Backend Engineer

Backend Engineer at TalentAlly

Get AI-powered advice on this job and more exclusive features.

Note: If the above video doesn't vibe with you, stop reading. If changing the world and entire sectors does interest you, please continue. We're excited to meet you.

Company Overview

Stemuli is a pioneering technology company at the intersection of AI, workforce development, and gaming. We're backed by the Gates Foundation, Google, Tim Draper, National Science Foundation; and recently named the 2024 Global Champion of AI For Good, the U.N.'s platform on AI. Our mission is to make education and workforce development personalized and accessible to billions of people while helping them navigate intellectually and economically fulfilling careers.

Position Overview

Join Stemuli as a Backend Engineer in the AI team and help transform education with advanced AI. As an early team member, you're key in driving the mission to empower millions through innovative AI and gaming tech. Build the critical bridges between Unity-powered 3D experiences and our generative AI to create scalable, engaging educational tools that engage and motivate students. Our customers expect us to scale to 100ks of learners, soon. Backend execution is central to our ability to deliver at that pace. Your solutions will directly impact learners from elementary school to career, opening doors to economic mobility and lifelong learning. Shape the future of learning technology in this high-growth, high-impact role.

Responsibilities

• Develop and scale robust systems and databases power scalable, engaging educational tools
• Stand up centralized databases for AI and research use
• Collaborate with backend engineers across the company to ensure our AI innovations integrate flawlessly into our educational products

Qualifications

• Deep expertise on the trade-offs and principles of database design and management (e.g., PostgreSQL vs MongoDB).
• Experienced (3+ years) in backend development, with strong skills in Python and database technologies.
• Familiar with RESTful API design and implementation, Postman.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a collaborative mindset. You must be comfortable with a mix of short-term tasks and long-term projects.
• Passion for building the systems needed to revolutionize education: making education highly engaging, extremely effective, available to all.
• Strong foundation in algorithms, data structures, and software design principles (CS, related undergrad, or equivalent experience)

Tech Stack and Approach

• We live in a Python world where possible. There are a couple of existing backend systems for Stemuli products, one example is MongoDB in Google Cloud. You will build interfaces with them.
• There's a series of external APIs and interfaces our systems will need to plug into, including ones may not be immediately familiar in design (LTI launches in an Edtech setting).
• Some of our data ingestion involves using WebDriver to grab simple screen scrapes (with permission!) You'll find good ways to iterate beyond that, parsing and storing media in an efficient manner.
• You will define the databases/backend for AI team use (curate data for model training and data science needs). We will work with you, but this is yours to lead.
• We emphasize practical solutions, iteration, and using the right tool for the job. Mantra: "If it can be done with an if statement, we use an if statement"
• A large part of our long-term AI advantage will come from how we combine unique proprietary datasets. We care a lot about data curation, and have a wide variety of sources to draw upon. You will be key to this!

What We Offer

• A mission-driven culture led by an inspirational founder, where you'll work alongside passionate experts to make a global impact on education through AI
• Opportunity to be a part of the first power brand in Future of Work x Education.
• Hybrid work environment (2-5 days/week in our Seattle office, which is home base for our AI team).
• Competitive salary range of up to $160,000, with meaningful equity.

If you're passionate about transforming education through AI and gaming technology, even if you don't meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply. Stemuli is an equal-opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.