Back-End Software Engineer (Co-op / extended internship)

Engramme; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 145,000 - 190,000; Part time

Job summary

Engramme, a Frontier AI lab spun out of Harvard, is seeking engineers to build the memory-platform backbone in an in-person SF setting. You will architect scalable backends, craft robust APIs, and optimize data storage and caching to support millions of memory retrievals daily.

Join a team with deep research roots and a focus on memory models, collaborating with AI/ML squads to integrate retrieval algorithms and ensure high performance with automated scaling.

Qualifications

• Proficient in Python with modern web frameworks (FastAPI, Django, Flask).
• Experience designing scalable backend architectures and APIs.
• Strong PostgreSQL optimization and data modeling skills.
• Hands-on with cloud platforms (AWS/GCP) and containerization (Docker/Kubernetes).
• Knowledge of caching (Redis, Memcached) and distributed systems.
• Familiar with API design and microservices style architectures.
• Solid problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure as code.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement scalable backend architecture for our memory platform.
• Build robust APIs handling millions of memory retrievals daily.
• Optimize database performance and implement caching strategies.
• Collaborate on technical architecture decisions with the team.
• Establish engineering best practices and code quality standards.
• Work with AI/ML teams to integrate memory retrieval algorithms.
• Monitor system performance and implement automated scaling solutions.

Skills

Python

API design

Microservices architecture

PostgreSQL

Redis

CI/CD pipelines

Problem solving

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS

GCP

Memcached

Prometheus

Grafana

RabbitMQ

Apache Kafka

Job description

This is a 6-month, in-person opportunity in San Francisco.

About Engramme

Engramme is a Frontier AI lab spun out of Harvard focusing on AI x Human Memory. Persistent memory is a fundamental open problem at the heart of AI. Our vision is to build models of human memory, and to endow humans with perfect and infinite memory.

Before starting Engramme, the founding team has produced and commercialized extensive research in machine learning and neuro-science inspired memory models:

• Gabriel Kreiman (CEO & Co-founder): Professor of Neuroscience and AI, Harvard Medical School. Led key research on brain memory consolidation at Harvard University.

• Spandan Madan (CTO & Co-founder): PhD in Computer Science from Harvard, designed AI models which were commercially deployed at Adobe, Fujitsu, and Meta.

What You’ll Do

Join our engineering team to build the backbone of our Memory-as-a-Service platform. You’ll architect scalable systems that power contextual memory retrieval for millions of users.

• Design and implement scalable backend architecture for our memory platform

• Build robust APIs that handle millions of memory retrievals per day

• Optimize database performance and implement caching strategies

• Collaborate with the engineering team on technical architecture decisions

• Establish engineering best practices and code quality standards

• Work with AI/ML teams to integrate memory retrieval algorithms

• Monitor system performance and implement automated scaling solutions

What We’re Looking For

• Strong proficiency in Python and modern web frameworks (FastAPI, Django, Flask)

• Experience with PostgreSQL and database optimization

• Knowledge of cloud platforms (AWS, GCP) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)

• Understanding of caching systems (Redis, Memcached) and distributed architectures

• Experience with API design and microservices architecture

• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail

• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure as code

Nice to Have

• Experience with AI/ML infrastructure and vector databases

• Knowledge of similarity search and embedding systems

• Background in high-performance computing or real-time systems

• Previous startup or early-stage company experience

• Open source contributions

• Experience with monitoring tools (Prometheus, Grafana)

• Knowledge of message queues (RabbitMQ, Apache Kafka)