Staff Software Engineer Jobs in Santa Clara, CA

It all started when engineer Fred Luddy wrote code that automated a tedious task for his coworker, Phyllis. She cried tears of joy. That moment inspired Fred to build a company that could do that for everyone—freeing people from busywork so they could focus on meaningful work. Today, ServiceNow is the AI control tower for business reinvention. Our ServiceNow AI platform brings together any AI, any data, and any workflow— helping 85% of the Fortune 500® work smarter, faster, and better. We're building an AI-native culture where technology and talent are unstoppable together. And we're just getting started.

Join us to put AI to work for people.

About the Team:

The AI Agents team is a key part of our broader Platform Engineering division, focused on creating innovative solutions that empower our customers to design and deploy intelligent agents tailored to automate their unique tasks and workflows. Our platform provides the capabilities for users to seamlessly define and configure AI agents that can operate autonomously, driving efficiency and optimizing processes across industries.

At the heart of this cutting-edge product, our team is motivated by the need to continuously innovate, adapt to latest AI Advancements, and collaborate across multiple disciplines to deliver powerful, user-centric solutions. We work at the intersection of AI research, engineering, and product development, ensuring that our platform not only meets current demands but also anticipates future trends in automation and intelligent decision-making.

Joining our team means being part of a dynamic, forward-thinking group that thrives on solving complex challenges, pushing boundaries, and staying ahead of the curve. We are looking for talented members who are passionate about AI, enjoy working in a collaborative environment, and are eager to contribute to the development of a transformative product that is reshaping how businesses leverage AI to solve real-world problems.

What you get to do in this role:

In this role, you will serve as a full-stack engineering leader within the Conversational Interfaces team, to shape and elevate backend and frontend standards and practices across the broader Platform Engineering division. You will operate on an established, production-scale platform — focusing on maturing architecture, raising the quality bar, and creating the frameworks and patterns other engineers build upon.

• Design and implement scalable RESTful APIs and microservices architectures
• Build and maintain backend services using Java and work with relational databases such as SQL
• Develop and deploy microservices-based applications on Kubernetes
• Integrate backend services cleanly with frontend systems
• Design and implement reusable component libraries, frameworks, and tooling that other engineers build upon
• Collaborate closely with UX, PM and design teams to translate design systems and prototypes into scalable, accessible UI components
• Mentor and influence engineers across teams

To be successful in this role you have:

• 12+ years of software engineering experience building scalable, high-quality applications
• Experience in critical thinking and innovation aimed at AI integrations 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.
• Strong critical thinking and a track record of integrating AI into engineering processes, workflows, or decision-making
• Demonstrated experience driving architecture and engineering standards at a team or division level
• Experience in different architectures such as event driven and stateless architectures, functional programming, ADTs
• Extensive backend development experience with Java
• Experience with REST, JSON, AJAX, and relational databases
• Experience in designed, developed, and maintained microservices-based applications on Kubernetes, improving scalability, reliability, and deployment speed
• Expertise in JavaScript and modern frameworks — React, Angular, Lit Framework
• Strong command of UI design principles, usability, cross-browser compatibility, and accessibility standards

For positions in this location, we offer a base pay of $166,500 - $291,400, 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, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, gender identity, 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 globaltalentss@servicenow.com 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. ©2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license.