Senior Software Engineer, Backend, AI Labs

Epiq; Toronto; On-site; CAD 200,000 - 255,000; Full time

Job summary

Epiq AI Labs is hiring a backend-focused engineer to build and operate the services behind our AI-driven legal platform. You will own asynchronous processing, data pipelines, authentication, and multi-tenant design across a scalable stack.

Requirements include 3+ years of production backend experience with Python, PostgreSQL, and cloud platforms. Familiarity with Docker, Kubernetes, and observability is expected. This role is based in Canada with applicable work authorization.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of professional experience building and operating backend services in production.
• Proficiency in Python, or strong proficiency in a comparable language with Python focus.
• Experience with at least one major cloud platform (AWS, GCP or Azure).
• Relational databases experience (PostgreSQL preferred).
• Experience with asynchronous processing and message queues (RabbitMQ, Kafka).
• Experience designing and implementing REST APIs for internal/ external use.
• Experience with automated testing and CI practices.
• Familiarity with containerized deployment (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Familiarity with observability (metrics, logs, traces).
• Demonstrated proficiency using AI tools in software development.

Responsibilities

• Implement, test, and operate backend services and APIs for the AI platform.
• Build and maintain asynchronous processing with retry and idempotency.
• Contribute to data pipelines ingesting and indexing large document volumes.
• Implement OAuth2/OIDC/SAML authentication and multi-tenant RBAC.
• Design PostgreSQL schemas and perform live migrations.
• Integrate search/vector storage (Solr, Qdrant).
• Instrument services with metrics, logs, traces and on-call readiness.
• Write automated tests and participate in CI pipelines.
• Contribute to technical design documents and cross‑team reviews.
• Collaborate with AI engineers, backend, product management and security.

Skills

Python

Cloud platforms

PostgreSQL

REST APIs

Asynchronous processing

Docker

Kubernetes

CI/CD

Observability

AI tooling

Communication

Tools

RabbitMQ

Solr

Qdrant

Terraform

OpenTelemetry

Prometheus

Grafana

Job description

At Epiq, your work contributes to complex, global legal outcomes. You’ll join a values‑driven community where integrity guides decisions, relentless service sets the bar, and we thrive on big challenges together. We invest in your growth with enterprise‑wide learning and mobility. We celebrate who you are, and we respect life beyond work with flexibility that’s recognized externally. Enabled by modern platforms and AI, you’ll do the most meaningful work of your career and see your impact at scale.

Job Description

About Epiq AI Labs

Epiq AI Labs is the innovation and engineering hub behind Epiq's next-generation AI platform for corporate legal departments and global law firms. We operate as a startup within a global organization, focused on agentic AI systems, knowledge-driven reasoning, and enterprise-scale simulations. We are:

• Fast, experimental, and product-obsessed
• Highly collaborative, low-bureaucracy, deeply technical
• Backed by the resources, data access, and distribution scale of a global ALSP

We are building foundational AI systems — intelligent agents, reasoning engines, knowledge bases, and structured workflows — that transform how litigation, investigations, compliance, and corporate knowledge work get done.

Our culture is that of a startup: high autonomy, high trust, rapid iteration, and a team that genuinely enjoys working together.

About The Role

You will build and operate the services behind our AI-driven legal platform: asynchronous processing, data pipelines, the data access layer, and authentication and authorization. These are load-bearing systems, owned end to end rather than in slices — and as the platform grows, the surface you own grows with it.

Scalability and reliability are requirements, not later additions. Services should absorb growth in tenants, data volume, and concurrency without redesign, tolerate partial failure through retry, idempotency, and graceful degradation, and carry enough instrumentation to diagnose production behavior. We build on a modern stack and treat design as real work: choices about data models, service boundaries, and processing patterns are reasoned through and documented, made alongside senior engineers rather than inherited from them. The platform is early enough that what you build now will still be in its foundation years from now.

Key Responsibilities

• Implement, test, and operate backend services and APIs that support our agentic AI platform
• Build and maintain message-queue-based asynchronous processing, including retry and idempotency handling, dead-letter processing, and failure recovery
• Contribute to data pipelines that ingest, parse, store, and index large volumes of documents
• Implement authentication and authorization functionality using OAuth2, OIDC, and SAML within established patterns, including role-based access control for multi-tenant environments
• Design and optimize PostgreSQL schemas and queries, and carry out schema migrations against live production traffic
• Integrate search and vector storage technologies such as Solr and Qdrant
• Instrument services with metrics, logs, and traces; monitor service health and participate in the on‑call rotation
• Write automated tests, participate in code review, and maintain continuous integration pipelines
• Contribute to technical design documents and participate in design review
• Collaborate with AI engineers, other backend engineers, product management, and security stakeholders

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of professional experience building and operating backend services in production, including responding to production issues
• Proficiency in Python, or strong proficiency in a comparable language and the ability to work primarily in Python
• Experience with at least one major cloud platform (AWS, GCP or Azure)
• Working experience with relational databases, including schema design, query optimization, and migrations (PostgreSQL preferred)
• Experience with asynchronous or event-driven processing, such as message queues (RabbitMQ, Kafka, or comparable) or task workers
• Experience designing and implementing REST APIs consumed by other services or teams
• Experience with automated testing and continuous integration practices
• Familiarity with containerized deployment (Docker, and exposure to Kubernetes)
• Familiarity with observability practices, including metrics, logging, and tracing
• Demonstrated proficiency using AI tools in software development
• Clear written and verbal communication, and the ability to make progress on ambiguous problems with appropriate guidance

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with high-volume data or document processing pipelines
• Experience with infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform
• Experience with multi-tenant SaaS architectures
• Exposure to AI/ML systems or data-intensive applications
• Experience in legal technology or another regulated industry
• Experience with authentication and authorization standards (OAuth2, OIDC, SAML)

Candidates who meet most, but not all, of the qualifications above are encouraged to apply.

Stack

• Python
• PostgreSQL
• RabbitMQ
• Solr
• Qdrant
• OAuth2 / OIDC / SAML
• Azure
• Kubernetes
• Docker
• Terraform
• Prometheus
• Grafana
• OpenTelemetry

The Compensation range for this role is $200,000 CAD up to $255,000 CAD annually and may be eligible for an annual discretionary bonus. This will be based on your background and skills alignment with the role.

In considering this role you must be authorized to work within Canada with proof of right to work presented if required. Please also note AI may have been used in the screening process to assess suitability for the advertised role. This role is an Active Vacancy within Epiq.

Your specific salary will be determined based on several factors:

• Location-based market rate for the role
• Your abilities in relation to the job specification
• Performance during screening and interview
• Pay parity with the wider team in the considered location

Further details about the package will be provided during the initial screening call with the Talent Acquisition Team.

Epiq Leadership Compass

Fosters Relationships & Collaboration

• Build trust-based partnerships
• Nurture long‑term relationships
• Remove collaboration barriers
• Celebrate cross-team success

Engages & Influences

• Use storytelling to build buy‑in
• Align communication with organizational goals
• Guild alignment through strong engagement

Maximizes Performance

• Use data to identify improvement opportunities
• Make informed decisions
• Align team goals with boarder strategy
• Empower teams to manage their own goals
• Translate vision into clear priorities
• Prepare for disruptions with strong change management

Achieves Operational Success

• Improve workflows for team efficiency
• Use clear documentation and expectations
• Resolve issues quickly using data and feedback

It is Epiq’s policy to comply with all applicable equal employment opportunity laws by making all employment decisions without unlawful regard or consideration of any individual’s race, religion, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expressions, transgender status, sexual and other reproductive health decisions, marital status, age, national origin, genetic information, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, veteran or family status or any other basis protected by applicable national, federal, state, provincial or local law. Epiq’s policy prohibits unlawful discrimination based on any of these impermissible bases, as well as any bases or grounds protected by applicable law in each jurisdiction. In addition Epiq will take affirmative action for minorities, women, covered veterans and individuals with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. Epiq is pleased to provide such assistance and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request. Pursuant to relevant law, where applicable, Epiq will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.