Staff Backend Software Engineer

Member of Technical Staff (MTS) About the Company One of our clients is an Applied AI Lab building the next generation of intelligent software systems.As AI continues to reshape how complex problems are solved, this team is focused on developing AI-native platforms that can reason over massive volumes of enterprise data and transform it into clear, actionable outcomes. Their systems operate across petabyte-scale datasets and complex production environments, using agentic workflows to continuously analyze signals, surface insights, and help organizations make better decisions in real time. The team partners with large enterprises solving complex operational challenges and is backed by top-tier investors. The founding group brings together researchers, engineers, and builders operating at the frontier of applied AI and large-scale data systems. The Opportunity Our client is looking for a Staff Backend Engineer to own the backend platform and data infrastructure that allows customers to explore, understand, and interact with complex AI-driven insights. This is a Staff+ caliber role. You've operated at Staff, Senior Staff, or Principal Backend Engineer level at some point in your career and are excited to define the backend foundation for a new platform. You will design the backend architecture, build foundational data and services infrastructure, and ensure the platform scales as it grows in both capability and complexity. This role combines deep architectural ownership with hands-on systems development. Over time, you'll help mentor additional backend engineers as the team grows around the foundations you create. What You'll Do Define the Backend Architecture - Establish the core architecture and technical patterns for Python services and data systems that must scale with both product complexity and usage.Build Core Platform Infrastructure - Design and build the APIs, data pipelines, and internal tooling that enable fast, consistent, high-quality development across the team.Ship AI-Driven Data Systems - Develop the services that process and reason over massive volumes of enterprise data, turning raw signals into clear, actionable outputs.Make Intelligent Systems Work at Scale - Work closely with product, research, and frontend engineers to ensure sophisticated AI capabilities run reliably across petabyte-scale datasets and production environments.Shape Engineering Standards - Set a high bar for engineering craftsmanship, code quality, and thoughtful system design as the backend platform evolves.Mentor and Influence - Serve as a technical leader and mentor for future backend engineers as the team grows. About You Experience operating at Senior, Staff, Senior Staff, or Principal Backend Engineer level5+ years of professional software engineering experienceDeep expertise with Python and modern backend architectureStrong experience building backend infrastructure (APIs, data pipelines, distributed systems, performance optimization at scale)Ability to own projects end-to-end with minimal oversightExceptional attention to detail and passion for engineering craftsmanshipStrong collaboration and communication skillsComfortable operating in fast-moving environments with high ownership Why This Role Is Interesting Opportunity to define the backend foundation of an AI-native platformWork at the intersection of applied AI, large-scale data systems, and platform engineeringHigh ownership and direct impact on system architectureJoin a team focused on turning frontier AI research into real-world systems Compensation: $150,000-300,000 base salary + significant equity + benefits