Backend Engineer

This is a San Francisco–based hybrid role, combining in-office and remote work About Engenious Engenious is a technology company building next-generation AI products that transform how people work, learn, and create. We partner with fast-growing startups and global companies to design and scale intelligent systems — from AI-powered applications to full-stack platforms used by millions. Our team combines deep engineering expertise with product thinking to deliver solutions that are not just technically strong, but genuinely useful. About the Role We’re looking for a Backend Engineer to join our team and work on AI-driven products. In this role, you will be working as part of an Engenious team embedded with one of our clients, a leading technology company building products used at global scale. You’ll collaborate closely with both Engenious and client-side teams to deliver high-impact solutions. You’ll help build systems that support students throughout their writing journey — from drafting and citations to AI transparency and plagiarism detection. This role combines backend development with practical application of modern AI technologies, and you’ll be expected to actively work with AI-powered features as part of your day-to-day development. What You’ll Do Build and ship end-to-end features across the high-load backend services Design scalable APIs and services Build and integrate AI-powered features into product workflows Work with LLM-based systems and AI-driven services Improve performance, reliability, and system architecture Collaborate with product, design, and AI teams (both Engenious and client-side) Contribute to technical decisions and engineering standards Mentor engineers and support team growth What You’ll Work On AI-powered writing and productivity tools Systems for AI transparency and authorship clarity Citation and attribution workflows Plagiarism and AI-usage detection Integrations with educational platforms and tools Requirements 5+ years of experience in backend development Strong experience with Java and Spring Boot is a must Knowledge of system scaling, REST APIs, GraphQL, microservices, and message brokers (Kafka, RabbitMQ). Experience with Python Strong fundamentals in algorithms and system design Experience building or integrating AI-powered features (LLMs, APIs, or similar Experience building and scaling production systems Experience debugging complex systems Strong product mindset and attention to user experience Must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire; we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role Nice to Have Experience working with LLMs or AI frameworks (OpenAI, Antropic), LangChain, Langraph, etc. Background in high-scale applications Experience mentoring or leading engineers Contract to Full-time Conversion: Contractor Phase Hourly rate Contract duration - 6-12 month Potential transition timeline Full-Time Conversion (Future Opportunity) Full-Time Benefits Upon successful transition to a full-time role, the position may include: Comprehensive health benefits (medical, dental, vision, mental health) Paid time off and holidays Parental leave 401(k) / retirement options (if applicable) Professional development support Additional stipends (wellness, home office, etc.) Please note: These benefits are available only upon full-time employment and are not applicable during the contractor phase.