Lead Backend Software Engineer (AI)

Location: Hybrid in San Carlos, California, with 3+ days per week onsite; all work must be performed in the United States

Salary: $224,000–$260,000 base salary annually, plus equity

Company

hirify.global builds an AI platform for safer and more efficient aviation, supporting mission-critical systems through Department of Defense contracts and airline partnerships.

What you will do

• Architect, build, and maintain backend services and distributed systems for mission-critical applications.
• Design secure, scalable APIs for internal and external integrations, real-time data streaming, and web and mobile clients.
• Build and optimize pipelines for time-series and multimedia data ingestion, processing, and access.
• Own backend reliability, performance, scalability, and high availability in production.
• Lead technical design discussions, code reviews, and architectural decisions.
• Resolve complex backend and cloud infrastructure issues and deliver systems from concept through deployment.

Requirements

• 9+ years of experience designing and implementing backend services, APIs, and distributed systems in production.
• Fluency in Python and JavaScript/TypeScript, including Node.js.
• Experience building, scaling, and operating backend infrastructure.
• Experience with data pipelines and systems handling large-scale or real-time data.
• Strong ownership of systems and features from design through deployment.
• Must be a U.S. Person and authorized to work in the United States; visa sponsorship and visa transfers are not available.

Nice to have

• Experience with machine learning workflows or data-intensive systems.
• Familiarity with big data tools or large-scale data processing frameworks.
• DevOps or DevSecOps experience, including infrastructure automation and security improvements.
• Interest in aviation and improving air travel efficiency and safety.

Culture & Benefits

• Small, focused teams with ownership of delivered systems and rapid shipping.
• Healthcare coverage includes 100% of employee medical premiums and 25% of dependent premiums.
• Three weeks of paid time off and 13+ paid company holidays.
• 401(k) plan available; no current employer match.