Senior Staff Software Engineer, API

The shape of it

In the posting’s own words

This role sets the technical direction for the systems that make Claude accessible to developers, enterprises, and partners at scale. You will operate at the intersection of technical strategy and execution, partnering closely with Research, Inference, Platform, Infrastructure, and Safeguards to ensure the Claude API is reliable, capable, and positioned to grow with Anthropic's ambitions.

What it asks for · 6

• Have 12+ years of engineering experience with a clear track record operating at Staff or Senior Staff level.
• Have demonstrably shaped technical strategy for large-scale API or distributed systems platforms.
• Drive the highest-leverage technical outcomes without formal authority—you lead through influence, quality of thinking, and trust.
• Have deep expertise in distributed systems and API architecture, and are effective writing design docs, making architectural calls, and coding in critical paths.
• Are highly effective across org boundaries—you build trust with Research, Inference, Infrastructure, Safeguards, and business stakeholders alike.
• Bring strong product instincts and a craftsperson's approach to API design; you communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical audiences.

What the job covers

• Define and drive multi-year technical strategy for the Claude API, setting direction across API Core, Capabilities, Knowledge, Distributability, and Agents.
• Identify and personally lead the highest-complexity, highest-impact engineering initiatives spanning multiple teams.
• Serve as the primary technical decision-maker for major architectural decisions with org-wide scope.
• Partner with Research to evaluate and integrate frontier capabilities; work with Inference and Platform for reliable delivery at scale; collaborate with Infrastructure and Safeguards for reliability, security, and responsible deployment.
• Mentor and develop Staff-level engineers across the org.
• Drive alignment across Product, GTM, Safety, and beyond while proactively identifying and addressing systemic technical risks.

Tools and skills named

Words the posting leans on

• api21×
• technical15×
• claude10×
• infrastructure8×
• capabilities6×
• drive6×
• engineering6×
• platform6×
• build5×
• claude api5×
• safeguards5×
• technical strategy5×
• architectural4×
• design4×
• distributed systems4×
• effective4×

Counted from the posting after the mission statement and the legal notices are set aside. The ones near the top are the ones a screener is looking for.

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