Platform / Backend Engineer

Generative; New York (NY); On-site; USD 170,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Generative in New York City is hiring its first software engineer to build the core platform from scratch. You will work directly with the founders to shape architecture, set engineering standards, and deliver scalable backend services for complex datasets.

You’ll own end-to-end development from design to delivery, balancing quality with speed and defining how the team tests, ships, and evolves the platform as the product grows.

Qualifications

• Experience in designing and building substantial systems or products from scratch.
• Familiarity with infrastructure as code patterns and practices.
• Ability to balance technical quality with delivery speed.

Responsibilities

• Design and build the backend services and infrastructure underpinning the platform.
• Develop systems that make large, complex datasets usable within the product.
• Choose architecture, infrastructure and tooling as the platform evolves.
• Translate customer problems into practical software, including internal and customer-facing tools.
• Take features and systems from initial design through delivery, with ownership across the wider platform.
• Help define how the engineering team builds, tests and ships.

Skills

Backend engineering

Infra as code

System design

Architecture decisions

Code quality

Tools

Terraform

Job description

New York City | $170,000–$250,000 base + equity

We’re representing a venture-backed software startup hiring its first engineer, founded by two ex-Palantir employees.

Working directly with the founders, you’ll build the core platform from the ground up, shape its architecture and help establish the engineering standards for the team that follows.

The business is already working directly with the talent team at a high-growth tech company valued in the billions. Its product brings together complex datasets and business workflows, creating substantial engineering challenges across backend systems, infrastructure and product development.

What you’ll own

• Design and build the backend services and infrastructure underpinning the platform.
• Develop systems that make large, complex datasets usable within the product.
• Choose architecture, infrastructure and tooling as the platform evolves.
• Translate customer problems into practical software, including internal and customer-facing tools.
• Take features and systems from initial design through delivery, with ownership across the wider platform.
• Help define how the engineering team builds, tests and ships.

What we’re looking for

• Evidence of building and shipping substantial products or systems from scratch.
• Experience with infrastructure as code.
• The judgment to balance technical quality with speed of delivery.