Platform Engineer – Database Systems

Quizlet • Full-time • Hybrid in San Francisco, California, United States • $163,900 - $190,800 / year • 2w ago

Fast Facts

Join Quizlet as a Platform Engineer to develop and maintain database systems that support a global learning platform, ensuring fast and reliable data access for millions of learners.

Responsibilities: Support the development of production databases, optimize performance, build automation tools, and collaborate with teams to enhance data systems.

Skills: Experience in backend or platform engineering with database systems, proficiency in Go or Python, and familiarity with Kubernetes and Terraform.

Qualifications: 2–4 years of experience with database systems in production and a strong interest in distributed systems and performance optimization.

Location: This is an onsite position in San Francisco, requiring presence in the office at least three days a week.

Compensation: $163900 - $190800 / Annually

About Quizlet:

At Quizlet, our mission is to help every learner achieve their outcomes in the most effective and delightful way. Our $1B+ learning platform serves tens of millions of students every month, including two-thirds of U.S. high schoolers and half of U.S. college students, powering over 2 billion learning interactions monthly.

We blend cognitive science with machine learning to personalize and enhance the learning experience for students, professionals, and lifelong learners alike. We’re energized by the potential to power more learners through multiple approaches and various tools.

Let’s Build the Future of Learning

Join us to design and deliver AI-powered learning tools that scale across the world and unlock human potential.

About the Role

As a Platform Engineer, you’ll join Quizlet’s Platform Engineering team to build and maintain the database systems that power our global learning platform. You’ll help ensure Quizlet’s data layer is fast, reliable, and scalable — working on systems that serve tens of millions of learners every month. You’ll collaborate with senior engineers to optimize database performance, improve observability, and strengthen our infrastructure reliability.

We’re happy to share that this is an onsite position in our San Francisco office. To help foster team collaboration, we require that employees be in the office a minimum of three days per week: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and as needed by your manager or the company.

In this role, you will

Support the development and operation of Quizlet’s production databases, including Cloud Spanner, PlanetScale MySQL, and BigQuery.
Contribute to performance tuning, query optimization, and capacity planning.
Build automation and monitoring tools that improve reliability and reduce operational toil.
Assist in maintaining high availability and low-latency performance across data systems.
Partner with other engineers to improve data access layers, caching strategies, and observability.

What you bring to the table

2–4 years of backend or platform engineering experience, ideally with database systems in production.
Experience with one or more of MySQL, Postgres, Cloud Spanner, or BigQuery.
Proficiency in Go or Python for automation, tooling, or service development.
Familiarity with Kubernetes (GKE) and Terraform for infrastructure management.
Interest in distributed systems, caching, and performance optimization.
Strong problem-solving and collaboration skills, with a growth mindset.

Compensation, Benefits & Perks

Quizlet is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Salary transparency helps to mitigate unfair hiring practices when it comes to discrimination and pay gaps.
Total compensation for this role is market competitive, including a starting base salary of $163,900 – $190,800, depending on location and experience, as well as company stock options.
Collaborate with your manager and team to create a healthy work-life balance
20 vacation days that we expect you to take!
Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance (100% employee and 75% dependent PPO, Dental, VSP Choice)
Employer-sponsored 401(k) plan with company match
Access to LinkedIn Learning and other resources to support professional growth
Paid Family Leave, FSA, HSA, Commuter benefits, and Wellness benefits
40 hours of annual paid time off to participate in volunteer programs of choice

Why Join Quizlet?

🌎 Massive reach: 60M+ users, 1B+ interactions per week

🧠 Cutting-edge tech: Generative AI, adaptive learning, cognitive science

📈 Strong momentum: Top-tier investors, sustainable business, real traction

🎯 Mission-first: Work that makes a difference in people’s lives

🤝 Inclusive culture: Committed to equity, diversity, and belonging

We strive to make everyone feel comfortable and welcome!

We work to create a holistic interview process, where both Quizlet and candidates have an opportunity to view what it would be like to work together, in exploring a mutually beneficial partnership.

We provide a transparent setting that gives a comprehensive view of who we are!

In Closing:

At Quizlet, we’re excited about passionate people joining our team—even if you don’t check every box on the requirements list. We value unique perspectives and believe everyone has something meaningful to contribute. Our culture is all about taking initiative, learning through challenges, and striving for high-quality work while staying curious and open to new ideas. We believe in honest, respectful communication, thoughtful collaboration, and creating a supportive space where everyone can grow and succeed together.”

Quizlet’s success as an online learning community depends on a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

As an equal opportunity employer and a tech company committed to societal change, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. Women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. Come join us!

To All Recruiters and Placement Agencies:

At this time, Quizlet does not accept unsolicited agency resumes and/or profiles.

Please do not forward unsolicited agency resumes to our website or to any Quizlet employee. Quizlet will not pay fees to any third-party agency or firm nor will it be responsible for any agency fees associated with unsolicited resumes. All unsolicited resumes received will be considered the property of Quizlet.

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