Backend Engineer

Pump; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation & equity

Medical & dental coverage

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Free lunch

Gym access

Team retreats

Professional development support

Job summary

Pump is building the fastest way to save on cloud costs. As a Backend Engineer, you will contribute to the core of our product and infrastructure, growing with a small, collaborative team in an early-stage startup.

This role requires deep Python experience, PostgreSQL familiarity, and cloud tooling (AWS). You will work in the office five days a week and help scale our platform while delivering meaningful impact for customers.

Qualifications

• 3–15 years of backend engineering experience.
• Ability to work in-office 5 days a week.
• Proficiency in Python and FastAPI or similar frameworks.
• Experience with SQL databases (PostgreSQL).
• Comfort working in a cloud environment (AWS preferred).
• Familiarity with containerization and orchestration tools like Docker and Kubernetes.
• Excitement about early-stage startups and the ability to thrive in fast-moving environments.
• Clear communication and collaborative instincts.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain backend services powering the Pump platform.
• Collaborate to define and scope new product features.
• Contribute to engineering culture via code reviews and improvements.
• Extend internal tools, dev workflows, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Ensure system reliability, performance, and maintainability.
• Collaborate across functions to solve real customer problems.

Skills

Python

FastAPI

PostgreSQL

AWS

Docker

Kubernetes

LLM/AI

Tools

Git

CI/CD

Job description

About Pump.co

Gartner predicts that cloud spend will be over $2T/yr by 2030, making it the fastest-growing expense for tech companies. Managing it well demands constant engineering effort-time that could be spent building your product.

At Pump , we're building the fastest way to save ~60% on cloud costs. Our AI-powered platform not only automates savings but also leverages the power of group buying for even deeper discounts. Backed by Y Combinator , we're on a mission to transform cloud cost optimization through AI.

Our founding team includes experienced entrepreneurs with prior exits, and our culture is fast-paced, collaborative, and flat in structure. If you're excited about shipping real impact and joining a team at an early, career-defining stage-we'd love to meet you.

About the Role

Skills: Python, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, AWS, Docker, Kubernetes (nice to have), LLM/AI (bonus)

As a Backend Engineer , you'll contribute directly to the core of our product and infrastructure. This role is ideal for someone looking to grow within a strong engineering team while delivering meaningful work that touches real customers.

You'll collaborate closely with engineers, designers, and founders-working across the stack to build, improve, and scale our platform.

We are 5 days a week in office. No remote work will be considered.

What You'll Do

• Design, build, and maintain backend services that power the Pump platform
• Work with the team to define and scope new product features
• Contribute to a strong engineering culture by participating in code reviews and continuous improvement
• Help extend our internal tools, dev workflows, and CI/CD pipelines
• Ensure system reliability, performance, and maintainability
• Collaborate across functions to solve real customer problems with intuitive engineering solutions

What We're Looking For

• 3-15 years of professional backend engineering experience
• Ability to work 5 days a week in office
• Proficiency in Python and familiarity with FastAPI or similar frameworks
• Experience with SQL databases -we use PostgreSQL
• Comfort working in a cloud environment (AWS preferred)
• Familiarity with containerization and orchestration tools like Docker and Kubernetes (nice to have)
• Excitement about early-stage startups and the ability to thrive in fast-moving environments
• Clear communication and collaborative instincts

Bonus Points For

• Experience with cloud billing/cost tooling
• Interest in or exposure to LLMs or AI integrations
• Familiarity with NoSQL databases like DynamoDB

Benefits

• Competitive compensation + equity
• Comprehensive medical and dental coverage
• 401(k) plan
• Generous paid time off, including 13 days of accrued PTO, 9 sick days, all 11 federal holidays, and a company-wide winter break from December 24 through January 1
• Free lunch at the office
• Free access to the building gym
• Annual company-paid retreats
• Developmental bonuses: support for professional development tied to cloud and related fields