Senior Backend Engineer (AI)

TL;DR

Senior Backend Engineer (AI): Building and operating scalable data and analytics systems for the Model Factory to accelerate AI model research with an accent on distributed systems, data lifecycle management, and performance. Focus on designing and delivering reliable, high-performance platforms while collaborating closely with researchers to support advanced ML workflows.

Location: Remote within EMEA and East Coast regions, must be based in Europe or nearby

Company

Poolside is a US-founded AI startup focused on accelerating software development through agentic systems and frontier AI models, with a distributed team across Europe and North America.

What you will do

• Design, build, and operate data and analytics systems for the Model Factory
• Own the entire data lifecycle of experiment data including modeling, ingestion, retrieval, query, analysis, and retention
• Collaborate closely with researchers to understand workflows and data needs
• Develop greenfield projects and extend existing systems for scale, reliability, and performance
• Lead cross-functional initiatives and build alignment across teams

Requirements

• Must be located in Europe or EMEA region
• Strong programming skills in Go, Python, or similar languages
• Experience building and operating distributed systems at scale with knowledge of consistency models and data pipelines
• Production experience with Kubernetes, cloud infrastructure, and observability systems
• Ability to lead ambiguous, cross-functional projects
• English proficiency at least B2 level

Nice to have

• Experience with OLAP and timeseries databases
• Familiarity with high cardinality datasets and ML research workflows

Culture & Benefits

• Fully remote work with flexible hours
• 37 days of vacation and holidays per year
• Health insurance allowance for employee and dependents
• 16 weeks of flexible, full-pay parental leave
• Well-being, learning, and home office allowances
• Company-provided equipment and frequent team gatherings
• Diverse and inclusive people-first culture

Hiring process

• Introductory call with a team member
• Technical interview(s) with engineering members
• Team fit interview with People Team
• Final interview with a Founding Engineer