A Seattle fintech firm is expanding in Arlington — not because of the county’s proximity to the US capital, but because of its talent depth.
Remitly, which helps people send money internationally, wants to build its first local engineering team here as it moves into everyday banking and lending, said Rich Franks, the company’s general manager of financial services.
The roles are an opportunity for people who want to grow their careers while staying in Northern Virginia, he said.
“We have a lot of tech talent in Northern Virginia. We just haven’t created that sense of community yet.”
Rich Franks, Remitly
“I had the the fortune a few jobs ago to be a part of building out an office in a market that I think is probably way less compelling than Arlington,” Franks told Technical.ly, “and I ended up with my best engineers in this ‘secondary market’ because I was able to offer the Silicon Valley tech experience to people without them having to go move across the country to go find it.”
Arlington offers a substantial pool of skilled workers. Professional, scientific and technical services account for 26.6% of county jobs, nearly four times the US rate, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data compiled by Technical.ly. About 77% of residents 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, per Census Bureau estimates.
Remitly’s Arlington team will develop services customers could use for direct deposits, purchases and borrowing, per Franks. As that business expands internationally, he expects many — potentially all — of its supporting roles to be based locally.
Founded in 2011, the publicly traded company employs about 3,000 people worldwide, Franks said. Its global money transfer business competes with other providers like Western Union, MoneyGram and Wise.
Growing the engineering team — and the office
Remitly lists 17 Arlington job openings at publication time, including software engineers, a senior data engineer and roles in product management and credit strategy.
A priority is finding the office’s first engineering leader, which Franks believes will kickstart recruitment.
“Hiring your first senior rockstar engineering manager — that’s a really important task, and we’re taking our time and getting it right,” he said. “Once we get that person, I think that the ball is going to start rolling. We’re going to start getting referrals, and people know each other.”
The senior engineering manager opening involves building the team behind Remitly Global Card, which will let customers hold, spend and move money. HR leaders are meeting daily to review candidates, Franks said, looking for strong judgment, a commitment to the company’s mission and a willingness to experiment with AI as its capabilities change.
Remitly opened its Arlington office in 2024. It currently has fewer than 50 employees, but Franks hopes to grow about 75 over the next year.
The company’s physical footprint is also growing. The local team now occupies a private area in a Rosslyn WeWork, but Franks said he is close to finalizing a larger Arlington office with its own lease and design.
Earlier in his career, which included a decade at Capital One, Franks spent several years in the area, and said he still owns a townhouse in Arlington. Having just returned after several years in the Bay Area, he wants to strengthen connections among local technologists — a common refrain in the DMV.
“We have a lot of tech talent in Northern Virginia,” Franks said. “We just haven’t created that sense of community yet.”
