[Hiring] Senior Software Engineer II, Observability @Wave HQ

Role Description

As a Senior Software Engineer II on the Observability team, you drive technical excellence by building automated solutions that transform decentralized tooling into a cohesive, scalable observability platform. Using Python, Terraform, and Datadog, you build and evolve observability tooling, platform abstractions, and standards that help teams ship and operate services reliably.

Here’s How You Make an Impact:

• Build and Scale Observability-as-Code
  • Design and maintain Python tooling and Terraform modules that standardize Datadog configuration across services.
  • Eliminate manual setup by codifying monitors, dashboards, SLOs, and alerting patterns.
  • Improve consistency, repeatability, and reliability of observability across the organization.
• Establish Reliable & Standardised Instrumentation
  • Define and implement observability blueprints that integrate high‑fidelity metrics, logs, and traces into the development lifecycle.
  • Codify best practices so teams get out-of-the-box visibility without needing deep observability expertise.
  • Raise the baseline for service health, debuggability, and operational readiness.
• Optimize Datadog Usage and Cost
  • Own critical parts of the Datadog platform configuration.
  • Improve data quality, signal-to-noise ratio, and alert reliability.
  • Partner with teams to adopt telemetry effectively while managing ingestion and alerting costs.
• Maintain and Evolve Platform Components
  • Upgrade and maintain tracers, agents, and shared observability libraries.
  • Ensure upgrades are automated, backwards-compatible, and minimally disruptive to product teams.
  • Reduce operational risk by improving rollout and validation processes.
• Integrate Observability Across Infrastructure
  • Collaborate with Platform and Infrastructure teams to embed monitoring into systems such as Kafka, gRPC services, Kubernetes, and AWS-managed services.
  • Improve production visibility and reduce mean time to detect (MTTD) and resolve (MTTR) incidents.
• Deliver High-Quality, Production-Ready Code
  • Write clean, well-tested, and maintainable Python code and Terraform modules.
  • Participate in architecture and design reviews; provide thoughtful feedback in code reviews.
  • Take ownership of projects end-to-end, from design and implementation through production rollout and support.
• Mentorship & Collaboration
  • Assist team members to solve problems and develop their own skills.
  • Foster a collaborative mindset within the team.

Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, or related.
• 7+ years of experience in application development, platform engineering, or developer tooling.
• High proficiency in Python; solid experience with Terraform.
• Hands-on experience using Datadog for metrics, logging, tracing, dashboards, monitors, and alerts.
• Experience with containerized and cloud-native environments (e.g., Kubernetes, Kafka, AWS, gRPC, Lambda).
• Proven ability to independently drive medium-to-large initiatives from design to delivery.
• Comfortable making pragmatic tradeoffs to deliver reliable, scalable solutions.
• A strong product mindset for internal tools.
• Passion for reducing cognitive load, eliminating toil, and making observability easy to adopt by default.
• Solid understanding of modern web applications and distributed systems.
• Knowledge of how observability applies to high-throughput, highly available systems.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to influence technical direction through design discussions, documentation, and hands-on implementation.
• Comfortable partnering with product, platform, and infrastructure teams.

Requirements

• $160,000 - $179,000 a year
• Final compensation is determined based on experience, expertise, and role alignment. Most candidates are hired within the middle of the range, with the upper end reserved for those bringing exceptional depth, impact, and immediate autonomy.

Benefits

• Bonus Structure
• Employer-paid Benefits Plan
• Health & Wellness Flex Account
• Professional Development Account
• Wellness Days
• Holiday Shutdown
• Wave Days (extra vacation days in the summer)
• Get A-Wave Program (work from anywhere in the world up to 90 days)

Company Description

At Wave, we help small businesses to thrive so the heart of our communities beats stronger. We work in an environment buzzing with creative energy and inspiration. No matter where you are or how you get the job done, you have what you need to be successful and connected. The mark of true success at Wave is the ability to be bold, learn quickly and share your knowledge generously.

At Wave, we value diversity of perspective. Your unique experience enriches our organization. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds. Let’s talk about how you can thrive here!

Wave is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible candidate experience. If you require accommodations during the recruitment process, please let us know by emailing [email protected] . We will work with you to meet your needs.

Please note that we use AI-assisted note-taking in interviews for transcription purposes only. This helps ensure interviewers can remain fully present and engaged throughout the discussion.

This advertised posting is a current vacancy.