Software Engineer

About this role

Software Engineer

Variance

San FranciscoFull TimeMarch 30, 2026

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Job Description

Role

At Variance, we are teaching machines to make the hardest judgement calls at scale. That means building AI agents for the high-precision gray-area of risk investigations, fraud, and identity reviews.

We’re a small, talent-dense team in San Francisco, tackling problems that touch billions of events and entities. Our customers include several Fortune 500s, global marketplaces, and regulated financial services. If you thrive on extreme ownership, moving fast, and working directly with founders, you’ll feel at home here.

You’re a fit if you:

• Have 1-3 years of experience of professional software engineering experience
• Care deeply about craftsmanship and have strong opinions about building high-quality products
• Are comfortable with our tech stack: React/Next.js, TypeScript, MySQL, and ClickHouse for agent context, though we value strong fundamentals over experience with any specific technology
• Enjoy owning features end-to-end, from backend systems to polished UI to production
• Thrive in fast-moving environments with short iteration cycles and a high degree of responsibility
• Are excited by the prospect of building AI interfaces for high-stakes decisions that protect people from fraud, scams, and abuse

What you’ll do

• Build and ship features end-to-end with iteration cycles measured in hours, not quarters
• Work across the stack to turn ambiguous problems into reliable product experiences
• Partner directly with the founders on massive-scale, frontier problems
• Scale our product into new industries and workflows through fast pilots and live demos
• Design systems where AI must decide in real time, balancing precision, speed, and user trust
• Help improve the product through rapid feedback, experimentation, and strong execution

Our culture

We believe in ownership, urgency, and craft. We enjoy spirited debate, wild ideas, and building things we’re proud of. We’re fully in-person in San Francisco.

What we offer

• Competitive salary and meaningful equity
• Health care: we offer platinum-level medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Unlimited PTO, sick leave, and parental leave
• Up to $100 in reimbursement for personal health & wellness expenses each month
• 401(k) plan