Staff Software Engineer (AI)

TL;DR

Staff Software Engineer (AI): Building self-evolving web systems merging generative AI, large-scale data pipelines, and experimentation with an accent on architectural design and scalable backend infrastructure. Focus on architecting fault-tolerant systems for millions of events, driving technical strategy, and mentoring engineers to set high-quality technical standards.

Location: Must be based in or be able to work on-site in New York City (4 days/week)

Compensation: $190K – $260K + Equity

Company

A well-funded, early-stage startup developing AI-driven web optimization engines that allow websites to rebuild themselves on autopilot.

What you will do

• Architect and evolve backend infrastructure using Python, serverless AWS, and high-load data pipelines.
• Build autonomous agentic flows and AI systems that reason, experiment, and deploy changes to the web.
• Design scalable, observable, and fault-tolerant experiment engines capable of processing millions of daily events.
• Drive engineering strategy by defining principles and architectural standards across microservices.
• Mentor senior and mid-level engineers through code reviews, pairing, and architectural design documentation.
• Collaborate with AI, product, and data science teams to deliver robust, high-performance systems.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in designing and shipping production systems at scale.
• Strong expertise in Python, AWS, and JavaScript for full-stack ownership.
• Proven ability to design distributed, event-driven, or data-heavy architectures.
• Previous experience acting as a technical lead or staff engineer.
• Deep curiosity regarding AI, LLMs, and experimentation platforms.
• Bias toward clarity, documentation, and delivering production-ready code.

Nice to have

• Experience with ClickHouse or similar analytical databases.
• Background in LLMs in production or ecommerce infrastructure.
• Track record of success in early-stage (0→1) startup environments.

Culture & Benefits

• Meaningful equity ownership in the company.
• Full health coverage including medical, dental, and vision for the employee and family.
• Unlimited PTO and office-first work environment in Midtown Manhattan.
• 401k plan and tax-free commuter/parking benefits.
• Free One Medical membership.
• Direct collaboration with the founding team in a transparent, low-ego environment.