Abnormal
Software Engineer II - Inline Mailflow
About the role
Abnormal is building a next-generation SMTP relay infrastructure and needs a Software Engineer II to architect core components of this mail flow platform. You'll design and implement MTA infrastructure, scalability features, encryption, and DMARC support while collaborating with product and infrastructure teams. The role involves moving from conception through production operation, owning tier-0 email services that handle enterprise-scale volumes, and participating in on-call rotations as the system matures. This is ideal for someone with 3+ years of backend and distributed systems experience who's comfortable in fast-paced 0-to-1 environments. You should be proficient in Go and/or Python, have hands-on experience building features from scratch and operating them in production, and thrive in ambiguous situations. Experience with email protocols (SMTP, SPF/DKIM/DMARC) and knowledge of Secure Email Gateways is a strong plus, though not required. The position is fully remote within the USA and offers a base salary of $149,200–$214,500 plus potential bonus, equity, and comprehensive benefits. A BS in Computer Science or related field is required. Abnormal values strong asynchronous communication skills and familiarity with AWS, Kubernetes, and containerization technologies.
Full job description
Expand to read the complete role requirements.
Full job description
Expand to read the complete role requirements.
About the Role
Abnormal AI is looking for a Software Engineer to join the newly formed Inline Mailflow team. This team is building Abnormal’s next-generation SMTP relay infrastructure - a scalable mail flow harness that will power our outbound email security motion and long-term SEG displacement strategy against competitors. The Inline Mailflow team will operate as a close counterpart to the current Inline Remediation team and will live within the Message Platform group.
The relay harness will serve as the foundation for a growing portfolio of capabilities including outbound filtering, DLP enforcement, misdirected email detection, IP management, encryption, archiving, and DMARC enforcement. The ideal candidate has strong backend and distributed systems experience, a deep appreciation for email infrastructure, and the ability to thrive in a fast-moving 0-to-1 build environment.
What you will do
- Design and implement core components of the SMTP relay harness, including Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) infrastructure, scalability, IP management, encryption, and DMARC support, working from conception through production operation.
- Co-build the production relay alongside existing infra engineers, ramping toward full ownership of defined services as the product matures through Q3 and into EA.
- Collaborate with PMs and Solutions Architects to translate customer requirements into reliable, opinionated relay configurations that support inbound and outbound use cases.
- Own and operate tier-0 mail flow services that handle high volumes of enterprise email at production SLA, participating in on-call rotations and driving continuous reliability improvements.
- Contribute to technical design discussions on how the relay integrates with existing inline products (outbound DLP, behavioral outbound, misdirected email), helping define the architecture of the broader Mail Flow platform.
- Raise the bar of engineering excellence by contributing to knowledge sharing, runbooks, and professional development within the team.
Must Haves
- BS degree in Computer Science, Applied Sciences, Information Systems, or a related engineering field.
- 3+ years of backend software development experience with distributed systems, designing and building production services.
- Hands-on experience with our stack: Go and/or Python.
- Experience building features and components from scratch and owning them in production, balancing feature development with operational work.
- Comfortable with ambiguity and 0-to-1 projects where you help shape requirements alongside product and engineering stakeholders.
- Experience working with distributed teams; proficient in asynchronous and written communication.
Nice to Have
- Solid understanding of email protocols and infrastructure (SMTP, MTA architecture, DNS, SPF/DKIM/DMARC).
- Experience with our extended stack: AWS, Kubernetes, Django, Spark, Prometheus.
- Familiarity with email security products or Secure Email Gateways (SEGs) such as Proofpoint, Mimecast, or Microsoft Defender.
- Experience with email deliverability concepts: IP reputation, bulk sending infrastructure, bounce handling, or feedback loops.
- Familiarity with containerization using Docker or similar technologies.
#LI-PP1
Actual compensation will be determined based on several non-discriminatory factors including skills, experience, qualifications, and geographic location.
In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for bonus or incentive compensation, equity, and a comprehensive benefits package.
AI and our hiring process
Abnormal AI uses AI-assisted tools to help our recruiting team prepare for candidate interviews. These tools analyze resume content and role requirements to suggest interview questions and identify areas for the interviewer to explore. They do not make hiring decisions or screen candidates automatically. Every decision about a candidacy is made by a person.
Abnormal AI is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. For our EEO policy statement please click here. If you would like more information on your EEO rights under the law, please click here.
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