Platform Backend Engineer

Sight Machine; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Salary + Stock Options

Health Care Coverage

Flexible Vacation Policy

Catered Lunches, Snacks and Beverages

Job summary

A technology company in San Francisco is seeking a Platform Backend Engineer to work on systems that ingest and serve real-time AI insights. You will build ETL pipelines, design backend services for dashboards, and tackle data modeling challenges. Ideal candidates have proficiency in Python, experience with databases, and clear communication skills. Enjoy benefits such as competitive salary, health coverage, hybrid work flexibility, and a casual environment.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Strong foundation in data structures and algorithms.
• Experience with relational and NoSQL databases.

Responsibilities

• Build and optimize high-volume ETL pipelines.
• Design and maintain backend services for real-time dashboards.
• Collaborate with engineers embedded at client sites.

Skills

AI development tools

Python

Data structures and algorithms

Relational databases

NoSQL databases

Unix/Linux environments

Clear communication

Tools

Azure Cloud

MongoDB

PostgreSQL

Job description

As a Platform Backend Engineer, you’ll work on core systems that ingest, model, and serve real‑time AI insights at industrial scale, building and maintaining infrastructure that powers live factory data.

About the role

We’re looking for early‑career engineers who have already built interesting systems, whether on nights and weekends or using AI tools as a core part of their workflow. You’ll write production code that runs fast and matters.

What You’ll Actually Work On

• Build and optimize high‑volume, low‑latency ETL pipelines ingesting streaming sensor data.
• Design and maintain backend services powering real‑time dashboards and AI model outputs.
• Contribute to the automation and alerting layer using AI to catch issues early.
• Address data modeling challenges between operational technology and modern infrastructure.
• Collaborate with forward‑deployed engineers embedded at client sites.

What We’re Looking For

• A portfolio you’re proud of. Side projects, open‑source contributions, AI‑powered tools you built.
• Real fluency with AI development tools (agentic workflows, LLM‑assisted pipelines, etc.).
• 2+ years of professional software engineering experience, or less if your work speaks for itself.
• Python as primary language, solid knowledge of at least one other high‑level language.
• Strong foundation in data structures and algorithms; exposure to distributed systems.
• Experience with relational and NoSQL databases (MongoDB, PostgreSQL).
• Comfort with Unix/Linux environments.
• Shipped code in a mature codebase and can move existing systems forward without breaking them.
• Clear, direct communication.

Nice to Have

• Experience with Azure Cloud.
• Exposure to ETL or large‑scale data ingestion.
• Familiarity with statistical technologies such as R.
• Exposure to Industrial IoT or OT environments.
• Active GitHub profile that tells a story.

Benefits

• Competitive Salary + Stock Options
• Health Care Coverage + Life Insurance + Health Savings Account + Flexible Spending
• Flexible Vacation Policy
• Adaptable Working Schedule and Environment
• Casual Dress Attire
• Hybrid work flexibility
• Catered Lunches, Snacks and Beverages
• Commuter Savings Program
• Company Outings

Equal Opportunity Employer

Sight Machine is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and considers candidates regardless of age, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or veteran status. Sight Machine also considers qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.