Backend Engineer

Envive AI (formerly Spiffy AI); Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary & equity

Trailblazer opportunity

Flexible work environment

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance

Job summary

A cutting-edge AI startup is seeking an experienced backend developer to design and implement core backend services that support AI-driven features. The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of experience in building production-grade backend systems using Python and expertise in infrastructure-as-code frameworks like Terraform. This role offers a competitive salary, equity, and a flexible work environment, focusing on candidates in the Greater Seattle Area.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience building production-grade backend systems.
• Deep expertise in backend languages, especially Python.
• Experience with infrastructure-as-code frameworks like Terraform.
• Familiarity with Kubernetes and Airflow.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement core backend services for AI-driven features.
• Develop APIs and real-time data infrastructures.
• Ensure system performance, uptime, and observability.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams for seamless integration.

Skills

Backend development

Python

Terraform

Distributed systems

Cloud-native architectures

Kubernetes

Airflow

Tools

GCP

Job description

Envive is using AI to reimagine commerce. We envision a future where retailers and brands can deploy hyper-personalized online shopping experience easily, so customers can transact flawlessly.

We are developing a new breed of AI that continuously improves towards a goal. These models understand human behavior, reason what makes an amazing experience, continuously get better, and achieve performance surpassing that of today's top commercial AI models.

We already have commercial success deploying cutting-edge research techniques that our world-class researchers developed over the last two years to scale hyper-personalized and continuously improving AI, and are looking to scale fast.

What you'll do 🚀

• Design and scale robust backend systems: Architect and implement core backend services that are secure, scalable, and performant — supporting our AI-driven features and customer-facing applications.
• Build APIs and real-time data infrastructure: Own the development of APIs, data processing pipelines, and event-driven architectures that fuel AI workflows and product interactions.
• Optimize for performance and reliability: Take responsibility for system performance, uptime, and observability. You'll implement best practices around monitoring, alerting, and graceful degradation.
• Collaborate cross-functionally: Work closely with ML engineers, frontend developers, product managers, and designers to ensure seamless integration across the stack and a tight feedback loop from ideas to implementation.

Who you are 💡

• Experienced backend developer: You have 5+ years of experience building production-grade backend systems — with deep expertise in languages like Python an infra-as-code frameworks like Terraform.
• Scalability and systems thinker: You've designed systems for scale, reliability, and maintainability. You understand distributed systems, database optimization, and cloud-native architectures (ideally GCP), including frameworks like Kubernetes and workflow platforms like Airflow.
• Startup-ready: You're excited by ambiguity, fast iteration, and solving hard problems with limited resources. You've likely worked in startups or small, agile teams and know how to prioritize impact over perfection.
• AI/ML curious: You don't need to be an ML expert — but if you're interested in deploying safe and reliable machine learning systems, training large language models, or integrating models, you'll find lots of opportunities to grow.

Bonus Points ✨:

We are especially excited to hear from polyglot engineers who thrive in diverse technical environments and bring expertise in multiple programming languages to solve complex problems.

• Competitive salary & equity: Get rewarded for your ambition with meaningful early-stage equity.
• Trailblazer opportunity: Be a pivotal part of our well-funded, high-potential startup.
• Flexible work environment: We combine the flexibility of remote work with regular in-person collaboration. We are focusing on hiring candidates located in (or open to relocating to) the Greater Seattle Area.
• Health is wealth: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.