Senior Software Engineer, Backend & Infrastructure

Coursera; United States; Remote; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Coursera is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join our AI enablement efforts. You will help build production-grade AI infrastructure and deliver solutions for both internal teams and enterprise customers, shaping Coursera’s AI-focused platform.

You will collaborate with a cross-functional team of engineers and product partners, own architecture decisions, and drive end-to-end delivery across the SDLC in a fast-paced, globally distributed environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in software engineering, backend focus and cloud infra.
• 1+ year building production-grade agentic AI solutions.
• Experience with Python/Java/Node.js/Go and Docker/Kubernetes/Kafka.
• API design, SQL/NoSQL, and end-to-end testing.
• Cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and IaC (Terraform).
• CI/CD (GitHub Actions or Jenkins) and strong engineering culture.

Responsibilities

• Build, scale and maintain infrastructure and platform for AI solutions.
• Lead architecture and design for high availability and scalability.
• Analyze requirements, ensure data privacy and residency in engineering framework.
• Collaborate with PMs and strategists to scope problems and impact.
• Set excellence standards; mentor engineers and streamline processes.
• Participate in sprint planning, grooming and retrospectives.

Skills

Backend engineering

Cloud infrastructure

Leadership

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Kafka

Terraform

GitHub Actions

Jenkins

SQL

NoSQL

Job description

At Coursera, we aim to allow employees to develop their skills and grow their careers. One way we do this is with internal transfers. In order to support open and fair transfers, we practice transparency and have set guidelines for who is eligible to request a transfer.

Anyone who has been in their role for more than 6 months and in good standing may apply for a new position at Coursera. For consideration outside this timeframe, individuals should talk to their manager and People Business Partner. Please be sure to read the our Internal Mobility Program Policy here.

We’re a globally distributed team that comes together intentionally for collaboration, complex problem-solving, and key milestones — creating opportunities for teams to do their best work together. Our virtual hiring and onboarding experience makes it easy to join us and start making an impact from anywhere. If you’re ready to make a global impact, help scale unique products across Coursera + Udemy, and grow your career, apply below.

Job Overview

As a Senior Software Engineer , you will join a fast-paced innovation team at Coursera working on AI enablement for our organization and customers. As an internal focus area, this team builds and maintains the infrastructure & tooling required to drive meaningful AI adoption across the organization, providing a platform for non-technical team members to build and deploy tools and transforming entire business functions into AI-native operating models. As a customer-facing focus area, this team builds custom AI-powered solutions for our enterprise customers supporting them in their journey of AI adoption and upskilling beyond just the content on our platforms.

You will have the opportunity to work on complex technical challenges, and influence the future roadmap, growth and success of Coursera’s AI culture. You will work closely with a cross functional team of Software Engineers, AI Specialists and Tech Innovation Strategists - leading architecture, owning technical decisions and ensuring end-to-end delivery throughout the SDLC.

Key Responsibilities

• Build, scale and maintain the infrastructure and platform required to deliver production-grade agentic AI solutions
• Lead architecture and technical design while ensuring high availability, reliability and scalability in our systems
• Analyze customer requirements, understand enterprise data landscape and ensure data privacy and residency compliance factors in our engineering framework
• Collaborate closely with Product Managers and Tech Innovation Strategists to scope out problem statements and narrow down requirements with a laser focus on impact delivered to customers and stakeholders
• Set a high standard of excellence for engineering culture and developer experience in the team by leading code reviews, mentoring junior engineers and building stronger processes
• Participate in sprint planning, technical grooming, and retrospective discussions

Basic Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in a software engineering role - with a strong background in backend engineering and cloud infrastructure
• 1+ years of experience building production-grade agentic AI solutions
• Proficiency in backend languages such as Python, Java, Node.js or Go and technologies such as Docker, Kubernetes and Kafka
• Strong experience in implementing APIs, working with SQL and NoSQL databases and writing E2E automated tests
• Deep understanding of cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure), able to work with self-hosted as well as managed services
• Expertise in infrastructure as code tools like Terraform and CI/CD solutions such as GitHub Actions or Jenkins
• Fervent belief in engineering quality and building technical leverage for others
• Prior experience in leading projects and debugging complex issues with minimal supervision

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with modern evolving technologies on agentic AI such as RAG, MCP, LangGraph, LangFuse, etc.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, and navigate through ambiguity and uncertainty with confidence
• Proven track record of delivering results in a resource-constrained environment with limited guidance and supervision
• Excellent communication skills, ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams with a proactive mindset

Why Join Us?

• Solve real-world challenges that drive real impact across Coursera’s business functions and enterprise customers
• Work with a supportive and innovative team with a drive for continuous learning & improvement
• Become a go-to technical leader in the team and shape the internal developer experience
• Be part of a mission-driven company transforming global access to education and upskilling in the AI era

Coursera is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to building a welcoming and inclusive workplace. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to legally protected characteristics and provide reasonable accommodations upon request at [e-mail].