Backend Engineer

Lightning AI; New York (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

Generous paid time off

Professional development support

Flexible work environment

Job summary

Lightning AI, based in New York City, is seeking a Backend Engineer to develop and scale its platform, focusing on APIs, infrastructure, and security. The role involves writing efficient Go code, mentoring engineers, and collaborating across teams to enhance product quality.

Ideal candidates have extensive experience in Go, cloud platforms, and a commitment to software quality. The compensation range spans from $180,000 to $250,000 based on experience, alongside an attractive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience writing efficient, maintainable code in Go.
• Proven ability to take ownership of key features.
• Experience with cloud platforms and designing reliable systems.

Responsibilities

• Write readable/testing/efficient code in Go.
• Build expertise in the technology stack to deliver new features.
• Evaluate and maintain software quality and reduce technical debt.

Skills

Efficient, maintainable code in Go

API development and scaling

Backend and frontend systems knowledge

Cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)

Containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)

Software quality and test automation

Communication and collaboration

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Overview

Lightning AI is the company behind PyTorch Lightning. Founded in 2019, we build an end-to-end platform for developing, training, and deploying AI systems—designed to take ideas from research to production with less friction. Through our merger with Voltage Park, a neocloud and AI Factory, Lightning AI combines developer-first software with cost-efficient, large-scale compute. Teams get the tools they need for experimentation, training, and production inference, with security, observability, and control built in. We serve solo researchers, startups, and large enterprises. Lightning AI operates globally with offices in New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and London, and is backed by Coatue, Index Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, and Firstminute.

What We’re Looking For

We’re looking for a Backend Engineer to help develop and scale the Lightning AI platform, spanning APIs, infrastructure, billing, security, and integrations. In this role, you’ll take ownership of key features and drive them end-to-end, working closely with engineering, product, and design to ship high-quality, iterative improvements. This is an opportunity to build systems that support real-world machine learning workloads at scale. This role is based in one of our hubs (Seattle, NYC, SF, or London), with a minimum of 2 in-office days per week and occasional team and company offsites. We are not able to provide visa sponsorship for this position at this time.

What You’ll Do

• Write readable/testable/efficient code in Go (Golang).
• Build deep expertise in our technology stack to deliver new features, improve system stability, and increase overall performance.
• Partner with engineering and product leaders on developing the Lightning product while using your experience to set the technical direction for large projects.
• Evaluate, strengthen, and document technical architecture, tools, and processes.
• Maintain software quality, implement automation, drive continuous delivery, and reduce time to production while proactively reducing technical debt.
• Mentor and coach engineers on system design, operating in high uncertainty, and problem-solving to create a supportive, inclusive environment where each engineer can grow.

What You’ll Need

• Extensive experience writing efficient, maintainable code in Go. Familiarity with best practices in testing, readability, and optimization is essential.
• Broad knowledge of backend and frontend systems, with experience building and scaling APIs, CLI tools, billing systems, and security protocols. Exposure to frontend frameworks is a plus.
• Experience with cloud platforms like AWS, GCP, or Azure and designing systems that are reliable, performant, and scalable. Familiarity with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) is a strong advantage.
• Proven ability to take ownership of key features and drive end-to-end development
• Commitment to software quality, test automation, and continuous delivery. Experience proactively managing technical debt and speeding up time to production.
• Hands-on experience as a backend or product engineer in a SaaS technology company
• Communication and collaboration with engineers, product managers, and designers
• Ability to operate in high uncertainty and rapidly changing environments

Compensation

We are committed to offering competitive compensation that reflects the value each team member brings to our mission. Final offers are based on factors such as experience, skills, geographic location, and role expectations. In addition to base salary, our total rewards package for eligible roles includes a discretionary bonus, a meaningful equity component, and comprehensive benefits. The anticipated annual base salary range for this role is: $180,000 - $250,000 USD

Benefits And Perks

We offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package designed to support our employees’ health, well-being, and long-term success. Benefits may vary by location, team, and role.

• Comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage (U.S.); Private medical and dental insurance (U.K.)
• Retirement and financial wellness support (U.S.); Pension contribution (U.K.)
• Generous paid time off, plus holidays
• Paid parental leave
• Professional development support
• Wellness and work-from-home stipends
• Flexible work environment

At Lightning AI, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We are dedicated to building a culture where everyone can thrive and contribute to their fullest potential.