Senior Software Engineer

Role Description

As a Senior Software Engineer at Culturello, you’ll help shape a production platform used by millions while influencing how we evolve our systems in an increasingly AI-driven world. You’ll contribute through hands-on development, architectural decision-making, code review, and collaboration across engineering, product, and design. We value engineers who bring strong judgment, curiosity, and a sense of ownership — not just people who can write code.

We are actively evolving our platform — continuing the long-standing work of modernizing our stack, improving developer experience, and increasing system reliability — while also responsibly incorporating applied AI, including LLM-powered workflows and intelligent automation, into a mature, mission-critical system.

Qualifications

• Strong experience building backend systems with PHP and Laravel (or equivalent frameworks).
• Deep experience operating production MySQL databases at scale.
• Experience applying AI technologies in production systems or a demonstrated ability to learn and deploy new technologies quickly and responsibly.
• Hands-on exposure to modern AI concepts such as LLMs, embeddings, vector databases, RAG, or AI agents.
• Experience working with cloud infrastructure (AWS preferred).
• Comfort working in CI/CD-driven environments.
• Strong communication skills in written and remote-first settings.
• Ability to break down complex systems into manageable, well-designed components.
• A collaborative mindset and willingness to both give and receive feedback.
• Experience working effectively on distributed or remote teams.

Requirements

• Backend Feature Development: Design, build, and maintain advanced backend features that support scale, reliability, and excellent user experiences.
• Architecture & APIs: Architect and evolve APIs and services with an emphasis on performance, clarity, and long-term maintainability.
• Applied AI Systems: Contribute to the design and implementation of AI-powered features using techniques such as LLMs, RAG, embeddings, vector databases, and agent-based workflows.
• AI-Assisted Development: Use modern AI coding tools to accelerate development while maintaining high standards for correctness, security, and maintainability.
• Performance & Reliability: Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks across application code, databases, and infrastructure.
• Security & Data Protection: Help ensure our systems meet high standards for data integrity, privacy, and security.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with frontend engineers, product managers, and designers to deliver cohesive solutions.
• Technical Leadership: Mentor other engineers, participate in technical decision-making, and contribute to a culture of learning and continuous improvement.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Multiple health benefit plans and a company-funded FSA
• MacBook Pro, monitors, and necessary equipment
• Paid subscriptions and learning resources (Cursor, PhpStorm, Laracasts, books, and more)
• Generous paid time off, flexible schedules, and a healthy work-life balance