it end-to-end, from architecture to production BS or graduate degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field What You Bring 5+ years of backend engineering experience with a track record of shipping systems at scale Mastery of at least one server-side language (Go, Java, Python, or similar) Deep experience with scalable backend design: distributed systems, databases, queues, and blob storage Experience leading technical direction on projects and collaborating cross-functionally Ownership mentality; you resolve problems that go beyond your immediate scope US Employee Benefits Verkada is committed to fostering a workplace environment that prioritizes the holistic health and wellbeing of our employees and their families by offering comprehensive wellness perks, benefits, and resources. Our benefits and perks programs include, but are not limited to: Healthcare programs that can be tailored to meet the personal health and financial well-being needs - Premiums are 100% covered for the employee under at least one plan and 80% for family premiums under all plans Nationwide medical, vision and dental coverage Health Saving Account (HSA) with annual employer contributions and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) with tax saving options Expanded mental health support Paid parental leave policy & fertility benefits Time off to relax and recharge through our paid holidays, firmwide extended holidays, flexible PTO and personal sick time Professional development stipend Wellness/fitness benefits Healthy lunches provided daily Commuter benefits Additional Information We do sponsor and take over sponsorship of employment visas for this role. If we make you an offer, we will make every reasonable effort to get you a visa. Annual Pay Range At Verkada, we want to attract and retain the best employees, and compensate them in a way that appropriately and fairly values their individual contribution to the company. With that in mind, we carefully consider a number of factors to determine the appropriate starting pay for an employee, including their primary work location and an assessment of a candidate's skills and experience, as well as market demands and internal parity. A Verkada employee may be eligible for additional forms of compensation, depending on their role, including sales incentives, discretionary bonuses, and/or equity in the company in the form of restricted stock units (RSUs) Below is the annual on-target earnings (OTE) range for full-time employees for this position, comprised of base compensation and commissions (if applicable). Estimated Annual Pay Range $180,000 — $300,000 USD Verkada Is An Equal Opportunity Employer As an equal opportunity employer, Verkada is committed to providing employment opportunities to all individuals. All applicants for positions at Verkada will be treated without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. Your application will be handled in accordance with our Candidate Privacy Policy.