Senior Software Engineer, Trust Defense

Job title: Senior Software Engineer, Trust Defense in USA at Airbnb

Company: Airbnb

Job description: The Community You Will JoinThe Identity Defense team plays a critical role in safeguarding Airbnb's platform by ensuring that every user is who they say they are. We are responsible for preventing identity misuse, detecting fraudulent and duplicate accounts, and enforcing policies against underage use. We operate at the intersection of backend engineering, machine learning, and computer vision to deliver defenses at scale-while minimizing friction for trusted users.What problems are we solving on Identity Defense?Identity Misuse DetectionFraudsters increasingly use fake, stolen, or AI-generated identities to gain access to the platform. Traditional verification signals are no longer enough in the face of sophisticated tampering techniques like deepfakes and synthetic imagery. Our team builds advanced detection systems that combine machine learning, computer vision, and biometric signals (like face match and liveness) to identify and stop bad actors in real time. We continuously evolve our models and systems to keep pace with rapidly advancing AI-driven attack vectors, ensuring Airbnb stays one step ahead.Duplicate Account PreventionAirbnb's integrity depends on enforcing the principle of one account per person-but many users attempt to create duplicate accounts for fraudulent gain or due to gaps in our current systems. We're tackling this challenge with new identity linking methods that combine graph-based analysis, embeddings, and device IDs. The scale, complexity, and ambiguity of identity data make this one of the most technically demanding problems at Airbnb. As we improve enforcement, we must balance trust and safety with user experience, avoiding friction for legitimate users while closing loopholes for fraud.Underage User EnforcementAirbnb prohibits users under the age of 18 from accessing the platform, but verifying age accurately-especially across global markets and varying document types-is a nuanced challenge. Fraudsters exploit OCR weaknesses or use borrowed identities to circumvent our policy. We are investing in government ID parsing improvements, tampering detection, and more robust age inference methods to ensure compliance while minimizing false positives. This space also requires deep collaboration with legal and policy teams to ensure regulatory alignment and defensibility across regions.The Difference You Will MakeAs a senior backend engineer on the Identity Defense team, you will:

• Design and implement scalable backend systems that support identity verification and fraud prevention at global scale


• Build and maintain services that power real-time detection and decisioning systems


• Train and deploy machine learning models for identity misuse detection and risk scoring


• Integrate advanced verification methods, including biometrics and NFC-based flows


• Collaborate closely with ML, iOS/Android, and web engineers to deliver end-to-end solutions


• Work with product managers, data scientists, and operations to identify risk trends and improve detection quality


• Contribute to foundational infrastructure including secure data handling, image processing, model serving, and feature engineering


• Shape technical direction and influence the team roadmap through long-term strategy and investment planning


• Mentor other engineers and promote best practices to strengthen Airbnb's engineering culture and foundations

• 5+ years of industry experience in software engineering, with a focus on backend development and/or applied Machine learning.


• BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science, a related field, or equivalent work experience


• Proficient in Java, Python, or similar languages.


• Experience with machine learning and/or computer vision systems (e.g., face detection, liveness, tampering detection).


• Familiarity with ML infrastructure components such as model serving, feature stores, or embedding pipelines.


• Strong collaboration skills and experience working with cross-functional teams.


• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and driving projects from concept to production.

Expected salary:

Location: USA

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