Our AI Startup Client is seeking a Staff Backend Engineer to build unique CRM backend services and APIs across various distributed systems….their focus are AI/ML startups, needing strong AI focus, and enhancing CRM experiences. This is a HYBRID role in San Francisco, CA. You will be responsible for driving the architecture and execution of the backend systems that power their core product. You’ll work primarily in a Postgres-backed, multi-tenant backend (Node/TypeScript on AWS) where API design and data architecture directly shape the product experience.
Responsibilities:
- Lead the architecture and execution of critical backend work streams – API platform, core data model, and systems that underpin new product capabilities.
- Scale our API platform: multi-tenant isolation, versioning, rate limits/quotas, idempotency, and measurable latency/throughput goals.
- Partner with co-founders and product leadership to translate product direction into backend architecture decisions.
- Explore and ship agentic capabilities that require safe sandbox code execution (isolation, resource limits, auditability, security guardrails).
- Design and ship customer-defined CRM schema (custom fields, custom objects, flexible relationships) without sacrificing query performance or clean APIs.
- Lead complex projects end-to-end – for example, taking custom objects from data model → migrations → query patterns → API ergonomics.
- Own the abstractions that the broader engineering team builds on top of.
- Raise the bar through design leadership, code review, and technical mentorship.
- Contribute to hiring as the team grows – helping identify and close strong technical talent.
Requirements:
- BS/MS in Computer Engineering, Computer Science or similar education and experience.
- 8+ years of software engineering experience, with a strong track record of building and operating backend systems in production for a SaaS or CRM product and/or service.
- Experience building large-scale, high-performance, and mission-critical systems that support complex customer workflows and large-scale data processing.
- Strong fundamentals in distributed systems & APIs.
- Proficiency in our core stack (or similar) Deep experience building backend services and comfort working with cloud-native architectures on AWS.
- Proficient in React, Next.js, Postgres, Node.js, and TypeScript for backend development.
Relocation and Visa Requirements:
- Strongly prefer candidates that reside in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Will provide relocation assistance to the right candidate (that resides in the United States).
- Will transfer H1-B and TN Visas (that resides in the United States/Canada/Mexico).
- All candidates MUST reside in the United States.
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