Staff Software Engineer, Search & Discovery

Ironclad is the leading AI contracting platform that transforms agreements into assets. Contracts move faster, insights surface instantly, and agents push work forward, all with you in control. Whether you’re buying or selling, Ironclad unifies the entire process on one intelligent platform, providing leaders with the visibility they need to stay one step ahead. That’s why the world’s most transformative organizations, from OpenAI to the World Health Organization and the Associated Press, trust Ironclad to accelerate their business.

We’re consistently recognized as a leader in the industry: a Leader in the Forrester Wave and Gartner Magic Quadrant for Contract Lifecycle Management, a Fortune Great Place to Work, and one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Workplaces. Ironclad has also been named to Forbes’ AI 50 and Business Insider’s list of Companies to Bet Your Career On. We’re backed by leading investors including Accel, Y Combinator, Sequoia, BOND, and Franklin Templeton. For more information, visit www.ironcladapp.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Engineering at Ironclad

As a Staff Engineer at Ironclad, you'll be at the core of our platform, directly impacting how users search and interact with their contract data. You’ll be responsible for architecting and building the next-generation, scalable search ecosystem that empowers legal teams to navigate a massive corpus of complex, structured and unstructured data with speed and accuracy. At Ironclad, we’ve built a product that brings a two-thousand-year-old profession into the digital age, and you’ll play a pivotal role in driving the foundation forward.

We are looking for someone with a strong background in search technologies and a track record of shipping high-quality, high-performance systems. We work in a highly collaborative environment, and strive to foster a positive, inclusive culture. If you’d like to join us on our mission to build the product that legal teams love, let’s talk!

What you'll do:

• Collaborate cross-functionally with designers, product managers, and other engineers to spec, design, and build features and systems for our core search platform.

• Partner with quality engineers to define, build and maintain testing strategy.

• Lead, mentor and provide thoughtful feedback to other team members.

• Grow your teams by interviewing and recruiting talented engineers to Ironclad.

• Work on a modern stack built upon: TypeScript, Python, ReactJS, Node.js, Java, and Docker containers in Kubernetes on Google Cloud Platform (experience with these specific technologies not required).

What we look for:

• 8+ years of software engineering experience with a proven track record of designing, building, and maintaining complex systems.

• Expertise in information retrieval, NLP, and machine learning. You have a deep understanding of concepts like indexing, ranking, query parsing, tokenization, and vector search.

• Hands-on experience with at least one major search engine (e.g., Elasticsearch, OpenSearch, Solr), and familiarity with search evaluation frameworks (e.g., precision, recall, NDCG).

• Experience with NLP/ML models (e.g., transformers, embeddings), including fine-tuning and relevance feedback.

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to advise management on roadmap decisions and mentor junior team members.

• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with a passion for shipping great products and a drive to improve technical architecture.

• Ironclad’s Values: drive, intent, integrity, and empathy

Base Salary Range:

• Staff Software Engineer: $210,000 - $235,000

• Senior Staff Software Engineer: $240,000 - $270,000

The base salary range represents the minimum and maximum of the salary range for this position based at our San Francisco headquarters. The actual base salary offered for this position will depend on numerous factors, including individual proficiency, anticipated performance, and the location of the selected candidate. Our base salary is just one component of Ironclad’s competitive total rewards package, which also includes equity awards (a new hire grant, along with opportunities for additional awards throughout your tenure), competitive health and wellness benefits, and a commitment to career growth and development.

US Employee Benefits at Ironclad:

• 100% health coverage for employees (medical, dental, and vision), and 75% coverage for dependents with buy-up plan options available

• Market-leading leave policies, including gender-neutral parental leave and compassionate leave

• Family forming support through Maven for you and your partner

• Paid time off - take the time you need, when you need it

• Monthly stipends for wellbeing, hybrid work, and (if applicable) cell phone use

• Mental health support through Modern Health, including therapy, coaching, and digital tools

• Pre-tax commuter benefits (US Employees)

• 401(k) plan with Fidelity with employer match (US Employees)

• Regular team events to connect, recharge, and have fun

• And most importantly: the opportunity to help build the company you want to work at

**UK Employee-specific benefits are included on our UK job postings

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.