Lead Software Engineer (SAIL)

appian

McLean, Virginia · McLean · United States

Posted Jul 20, 2026

Other
Engineering

Job description

Here at Appian, our values of Intensity and Excellence define who we are. We set high standards and live up to them, ensuring that everything we do is done with care and quality. We approach every challenge with ambition and commitment, holding ourselves and each other accountable to achieve the best results. When you join Appian, you’ll be part of a passionate team dedicated to accomplishing hard things, together.

As a Lead Software Engineer working on the Appian platform, your mission will be to ensure Appian is always fast, scalable and up to whatever tasks our customers configure it to do. You will be solving problems of scale and flexibility that most engineers never see, building a product capable of serving our customers in ways you never imagined. Your scope extends from the high-performance data layer to the cross-platform user interface to the design tools used to create it.

This role is based at our headquarters in McLean, Virginia. Appian was built on a culture of in-person collaboration, which we believe is a key driver of our mission to be the best. Employees hired for this position are expected to be in the office 5 days a week to foster that culture and ensure we continue to thrive through shared ideas and teamwork. We believe being in the office provides more opportunities to come together and celebrate working with the exceptional people across Appian.

Responsibilities:

Contribute to Programming Language Design and Implementation (Appian SAIL framework)
Leverage knowledge of data structures, algorithms, and design patterns to write software in a full-stack web environment.
Leverage relevant software development experience to radiate best practices and faster development.
Manage availability, latency, scalability and efficiency of the product by engineering reliability into software and systems.
Contribute to software performance analysis and system tuning.
Key contributor to team feature breakdowns/sizing and design of new feature implementations.
Moderate degree of personal responsibility for the overall performance of the team, including capabilities, quality, stability and velocity.
Perform code reviews which provide feedback not only on code quality, but on design and implementation.
Build automation to prevent problem recurrence.
Seek to identify opportunities for code refactoring and performance optimizations on a regular basis and champion these efforts within the team.
Mentor junior software engineers by sharing best-practices and providing guidance on how to become more proficient.
Share advanced/expert knowledge with others in the department, both on and off team; maintain a reputation as a key resource in those areas.
Lead technological changes to keep platform modern.
Effectively communicate technical designs verbally, visually and/or in writing for small to medium sized technical audiences.
Contribute to Appian's long-term documentation through publishing relevant, high-quality content to Engineering's technical documentation site

Preferred Requirements: MS in Computer Science or related field/degree and 5+ years of relevant experience, or a BS and 7+ years of relevant experience; Experience in a high-volume or critical production service environment; Fluency in Java, React & Typescript; Experience with Multi-threading / Lock-Free vs. Locking; Experience with Performance analysis (Server load, Java / Javascript performance optimizations, UI speed, etc.)

Education: B.S. in Computer Science or related field/degree

#LI-AG1

The base salary range represents a good faith and reasonable estimate of the range at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant work experience, qualifications, internal peer equity, and market and business conditions that exist when extending an offer. A discretionary bonus may be awarded in recognition of individual and company performance.

In addition, Appian provides generous benefits offerings that include a 401(k) plan with company match, flexible time off, paid parental leave, medical, dental, and vision plans, life insurance, disability insurance, wellness programs, flexible spending accounts, health savings account contributions, an employee referral bonus program, and learning and development resources. Certain positions may be eligible for equity awards.

Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation, commission, bonus, or benefit plans.

Base Salary Range

$150,000—$300,000 USD

Tools and Resources

Training and Development: During onboarding, we focus on equipping new hires with the skills and knowledge for success through department-specific training. Continuous learning is a central focus at Appian, with dedicated mentorship and the First-Friend program being widely utilized resources for new hires.
Growth Opportunities: Appian provides a diverse array of growth and development opportunities, including our leadership program tailored for new and aspiring managers, a comprehensive library of specialized department training through Appian University, skills based training, and tuition reimbursement for those aiming to advance their education. This commitment ensures that employees have access to a holistic range of development opportunities.
Community: We’ll immerse you into our community rooted in respect starting on day one. Appian fosters inclusivity through our 8 employee-led affinity groups. These groups help employees build stronger internal and external networks by planning social, educational, and outreach activities to connect with Appianites and larger initiatives throughout the company.

Benefits

Appian offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, wellbeing, and financial future. Benefits may include health coverage, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with free mental health support, life and disability insurance, an Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP), a retirement/pension plan, wellness dollars, tuition reimbursement, family-forming benefits and more. Benefits vary by country—please ask your Talent Acquisition contact for details specific to the location you are applying to.

About Appian

Appian provides AI automation for mission-critical work. We automate complex processes in large enterprises and governments. Our platform is known for its unique reliability and scale. We’ve been automating processes for more than 25 years and understand enterprise operations like no one else. For more information, visit appian.com. [Nasdaq: APPN]

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Appian is an equal opportunity employer that strives to attract and retain the best talent. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Appian provides reasonable accommodations to applicants in accordance with all applicable laws. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at ReasonableAccommodations@appian.com. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.

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