Backend Engineer / Tech Lead at Tamber

M13; Los Angeles (CA); Remote; USD 185,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Tamber, an AI-powered music tool, is seeking a Backend Engineer / Tech Lead to develop scalable backend infrastructure and lead engineering initiatives. In this role, you'll collaborate with the founder and engineers to create innovative music production tools. Ideal candidates should have substantial experience in backend development and a passion for technology and music.

Benefits

Competitive Compensation & Equity

High Autonomy & Ownership

Work from Anywhere

Qualifications

• Ability to design and optimize scalable microservices.
• Passion for music technology and understanding of audio processing.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to translate complex challenges.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain scalable backend systems for AI-driven music creation.
• Architect APIs to handle real-time processing.
• Lead backend engineering efforts while contributing production-ready code.

Skills

Backend Development

Cloud Infrastructure

Security Best Practices

Real-time Systems

API Architecture

Python

Node.js

Machine Learning Model Deployment

Education

7+ years of experience in software engineering

3+ years of technical leadership experience

Tools

AWS EC2

Firebase

Docker

Kubernetes

PostgreSQL

Redis

Job description

Tamber is an AI-powered assistant built for musicians, designed to streamline workflows and enhance creativity by handling repetitive tasks. We believe AI should assist artists—not replace them—allowing musicians to focus on making music instead of getting lost in technical processes. Tamber helps with everything from songwriting and arrangement to production, DAW control, and intelligent music discovery.

Built by musicians, for musicians, Tamber lowers the barrier to entry for new artists while giving professionals the tools to work faster, stay inspired, and maintain complete creative control.

The Role

Tamber is hiring a Backend Engineer / Tech Lead to build and scale our backend infrastructure for AI-powered music tools. This is a hands-on engineering leadership role, where you’ll be responsible for backend architecture, cloud infrastructure, real-time systems, security, and ML model deployment.

As the first backend hire and technical leader, you’ll work directly with the Founder & CEO, the frontend engineer, and the AI/ML engineer to develop next-generation music production and discovery tools. You’ll set the foundation for Tamber’s backend, making key decisions on scalability, security, and system performance while delivering an exceptional experience for musicians.

This role is ideal for an experienced software engineer who thrives in a fast-moving startup environment, enjoys coding and technical leadership, and is passionate about building cutting-edge AI-powered music tools.

What You’ll Do

• Design, build, and maintain scalable backend systems that support AI-driven music creation and discovery.

• Architect APIs and backend services to handle real-time processing, storage, and AI inference.

• Lead backend engineering efforts while actively contributing high-quality, production-ready code.

• Develop and manage cloud infrastructure (AWS EC2, Firebase, Docker, Kubernetes) to ensure scalability and reliability.

• Implement security best practices (OAuth, JWT, IAM policies) to protect user data and prevent vulnerabilities.

• Optimize and deploy AI/ML models into production, integrating them seamlessly into Tamber’s core platform.

• Work on real-time systems (WebSockets, event-driven architectures, message queues) to enhance interactivity.

• Ensure smooth cross-functional collaboration between engineering, design, and product teams.

• Establish engineering best practices, fostering a high-performance, innovation-driven culture.

What You Bring

• 7+ years of experience in software engineering, with expertise in backend development.

• 3+ years of technical leadership experience, leading teams or major engineering initiatives.

• Strong backend development skills with expertise in Python and/or Node.js.

• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS EC2, Firebase, or similar).

• Deep understanding of API architecture, database design (PostgreSQL, Redis), and distributed systems.

• Experience with real-time systems (WebSockets, event-driven architectures, message queues like Kafka or RabbitMQ).

• Strong security knowledge (OAuth, JWT, IAM policies, compliance best practices).

• Familiarity with AI/ML model deployment, optimizing inference, and integrating ML models into production.

• Ability to design and optimize scalable microservices with an eye on performance and maintainability.

• Passion for music technology and an understanding of music/audio storage and processing (a plus but not required).

• Excellent communication skills—able to translate complex technical challenges into clear solutions.

• Ability to work independently, take ownership, and execute in a fast-paced startup environment.

Bonus Points

• Experience with AI-driven applications, multimodal models, or ML inference pipelines.

• Previous experience in the music tech industry (DAWs, MIDI tools, or audio processing).

• Strong DevOps experience (CI/CD pipelines, observability, Terraform, etc.).

• Experience migrating systems from one stack to another (e.g., Firebase to AWS).

What’s in It for You?

Shape the Future of Music – Join an early-stage, mission-driven team redefining music creation and discovery. Your work will directly impact how artists create.

High Autonomy & Ownership – As one of the first engineering hires, you’ll be able to set technical direction and make key architectural decisions that define Tamber’s backend.

Competitive Compensation & Equity – Salary range: $185,000-$210,000 based on experience and impact. Meaningful equity options available.

Remote-First Culture – Work from anywhere while collaborating with a team that values transparency, innovation, and execution.

️ Build Cutting-Edge Tech – Work at the intersection of AI, music, and human-computer interaction, developing tools that empower musicians.

A Note on Applying

Tamber is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. We recognize the value of diverse perspectives and backgrounds and encourage candidates from all experiences to apply.

Ready to build the future of music with us? Apply now.