Lead Backend Software Engineer

Sonoma, California

Stealth Startup
Apply for this Job
Founding Backend Engineer - Exciting AI Commerce Startup

Join our innovative seed-stage startup, dedicated to transforming online commerce through LLM-native, data-driven interfaces. Our vision is to create the intelligence layer of the internet, delivering digital experiences that adapt dynamically to every user in real-time.

We are seeking a Founding Backend Engineer who is eager to shape our technical foundation, take ownership of critical infrastructure decisions, and create AI-native experiences. This role is ideal for someone who flourishes in fast-paced environments and values clean system design and data-driven solutions.

Key Responsibilities
  • Design and build scalable backend systems to support dynamic, AI-powered user interfaces.
  • Implement high-throughput data pipelines for search, recommendation, and personalization.
  • Work collaboratively with product teams to enhance user experiences powered by large language models.
  • Make key infrastructure decisions related to performance, reliability, observability, and security.
  • Establish a high-performing engineering culture from the ground up.
Ideal Candidate
  • You have experience building and shipping backend systems in high-growth startups or complex technical environments.
  • You are passionate about data-intensive applications, distributed systems, and LLM-driven workflows.
  • You prioritize elegant architecture and build with a long-term vision in mind.
  • You are excited to take ownership of significant system components and thrive in ambiguous, early-stage settings.
  • You are either based in or willing to relocate to a major tech hub (San Francisco or New York City preferred).
Our Technology Stack

We are language-agnostic, but experience with any of the following technologies is a plus:
  • Go, Rust, Scala, Python, or Erlang
  • LLM frameworks (OpenAI, Hugging Face, LangChain, etc.)
  • Data infrastructure (Kafka, NiFi, Redis, Postgres, Weaviate, DynamoDB)
  • Cloud & orchestration (AWS, Azure, Docker, Kubernetes)
What We Provide
  • Competitive salary and meaningful equity.
  • Flexible/hybrid working structure (San Francisco or New York City preferred).
  • Health, wellness, and learning stipends.
  • A unique opportunity to build the future of AI commerce from the ground up.
Date Posted: 13 April 2025
Apply for this Job