Senior Backend Engineer (New York City Metropolitan Area)

US citizens or Green Card holders only for this role.

About the Company

Our client is a fast-growing, Series A-funded AI technology company transforming how major global brands understand customer feedback and make product decisions. The company has raised $10 million in funding and developed an AI-native platform that analyzes millions of consumer feedback records from product reviews, social media, customer interactions, and other data sources. Its technology combines Generative AI, natural language processing, and agentic workflows to uncover meaningful insights that help some of the world's most recognizable brands improve their products, customer experiences, and business performance.

About the Role

We are seeking a Senior Backend / AI Platform Engineer to join a small, highly collaborative engineering team in New York City. This is an opportunity to take significant ownership of backend architecture, data infrastructure, and production AI capabilities while working directly with the company's technical leadership.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable backend systems supporting an AI-powered SaaS platform.
• Build and optimize data models, data pipelines, and integrations that process large volumes of unstructured customer feedback.
• Develop robust APIs, backend services, and infrastructure to support AI-driven product capabilities.
• Design and manage relational databases, particularly PostgreSQL.
• Build and deploy Generative AI and agentic workflows using LLMs, APIs, and emerging technologies.
• Evaluate and integrate AI models and tools based on performance, reliability, and business requirements.
• Take ownership of engineering projects from initial design through production deployment.
• Develop internal tools and data management interfaces that improve operational efficiency.
• Implement monitoring, observability, and performance improvements across backend systems.
• Collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to translate business needs into technical solutions.
• Identify opportunities to improve development processes, code quality, scalability, and maintainability.
• Provide technical support to customer-facing teams when needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or another discipline.
• 3–6 years of professional software engineering experience.
• Professional experience working at an AI-focused company or developing and shipping AI-powered products.
• Strong backend software engineering experience, including designing and delivering production systems.
• Hands-on experience designing and building scalable data models, data pipelines, and data integrations.
• Experience working with PostgreSQL and relational database architecture.
• Experience developing APIs and backend services.
• Demonstrated ability to independently own technical projects from concept through deployment.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to thrive in a small, fast-moving engineering environment.
• Ability to work onsite in New York City at least four days per week.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States without employer visa sponsorship.

Required Skills

• Professional experience working at an AI-focused company or developing and shipping AI-powered products.
• Strong backend software engineering experience, including designing and delivering production systems.
• Hands-on experience designing and building scalable data models, data pipelines, and data integrations.
• Experience working with PostgreSQL and relational database architecture.
• Experience developing APIs and backend services.
• Demonstrated ability to independently own technical projects from concept through deployment.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to thrive in a small, fast-moving engineering environment.

Preferred Skills

• Strong proficiency in Python.
• Experience developing production applications using Large Language Models (LLMs).
• Experience building AI agents, agentic workflows, or conversational AI applications.
• Familiarity with Model Context Protocol (MCP), LLM APIs, and AI orchestration frameworks.
• Experience evaluating and selecting AI models for specific business applications.
• Experience with natural language processing (NLP) and unstructured data.
• Experience working in an early-stage or venture-backed technology company.
• Familiarity with backend observability, performance optimization, and infrastructure scalability.
• Experience collaborating directly with founders or senior technical leadership.

Pay range and compensation package

• Compensation: $180,000–$200,000 Base + Equity.
• Earn a base salary of $180,000–$200,000 plus 0.1% equity, subject to a four-year vesting schedule with a one-year cliff.

About the Opportunity

Senior Backend / AI Platform Engineer

• Location: New York, NY (Hybrid – 4 Days Onsite)
• Compensation: $180,000–$200,000 Base + Equity
• Employment Type: Full-Time
• Experience: 3–6 Years

What Makes This Opportunity Unique

• Work on Real-World AI Applications
• Build and deploy AI-powered technology used by globally recognized consumer brands. Your work will directly influence how organizations understand customers and make strategic product decisions.
• Significant Technical Ownership
• Own major platform capabilities end-to-end, including backend architecture, data infrastructure, integrations, and AI workflows.
• Work Directly with Technical Leadership
• Join an engineering team of approximately eight people and collaborate closely with the company's co-founder and CTO.
• Modern AI Technology
• Work with Generative AI, LLMs, agentic workflows, advanced data processing, and emerging development tools.
• Competitive Compensation and Equity
• Earn a base salary of $180,000–$200,000 plus 0.1% equity, subject to a four-year vesting schedule with a one-year cliff.
• High-Impact Startup Environment
• Join a funded, growing AI company where engineers have meaningful influence over technical decisions, product development, and the future direction of the platform.