Staff Software Engineer (Backend Java)

It all started in sunny San Diego, California in 2004 when a visionary engineer, Fred Luddy, saw the potential to transform how we work. Fast forward to today — ServiceNow stands as a global market leader, bringing innovative AI-enhanced technology to over 8,100 customers, including 85% of the Fortune 500®. Our intelligent cloud-based platform seamlessly connects people, systems, and processes to empower organizations to find smarter, faster, and better ways to work. But this is just the beginning of our journey. Join us as we pursue our purpose to make the world work better for everyone.

About the team:

The ServiceNow Core Platform underpins the entire ecosystem, and the systems we build are complex, large-scale, and mission critical. This role offers the opportunity to work across the full stack—from developer-facing APIs and frameworks to distributed runtime services to system-level components that ensure reliability, scalability, and performance. You should be someone who enjoys solving hard engineering problems, is passionate about platform engineering, and is committed to building high-quality, resilient software while driving operational excellence.

By being part of this team, engineers can implement software engineering best practices and contribute to designing innovative solutions that streamline digital workflows. The collaborative environment within the team fosters creativity and continuous learning, making it an ideal place for engineers to grow their skills and careers.

We are looking for an experienced software development engineer to help take the ServiceNow Platform to the next level. As a Software Development Engineer on the Core Platform team, you will own critical areas of the platform and play a key role in shaping our strategy by driving the next wave of platform features and system architecture.

The ideal candidate has a proven track record of delivering innovative platform capabilities or products. You thrive in dynamic, fast-paced environments where priorities evolve quickly. You bring strong design and implementation experience, deep knowledge of distributed systems and service architectures, and an understanding of web services and protocols. Experience with asynchronous workflows, high-scale runtime frameworks, or developer productivity tooling is a strong plus.

What you get to do in this role:   

• Build high-quality, clean, scalable and reusable code by enforcing best practices around software engineering architecture and processes (Code Reviews, Unit testing, etc.)
• Work with the product owners to understand detailed requirements and own your code from design, implementation, test automation and delivery of high-quality products to our users.
• Implement software that is simple to use to allow customers to extend and customize the functionality to meet their specific needs
• Contribute to the design and implementation of new products and features while also enhancing the existing product suite
• Be a mentor for colleagues and help promote knowledge-sharing

To be successful in this role you have:

• Experience with data structures, algorithms, object-oriented design, design patterns, and performance/scale considerations
• Ability to manage projects with material technical risk at a team level
• Analytical and design skills

• Experience in leveraging or critically thinking about how to integrate AI into work processes, decision-making, or problem-solving. This may include using AI-powered tools, automating workflows, analyzing AI-driven insights, or exploring AI's potential impact on the function or industry.
• Experience In using AI Productivity tools such as Windsurf, Cursor, etc is a plus or nice to have.
• 8+ years of experience with Java or a similar OO language

FD21

For positions in this location, we offer a base pay of $163,600 - $286,300, plus equity (when applicable), variable/incentive compensation and benefits. Sales positions generally offer a competitive On Target Earnings (OTE) incentive compensation structure. Please note that the base pay shown is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies, and work location. We also offer health plans, including flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) Plan with company match, ESPP, matching donations, a flexible time away plan and family leave programs. Compensation is based on the geographic location in which the role is located and is subject to change based on work location.

Work Personas

We approach our distributed world of work with flexibility and trust. Work personas (flexible, remote, or required in office) are categories that are assigned to ServiceNow employees depending on the nature of their work and their assigned work location. Learn more here. To determine eligibility for a work persona, ServiceNow may confirm the distance between your primary residence and the closest ServiceNow office using a third-party service.

Equal Opportunity Employer

ServiceNow is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or nationality, ancestry, age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other category protected by law. In addition, all qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with legal requirements. 

Accommodations

We strive to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, or are unable to use this online application and need an alternative method to apply, please contact [email protected] for assistance. 

Export Control Regulations

For positions requiring access to controlled technology subject to export control regulations, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR), ServiceNow may be required to obtain export control approval from government authorities for certain individuals. All employment is contingent upon ServiceNow obtaining any export license or other approval that may be required by relevant export control authorities. 

From Fortune. ©2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license.