Senior Backend Engineer (Python, AI Systems)
About the CompanyWe're looking for a senior engineer who enjoys taking AI ideas from prototype to production and owning the systems behind them. This role sits at the intersection of backend engineering, AI infrastructure, and product development. You'll work closely with founders and product leaders to build customer-facing AI capabilities used by thousands of organizations doing meaningful work around the world.About the RoleYou'll help build and scale AI-powered products used by thousands of customers while owning the infrastructure that makes those systems reliable, observable, and cost-efficient. This is a hands-on engineering role focused on shipping, operating, and improving real-world AI systems.ResponsibilitiesBuilding and deploying LLM-powered backend servicesDesigning agentic workflows and orchestration systemsManaging embeddings pipelines and vector search infrastructureImproving latency, reliability, and cost efficiency of AI featuresCreating evaluation frameworks to measure output quality and safetyMonitoring production AI systems and resolving performance issuesPartnering with product and design teams to launch new capabilitiesQualifications5–8 years of professional software engineering experienceStrong backend engineering experience using PythonExperience building and shipping production systemsHands-on experience with embeddings and vector databasesStrong SQL and database fundamentalsExperience owning systems beyond initial deploymentAbility to design, build, monitor, and maintain services end-to-endRequired SkillsAI Infrastructure EngineeringBackend Platform EngineeringML Platform EngineeringApplied AI EngineeringHigh-growth SaaS engineering teamsPreferred SkillsResearch-only AI experiencePrompt engineering without production ownershipData science roles lacking software engineering depthFrontend-focused engineering backgroundsPay range and compensation packageLocation: San Francisco Bay Area, CAWork Model: Hybrid (1 day onsite per week)Employment Type: Full-TimeInterview Process: Multi-stage technical interview processIndustry: AI SaaS / Mission-Driven TechnologyEqual Opportunity StatementWe are committed to diversity and inclusivity in our hiring practices.