Support Engineer

At Thorn, our cause is our code. We are a nonprofit whose mission of defending children from sexual exploitation and abuse is deeply embedded within our core—a shared code that drives us to do challenging work with resilience and determination.

Here, you’ll work and grow among the best hearts and the best minds in tech, data, and business alongside our network of independent partners, NGOs, and law enforcement agencies. Together, we’re focused on building technology that protects children’s futures. We are looking for dynamic problem solvers with the desire to help address some of today’s toughest issues. You'll collaborate with a diverse group of peers in a remote environment centered on wellness, care, and compassion.

In 2019, we took the stage at TED and shared our audacious goal of eliminating child sexual abuse material from the internet. Come join us to help make this goal a reality and build a world where every child can be safe, curious, and happy.

About the Role

Our Build Team develops and supports the products and tools that empower our industry and law enforcement partners to combat child sexual abuse online. As a Support Engineer, you’ll provide deep technical guidance and reliable support to ensure a top-tier experience for our growing and diverse customer base across products like Safer and Thorn Detect. 

What You’ll Do

• Work closely with customers to guide them through the onboarding process for products like Safer and Thorn Detect, helping them understand setup and troubleshoot common technical issues.
• Provide timely, thoughtful support to users with varying technical backgrounds, managing the day-to-day customer experience and escalating issues or feedback to Product, Engineering, or Account Managers when appropriate.
• Operate as a technical advocate for customers by clearly communicating their needs, questions, and constraints to internal teams, while balancing customer expectations with technical realities.
• Collaborate with Product, Engineering, Data Science, UX, Account Managers, and Sales to support a cohesive experience for prospects and customers from onboarding, support, and ongoing product use.
• Use support tooling such as ticketing systems, Slack, Zoom, and email to track requests, document resolutions, and ensure clear communication and timely follow-through internally and externally.
• Contribute to internal and customer-facing documentation by helping keep onboarding materials, support guides, and best practices accurate and up to date.
• On-Call Participation: This role may participate in an on-call rotation and respond to critical issues outside of regular business hours. Availability during evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays may be required to ensure continuity of service and support.

What We’re Looking For

• You have a commitment to putting the children we serve at the center of everything you do.
• You have experience providing technical support to customers, with strong troubleshooting skills and the ability to analyze issues, resolve common problems, and escalate effectively when needed.
• You communicate clearly, efficiently, and thoughtfully, with both technical and non-technical audiences. We’re a highly-distributed team, so written communication is crucial, from Slack to technical documentation to Zoom calls.
• You’re comfortable with a fast-paced, reactive environment and can adapt to meet the shifting needs of customers and the team.
• You’re able to create and follow established processes to ensure consistency and reliability in technical support.
• You’re able to manage your time effectively, handling multiple support cases simultaneously while meeting deadlines and delivering timely solutions.
• You communicate proactively with customers, providing clear updates, setting expectations, and gathering feedback throughout the support process.
• You have strong documentation habits, with experience creating and maintaining clear records of technical issues, solutions, and best practices.
• You approach problems with curiosity and persistence, breaking down issues methodically, testing possible solutions, and asking for help when needed to get unblocked.
• You have a solid technical or engineering foundation and an interest in continuing to grow your skills and understanding of systems, technology, and customer needs.
• You collaborate effectively with teammates and cross-functional partners, sharing context clearly, participating in handoffs, and contributing to a positive, solutions-oriented team environment.
• You have empathy and can be a strong advocate for our users while balancing customer needs with technical realities.

Technologies We Use

• Docker / Kubernetes / Terraform
• Node / Python 3 / TypeScript
• AWS / Google Cloud
• Amazon SQS / Google PubSub / RabbitMQ / Kafka
• PostgreSQL / Elasticsearch
• Jira Service Manager (JSM) / Github / Docusaurus

Compensation and Benefits

A reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role is $83,000 - $115,000/year. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to location; skill sets; experience and training; licensure, and certifications.

Our remote-first work model is structured around working from home most of the time. But, there will be times that employees are expected to travel. For example, Thorn may host company-wide gatherings, and smaller teams may hold in-person meetings and team-building events, or require attendance at specific conferences.

At Thorn, we know that great people make a great organization. We value our people and offer employees a broad range of benefits. Learn more about what working at Thorn can mean for you.

A note for applicants: Clear written communication and attention to technical detail are important in this role. When you apply, you’ll be asked to identify which of the following support principles appears in this posting: clarify, troubleshoot, document.

Thorn is strengthened by the wide range of experiences and perspectives on our team. We value the diversity of our professional backgrounds, subject matter expertise, cultures, and perspectives because they help us solve complex problems and serve our mission more effectively. We hire based on merit, qualifications, and organizational need, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all employees can thrive.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

Thorn is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. We provide reasonable accommodations to ensure candidates and employees with disabilities can fully participate in the application process, perform essential job functions, and access all the benefits and privileges of employment. If you need an accommodation, please contact us at [email protected]

Know Your Rights: Workplace discrimination is illegal