Staff Software Engineer, Authorization
Role summary
Airbnb is seeking a Staff Software Engineer for their Authorization Infrastructure team. This role will own the long-term technical strategy and architectural direction of the Himeji authorization system, which handles millions of authorization checks per second. The engineer will focus on evolving the platform to support AI-era patterns, including natural language policies and multi-principal agentic workflows. Responsibilities include leading design and development, driving next-generation authorization for AI, partnering with cross-functional teams, and setting engineering standards. The ideal candidate has 10+ years of experience in distributed systems, deep expertise in authorization, and a track record of owning complex technical strategy. Familiarity with AI agent architectures is a plus. This is a US remote-eligible position.
Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 2 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.
The Community You Will Join:
The Authorization Infrastructure team builds and operates Himeji, the authorization system powering over 8 million authorization checks per second that underpins every access to data and resources at Airbnb. Our mission is to make authorization reliable, secure, and correct by default, removing the burden from every team to solve access from first principles. We are a high-impact, platform-focused team entering an inflection point: as AI agents become first-class principals across Airbnb's product surfaces, we are defining what secure-by-default authorization looks like for the AI era. Our north star: secure every identity, every action, every agent, making Airbnb's AI transformation trusted by default. You will partner closely with engineering teams across InfoSec, AI Infrastructure, Privacy, ML Infrastructure, and Airbnb's product platform to shape the authorization foundation the entire company relies on.
The Difference You Will Make:
As a Staff Software Engineer on Authorization Infrastructure, you will own the long-term technical strategy and architectural direction of the authorization platform, defining how it evolves to support AI-era patterns including natural language policies, contextual access decisions, and multi-principal agentic workflows. Success in this role means advancing Himeji's core architecture northstar, securing cross-team alignment on AI agent authorization, and establishing Airbnb-wide engineering standards for what "paved path authorization" looks like at every product surface. This is a rare opportunity to operate at the intersection of foundational infrastructure and cutting-edge AI security for one of the world's most trusted platforms.
A Typical Day:
Your Expertise:
Your Location:
This position is US - Remote Eligible. The role may include occasional work at an Airbnb office or attendance at offsites, as agreed to with your manager. While the position is Remote Eligible, you must live in a state where Airbnb, Inc. has a registered entity. Click here for the up-to-date list of excluded states. This list is continuously evolving, so please check back with us if the state you live in is on the exclusion list. If your position is employed by another Airbnb entity, your recruiter will inform you what states you are eligible to work from.
Our Commitment To Inclusion & Belonging:
Airbnb is committed to working with the broadest talent pool possible. We believe diverse ideas foster innovation and engagement, and allow us to attract creatively-led people, and to develop the best products, services and solutions. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.
We strive to also provide a disability inclusive application and interview process. If you are a candidate with a disability and require reasonable accommodation in order to submit an application, please contact us at: reasonableaccommodations@airbnb.com. Please include your full name, the role you’re applying for and the accommodation necessary to assist you with the recruiting process.
We ask that you only reach out to us if you are a candidate whose disability prevents you from being able to complete our online application.
How We'll Take Care of You:
Our job titles may span more than one career level. The actual base pay is dependent upon many factors, such as: training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs and market demands. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. This role may also be eligible for bonus, equity, benefits, and Employee Travel Credits.
Sample Airbnb interview questions
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