Distinguished Engineer

McKinsey & Company
parental leave, paid time off
United States, California, Los Angeles
2000 Avenue of the Stars (Show on map)
Nov 13, 2025
Consulting Distinguished Engineer Job ID: 103264 Do you want to work on complex and pressing challenges-the kind that bring together curious, ambitious, and determined leaders who strive to become better every day? If this sounds like you, you've come to the right place. Your Impact As a Senior Backend Software Architect, you will take technical leadership of our backend engine for Wave, our SaaS platform used by 100,000+ users monthly across hundreds of clients globally. The platform is a complex system with multiple dependencies, including a real-time calculation engine and a flexible permission engine determining user access to data. In this role, you will act as a technical architect and individual contributor, driving design decisions, refactoring legacy components, and introducing scalable solutions to support both current and future business needs. Responsibilities will include leading the architectural evolution of a mature Node.js-based backend platform and owning complex backend systems including a real-time calculation engine powering core business logic and a flexible permissions engine to determine user access and data visibility. Mentorship of other engineers on backend architecture, Node.js best practices and system design will also be required. You will collaborate with product and engineering colleagues to design scalable and maintainable solutions. You will evaluate and implement best practices for code quality, performance, and reliability. You will identify technical debt and prioritize improvements in alignment with product strategy, challenge requirements and maintain architecture decision records. You will adhere to a high standard of software craftsmanship, including testable and observable code, and provide thoughtful feedback on code reviews. Your Growth Driving lasting impact and building long-term capabilities with our clients is not easy work. You are the kind of person who thrives in a high performance/high reward culture - doing hard things, picking yourself up when you stumble, and having the resilience to try another way forward. In return for your drive, determination, and curiosity, we'll provide the resources, mentorship, and opportunities you need to become a stronger leader faster than you ever thought possible. Your colleagues-at all levels-will invest deeply in your development, just as much as they invest in delivering exceptional results for clients. Every day, you'll receive apprenticeship, coaching, and exposure that will accelerate your growth in ways you won't find anywhere else. When you join us, you will have: Continuous learning: Our learning and apprenticeship culture, backed by structured programs, is all about helping you grow while creating an environment where feedback is clear, actionable, and focused on your development. The real magic happens when you take the input from others to heart and embrace the fast-paced learning experience, owning your journey. A voice that matters: From day one, we value your ideas and contributions. You'll make a tangible impact by offering innovative ideas and practical solutions, all while upholding our unwavering commitment to ethics and integrity. We not only encourage diverse perspectives, but they are critical in driving us toward the best possible outcomes. Global community: With colleagues across 65+ countries and over 100 different nationalities, our firm's diversity fuels creativity and helps us come up with the best solutions for our clients. Plus, you'll have the opportunity to learn from exceptional colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experiences. World-class benefits: On top of a competitive salary (based on your location, experience, and skills), we provide a comprehensive benefits package to enable holistic well-being for you and your family. Your qualifications and skills Minimum 20 years of professional software development experience, with at least 15 years focused on backend systems Expert in Node.js and backend architecture for complex systems Experienced in real-time data pipelines or event-driven architectures, with a focus on scalability and resilience Strong understanding of system design, performance optimization, and fault tolerance Comfortable navigating and improving large legacy codebases Self-driven and capable of making high-impact technical decisions as an individual contributor Practical experience with agile software development methodologies Product-engineer mindset - focus on testable, observable code and software craftsmanship Familiarity with AWS infrastructure and services for backend and data workloads Experience with PostgreSQL, Kubernetes, Docker, and cloud-native architecture, including serverless and microservices Skilled at communicating technical decisions to both engineers and leadership Fluent in English (written and verbal) Please review the additional requirements regarding essential job functions of McKinsey colleagues. Our unwavering commitment to integrity drives everything we do, guiding us to always act in the best interests of our clients, our people, and the communities we serve. Apply Now Apply Later FOR U.S. APPLICANTS: McKinsey & Company is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Certain US jurisdictions require McKinsey & Company to include a reasonable estimate of the salary for this role. For new joiners for this role in the United States, including all office locations where the job may be performed, a reasonable estimated range is $225,000 - $230,000 USD -to help you understand what you can expect. This reflects our best estimate of the lowest to highest [salary/hourly wages] for this role at the time of this posting, ensuring you have a clear picture right from the start, though it's important to remember that actual salaries may vary. Factors like your office location, your unique blend of experience and skills, start date and our current organizational needs all play a part in determining the final figure. Certain roles are also eligible for bonuses, subject to McKinsey's discretion and based on factors such as individual and/or organizational performance. Additionally, we provide a comprehensive benefits package that reflects our commitment to the wellness of our colleagues and their families. This includes medical, mental health, dental and vision coverage, telemedicine services, life, accident and disability insurance, parental leave and family planning benefits, caregiving resources, a generous retirement contributions program, financial guidance, and paid time off. FOR NON-U.S. APPLICANTS: McKinsey & Company is an Equal Opportunity employer. For additional details regarding our global EEO policy and diversity initiatives, please visit our McKinsey Careers and Diversity & Inclusion sites. Job Skill Group - N/A Job Skill Code - HENG - Distinguished Software Engineer Function - Transformation Industry - Post to LinkedIn - #LI-DNI Posted to LinkedIn Date - LinkedIn Posting City - LinkedIn Posting State/Province - LinkedIn Posting Country - LinkedIn Job Title - Distinguished Engineer LinkedIn Function - LinkedIn Industry - LinkedIn Seniority Level -