Founding Staff Software Engineer • Python/FastAPI

About NeuroscaleNeuroscale is building the AI recruiting operating system, one unified platform for your entire talent organization, from first touch to hired. Arbi eliminates fragmented workflows, integrates directly with your ATS, and orchestrates AI agents for sourcing, outreach, screening, and candidate intelligence end-to-end. By combining reasoning-optimized models with deep workflow automation, Arbi helps talent teams win more top candidates with dramatically less friction.We’re backed by top operators and investors, and we’re growing fast. Our momentum is further fueled by blue-chip partners and programs, including the NVIDIA Inception Program, the HPE Unleash AI Program, and our active DoD SBIR Phase II award and contract.We’re now hiring a Founding Staff Software Engineer to help accelerate features on Arbi to help us dominate one of the largest and fastest-expanding categories in modern software.This is not a maintenance role. This is a hands-on, high-ownership opportunity for someone who has operated at a staff engineer, architect, or founding/lead engineer level and knows how to build production-grade systems that scale. You will work on the backbone of our platform: APIs, orchestration systems, data workflows, search infrastructure, background jobs, cloud deployment, and backend systems that power AI-enabled products for real customers.The RoleWe’re hiring a Founding Staff Software Engineer to help us scale and evolve our core systems. You'll work closely with AI engineers, frontend devs, and product leads to build the APIs, services, and infrastructure powering our agentic workflows.This is a hands-on role for someone who knows how to build enterprise-grade backends using modern Python/FastAPI stacks. You’ll lead major technical efforts, make architecture decisions that scale, and help us stay fast, reliable, and resilient as our user base grows.What You'll Do & OwnDesign, build, and maintain robust backend systems that power Neuroscale AI’s core platformDevelop and scale REST APIs using Python and FastAPIBuild production-ready systems using PostgreSQL, Redis, OpenSearch, Celery, and TemporalArchitect and optimize systems that handle large-scale datasets and high-throughput backend workflowsBuild, deploy, and maintain backend services on AWSOwn containerized deployments, CI/CD pipelines, and backend infrastructure reliabilitySupport integrations, data pipelines, workflow automation, and asynchronous processing systemsHelp define backend architecture, engineering standards, observability, and performance practicesWork closely with product, AI, and frontend teams to deliver features that power B2B and B2C SaaS experiencesMentor engineers and raise the bar on engineering quality, speed, and executionOperate like an owner in a startup environment, balancing speed with sound engineering judgmentContribute to AI-enabled engineering workflows and modern developer tooling, including tools such as Cursor and/or Claude CodeWho You AreStrong backend engineering experience with PythonDeep hands-on experience with FastAPIStrong production experience with PostgreSQL and RedisExperience using OpenSearchHands-on experience with Celery and TemporalProven experience building robust REST APIsExperience working with large-scale datasetsExperience deploying and managing backend systems on AWSHands-on experience with AWS services, containers, and deployment pipelinesExperience building, deploying, and maintaining production systems for B2B and/or B2C SaaSExperience supporting integrations, data pipelines, and/or workflow automationPrior experience operating as a Staff Engineer, Lead Engineer, Founding Engineer, or ArchitectExperience working in startup-style environments with high ownership and mentoring responsibilityStrong systems thinking, sound backend architecture judgment, and the ability to move from idea to productionAbility and willingness to relocate to Northern VA/DCBonus PointsHave built backend platforms that became the foundation for a growing productKnow how to balance speed, scale, reliability, and developer experienceHave strong instincts around designing for maintainability, observability, and performanceEnjoy owning ambiguous problems and turning them into simple, durable systemsCan mentor others while still being deeply hands-onAre excited by AI-enabled software development and modern engineering workflowsWant to help shape both the codebase and the culture of an early-stage companyExperience building AI-enabled products or backend systems that support AI workflowsExperience with search-heavy, data-intensive, or workflow-centric productsExperience in recruiting tech, HR tech, SaaS platforms, or decision-support systemsExperience designing backend systems for multi-tenant SaaS environmentsExperience improving developer productivity using Cursor, Claude Code, or similar AI coding toolsExperience with event-driven systems, job orchestration, and resilient distributed workflowsExperience helping scale an early-stage engineering teamExperience working directly with product and leadership in a founding-stage companyWhat’s in It for YouJoin a tight-knit engineering team shipping fast and building with ambitionWork on products used by real-world recruiters, analysts, and decision-makersBe part of a mission-driven company redefining how humans and AI collaborateCompetitive salary, meaningful early-stage equity, and flexible work arrangementsZero bureaucracy, high trust, and a strong culture of ownership and technical excellenceThe opportunity to join as a founding backend engineering leader and help define the technical core of Neuroscale AISignificant ownership over architecture, tooling, and backend platform decisionsDirect exposure to company leadership and the ability to influence product directionA chance to build systems that matter from day one rather than inheriting legacy architectureThe pace, autonomy, and impact of a startup, with meaningful room for growthThe ability to help shape how AI-native products are built and delivered in productionA seat at the table as we scale our product, team, and engineering cultureBase Salary: $100K–$200KPerformance bonus: Quarterly bonuses tied to clear feature shipping targetsEquity: Meaningful early-stage equity (~0.1-0.75%) with a clear range shared during the processBenefits: Medical, dental, vision, 14-days of PTO accrued annuallyLearning: At least $2,000 per year for courses, events, books, and growth communitiesTools and setup: New macbook pro, monitor, and a monthly tools budget to run the stack you wantFlexibility: Flexible hours, in-person.Growth path: Clear, fast-track path to an Engineering Lead as we scale the teamThis role is ideally suited for candidates who are open to working closely with the team and are willing to relocate to Northern Virginia / Washington DC region.Equal OpportunityNeuroscale AI is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities, and walks of life - including but not limited to race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, and disability status.