Platform / Backend Engineer

Platform / Backend Engineer New York City | $170,000–$250,000 base + equity We’re representing a venture-backed software startup hiring its first engineer, founded by two ex-Palantir employees. Working directly with the founders, you’ll build the core platform from the ground up, shape its architecture and help establish the engineering standards for the team that follows. The business is already working directly with the talent team at a high-growth tech company valued in the billions. Its product brings together complex datasets and business workflows, creating substantial engineering challenges across backend systems, infrastructure and product development. What you’ll own Design and build the backend services and infrastructure underpinning the platform.Develop systems that make large, complex datasets usable within the product.Choose architecture, infrastructure and tooling as the platform evolves.Translate customer problems into practical software, including internal and customer-facing tools.Take features and systems from initial design through delivery, with ownership across the wider platform.Help define how the engineering team builds, tests and ships. What we’re looking for Strong backend, platform or infrastructure engineering experience.Evidence of building and shipping substantial products or systems from scratch.Experience with infrastructure as code.The judgment to balance technical quality with speed of delivery.Confidence working through unclear requirements and explaining technical decisions.Technical curiosity demonstrated through work, independent projects or a subject you know deeply. Experience in an early startup is valuable. Engineers from larger organisations are also welcome if you can demonstrate independent building and broad technical ownership. The expected experience range is approximately two to seven years, with flexibility for exceptional candidates earlier in their careers. The opportunity A chance to influence the product, architecture and engineering culture from the outset, with direct access to the founders and meaningful equity alongside your salary. This role is based in New York City, in the office five days per week. Applicants must have the right to work in the US; visa sponsorship is not available. Apply to arrange an introductory conversation. Company details will be shared privately during the process.