Founding Engineer, Backend

Falconer; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous equity package

Flexible work arrangements

401(k) retirement account

Top-tier equipment and tools

Health benefits

Job summary

An innovative tech company in San Francisco is seeking a Founding Backend Engineer to build an AI-powered knowledge platform. This role involves shaping product development, defining technical direction, and working on backend systems, APIs, and databases. Candidates should have over 5 years' experience with languages such as Python or Node.js, expertise in containerization, and a solid understanding of cloud services. The position offers competitive salary, benefits, and flexible work arrangements.

Qualifications

• 5+ years developing APIs or backend systems.
• Experience with SQL, NoSQL, and Vector DBs.
• Ability to evaluate and propose storage solutions.

Responsibilities

• Participate in the entire product development lifecycle.
• Research best practices for infrastructure and deployment.
• Develop and maintain backend systems including API services.

Skills

API development

Backend systems

Database management

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS

Google Cloud

Event queues (Kafka/RabbitMQ)

Education

Degree in Computer Science, Engineering or related field

Tools

Python

Node.js

Vector databases

ML stack

Job description

At Falconer, we’re transforming how engineers create, access, and share knowledge. We’re looking for a Founding Backend Engineer to help us build an AI-powered knowledge platform that companies love.

As a founding engineer, you won’t just help shape our product development—you’ll have a seat at the table to define Falconer’s technical direction and culture.

Key responsibilities

• Participate in the entire product development lifecycle, including architecture, coding, testing, and deploying
• Research and apply best practices in terms of infra, deployment, and containerization of our products and ML stack
• Develop and maintain backend systems including API services, databases, and server-side logic
• Optimize applications for maximum speed and scalability
• Write clean, efficient, and well-documented code, following industry best practices— the Falconer platform will help you!
• Stay updated with emerging technologies in web development and make recommendations for adopting new tools and practices

Who you are

• Degree in Computer Science, Engineering or a related field, or equivalent work experience
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in developing APIs or backend systems in different languages (we’ll gravitate towards Python and Node.js)
• You can evaluate trade-offs and propose the most appropriate storage solution (SQL, NoSQL, Vector DBs)
• You have experience with event queues such as Kafka or RabbitMQ
• You make containers look simple, and are the go-to person to discuss Docker or Kubernetes
• You can make anything run in AWS or Google Cloud
• You enjoy hard problems and open-ended assignments
• You use data to make decisions, and experiment your way around hard problems

Bonus points

• You've developed products with LLMs before (extra if you've already built your own agents)
• You're familiar with vector databases and similarity search

Perks and benefits

• Generous equity package
• Competitive salary and benefits
• 401(k) retirement account
• The best equipment and tools, like a spec'd out MacBook, and dev prod tools like Cursor, Claude, and Linear to help you move fast
• Flexible work arrangements with in-office work or hybrid work for the right candidate
• Our office is in San Francisco, just steps from Caltrain

At Falconer, we value diversity and equal opportunities. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace. If you are passionate about technology and thrive in a challenging environment, come join our team and help us shape the future of work communication.