Software Engineer II, API

Unite the world in a seamless web of commerce

Flexport is hiring a Software Engineer to own the roadmap for our public API. 

The Opportunity:

Flexport is a freight forwarder and logistics platform using modern software to make global trade easier for everyone. We are solving complex problems on a global scale, and disrupting a multi-trillion dollar industry that has remained stubbornly unchanged.

With 13 offices on three continents, we help the world's fastest growing brands manage their international supply chains, providing a fully-managed service for moving goods between any two places on the planet.

Exceptional software development is integral in allowing us to fulfill our mission of making global trade easier for everyone. At Flexport you’ll develop systems that are at the forefront of reshaping the entire logistics & supply chain industries. 

You Will:

• Model the complex global freight domain. Design our public API to help our customers integrate with Flexport and automate their supply chain.

• Be responsible for the API framework that helps build essential features like API versioning and expansion.

• Build platform services that help Flexport engineering teams build enterprise-grade solutions, including services like,

  • A webhook system that allows external clients to be notified when a significant event occurs in the Flexport ecosystem.
  • A metadata service that allows external clients to add their own custom attributes to Flexport API objects.

• Work closely with business partners and product managers to distill complex business problems into elegant technical solutions.

• Build and launch products rapidly and incrementally. We ship to production dozens of times per day.

• Geek out about shipping, invoicing, customs regulations and logistics. (We do this often.)

• Enhancements to Flexport’s public APIs, webhooks and developer ecosystem while figuring out the most efficient way for our customers and partners to participate in the process of moving freight across borders.

• Design and build APIs and webhooks which enable deep, secure, scalable, complex integrations with customers, government agencies and partners.

• Automate archaic logistics processes saving operations teams thousands of phone calls per week.

• Deliver supply chain API insights to teams via a world-class analytics experience.

• Create beautiful and efficient domain models for the incredibly complex world of freight forwarding.

• Bring trade to everyone in the world.

You Should Have:

• Minimum 3+ years of experience writing software, building RESTful APIs and strong engineering background.
• A love of simple, high-quality, secure, well-tested code that is easy to extend and hard to break.
• The ability to convey technical ideas in common terms to business partners, product managers, designers and engineers alike.
• A bias for action. When you see a problem, you solve it.
• We are tech-agnostic regarding candidate background, but our platform is built with Ruby and we are transitioning to Kotlin.
• Preferred Experience: Ruby, Rails, Kotlin, Java.
• Nice to have: front-end React or similar modern Javascript, AWS API gateway.
• Non-optional: an aptitude for learning quickly, customer success

Our Stack:

Our continuous releases are integrated with Buildkite and Github. On the backend, we are in the process of decoupling our monolithic Rails app and introducing services using other languages, such as Kotlin, while services communicate over gRPC, ProtoBuf and GraphQL. Our data is persisted in mostly Postgres and Redis. On the frontend, we create our views with React, manage the flow of data with GraphQL/Relay, and test our application with Jest. Our stack is hosted on AWS using Docker. Enterprise Integrations are built with Dell Boomi.

Engineering Culture and Values:

Check out our Key Values profile.

About Flexport:

We believe global trade can move the human race forward. That’s why it’s our mission to make global trade easier for everyone. We aim to do this by building the Operating System for Global trade - a strategic model combining advanced technology and data analytics, logistics infrastructure, and supply chain expertise. Flexport today connects almost 10,000 clients and suppliers across 109 countries, including established global brands like Georgia-Pacific as well as emerging innovators like Sonos. Started in 2013, we've raised over $1.3B in funding from SoftBank Vision Fund, Founders Fund, GV, First Round Capital and Y Combinator. We’re excited about the three big ways we’re moving forward after our $1B investment from SoftBank Vision Fund in February 2019.

Worried about not having any freight forwarding experience?

• Don’t be! We’re building the first Operating System for Global Trade. That’s why it’s incredibly important for us to bring people from diverse backgrounds and experiences together with our industry veterans to help move the freight forwarding industry forward.
• What’s freight forwarding and why does it matter? Freight forwarding is the coordination and shipment of goods from one place to another and it’s what makes global trade possible. Flexport is on a mission to make global trade easier for everyone because we believe it can help connect the world and break down economic barriers.
• We know this industry is complex. That’s why we invest in education starting day one with Flexport Academy, a one week intensive onboarding program designed specifically to set every new Flexport employee up for success. 

At Flexport, our ability to fulfill our mission of making global trade easy for everyone relies on having a diverse, dedicated, and engaged workforce.  That is why Flexport is committed to creating and nurturing an environment where anyone can be their authentic self.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, creed, national origin, age, physical and mental disability, health status, marital and family status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law.