Backend Engineer

My People Know; Toronto; Remote; CAD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative AI-first startup is seeking a Backend Engineer to lead the development of an AI Email Assistant for Gmail. This role offers the chance to work with cutting-edge technologies in a dynamic remote environment. You will be responsible for integrating secure authentication, managing API interactions, and orchestrating workflows to enhance user experience. With a focus on impact-driven development, you will have the opportunity to take ownership of the backend architecture and contribute to a product that delivers real value to users. This position also offers potential for transition to a full-time role with equity as the company grows.

Benefits

Flexible Working Hours

Equity Participation

Remote Work

End-to-End Ownership

Impact-Driven Development

Qualifications

• 3+ Jahre Erfahrung in der Entwicklung von Node.js / TypeScript Backends.
• Erfahrung mit OAuth 2.0 und Gmail API Integration.

Responsibilities

• Implementierung von Google OAuth 2.0 und Gmail API.
• Entwicklung von Edge Functions und Webhooks für Gmail-Benachrichtigungen.

Skills

Node.js

TypeScript

OAuth 2.0

Gmail API

Supabase

Docker

CI/CD

Redis

Postgres

Stripe

Tools

GitHub Actions

BullMQ

n8n

Job description

Job Description

Backend Engineer (Contract) — AI Email Assistant for Gmail

Type: 4 Week Contract
Opportunity: Potential for Full-Time Employment with Equity Participation
Location: Remote
Start Date: Immediate

About the Product

We are an early-stage, AI-first startup building a focused, industry-specific AI Email Assistant for Gmail. With our front-end complete and a fully functional end-to-end prototype already built in n8n, we are now ready to evolve it into a production-grade SaaS platform.

As part of this next phase, you will lead backend development to support:

1. User Sign-up and Authentication via Google.
2. Secure Gmail Access where users grant Gmail read and draft permissions through Google OAuth, with persistent background access via refresh tokens (access_type=offline).
3. AI-Powered Inbox Automation, leveraging our deployed fine-tuned open-source LLM to label and draft replies in real time.

We have chosen a lightweight, scalable architecture to validate product-market fit efficiently:

• Auth & Database: Supabase Auth + Postgres (Row-Level Security)
• Inbox Access: Google OAuth (offline Gmail scopes)
• Queue & Workers: Node.js / BullMQ via Supabase Edge Functions (or Railway)
• AI: Fine-tuned Qwen 2.5-32B on OpenPipe (fully managed in-house)
• Frontend: Next.js (already developed in-house)

Your Responsibilities

OAuth 2.0 & Gmail API Integration

• Implement secure Google OAuth 2.0 authentication with refresh token management.
• Set up Gmail "watch" webhooks and history ID-based synchronization.
• Manage label application and draft creation through Gmail API v3.

Workflow Orchestration

• Refactor existing n8n logic into TypeScript-based queue workers using BullMQ or Redis.
• Ensure robust error handling, retry mechanisms, and operational observability.

Supabase Integration

• Leverage Row-Level Security (RLS) for secure, multi-tenant data handling.
• Develop Edge Functions and webhooks for Gmail notifications and future Stripe billing events.

AI Integration

• Integrate with our OpenPipe-hosted LLM, managing API interactions, batching, and rate limits. Prompt engineering and fine-tuning is not part of your role, but your expertise and feedback are highly valued.

DevOps & CI/CD

• Dockerize services and set up CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions.
• Implement basic observability through monitoring tools such as Sentry and log management systems.

AI-First Development Requirements

• Required: You must be proficient in using Generative AI development tools such as Cursor, Windsurf, or equivalent AI-powered IDEs to accelerate delivery and maximize productivity.
• We are an AI-first company and expect daily, thoughtful application of GenAI tooling in your development workflow.

Required Experience

• 3+ years of hands-on experience building production-grade Node.js / TypeScript backends.
• Proven experience with Supabase Auth, Firebase Auth, or similar authentication services.
• Experience with Gmail API or Google Workspace Add-on development.
• Deep understanding of OAuth 2.0 flows, including PKCE and refresh token management.
• Experience with job-queue architectures (BullMQ, SQS, Cloud Tasks).
• Familiarity with Postgres schema design and Row-Level Security (RLS).
• Experience deploying Redis and managing worker queues.
• Strong DevOps skills, including Docker and CI/CD tooling.
• Experience with Stripe webhooks and subscription billing workflows.
• Exposure to OpenAI-compatible LLM APIs (OpenPipe).
• Familiarity with WorkOS or Auth0 for future enterprise SSO integrations.

What We Offer

• End-to-End Ownership — You will lead the architecture and implementation of our production backend from day one.
• Impact-Driven Development — You will ship value to real users quickly and receive direct feedback from the market.
• Lean, Scalable Stack — Our Supabase + Vercel + OpenPipe architecture allows you to move fast without heavy DevOps overhead.
• Future Growth Opportunity — Strong potential for transition to a full-time role with meaningful equity as we grow.

We move fast and are looking for focused, AI-first engineers who thrive on shipping meaningful products—qualified candidates will progress quickly through a short technical discussion and a paid assessment.