Senior Software Engineer, Backend, Infrastructure Focus

Jobtailor; California (MO); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor is seeking a senior software engineer to own backend development and drive scalable systems in a dynamic startup environment. You will partner with product and design to ship impactful features and set technical direction, while mentoring junior engineers and improving CI/CD and observability.

Expect ownership across lifecycle from prototyping to production, with emphasis on reliability and performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, or equivalent technical experience.
• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience or equivalent practical experience.
• Strong backend experience (e.g., Kotlin, Python, Go, Rust, Scala), with willingness to ramp up on Kira’s stack (Kotlin, Python).
• Ability to own technical decisions and execute with minimal guidance in ambiguous environments.
• Hands-on experience operating production systems and cloud infrastructure (ideally AWS).
• Experience designing APIs, working with relational databases (MySQL), and shipping complex systems.
• 2+ years experience mentoring and/or managing junior and mid-level engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and high-quality delivery.
• Familiarity with automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, and reliable deployment practices.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences.
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced, early-stage startup environment with changing priorities.
• A positive, can-do attitude. You’re not deterred by minor setbacks and are able to swiftly overcome ambiguity.
• Impeccable attention to detail.
• (Preferred) Extensive experience contributing to frontend codebases (React, TypeScript).
• (Preferred) Experience with integrating LLM-backed services, including API usage, evaluation, and operational considerations.

Responsibilities

• Ship impactful, end-to-end features that improve student and teacher experiences.
• Help set and evolve technical direction, translating business goals into pragmatic technical plans.
• Improve product and engineering foundations, including code quality, observability, CI/CD, and developer tooling.
• Own operational excellence, addressing performance, scalability, security, reliability, and incident response.
• Partner closely with product managers and designers on UX, interaction design, and execution.
• Participate across the full lifecycle: prototyping, testing, rollout, and ongoing support.
• Provide technical leadership through design discussions, code reviews, and mentorship.

Skills

Backend Kotlin/Python

Cloud AWS

API Design

Mentorship

CI/CD

Observability

Frontend React TS

Relational DB MySQL

Education

Bachelor's in CS

Master's in CS

Tools

Kubernetes

AWS Tools

Testing Frameworks

Job description

• Ship impactful, end-to-end features that improve student and teacher experiences


• Help set and evolve technical direction, translating business goals into pragmatic technical plans


• Improve product and engineering foundations, including code quality, observability, CI/CD, and developer tooling


• Own operational excellence, addressing performance, scalability, security, reliability, and incident response


• Partner closely with product managers and designers on UX, interaction design, and execution


• Participate across the full lifecycle: prototyping, testing, rollout, and ongoing support


• Provide technical leadership through design discussions, code reviews, and mentorship

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, or equivalent technical experience


• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience or equivalent practical experience


• Strong backend experience (e.g., Kotlin, Python, Go, Rust, Scala), with willingness to ramp up on Kira’s stack (Kotlin, Python)


• Ability to own technical decisions and execute with minimal guidance in ambiguous environments


• Hands‑on experience operating production systems and cloud infrastructure (ideally AWS)


• Experience designing APIs, working with relational databases (e.g., MySQL), and shipping complex systems


• 2+ years experience mentoring and/or managing junior and mid-level engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and high‑quality delivery


• Familiarity with automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, and reliable deployment practices


• Clear written and verbal communication skills across technical and non‑technical audiences


• Comfort operating in a fast‑paced, early‑stage startup environment with changing priorities


• A positive, can‑do attitude. You’re not deterred by minor setbacks and are able to swiftly overcome ambiguity


• Impeccable attention to detail


• (Preferred) Extensive experience contributing to frontend codebases (e.g., React, TypeScript)


• (Preferred) Experience with integrating LLM‑backed services, including API usage, evaluation, and operational considerations

Core Competencies

Demonstrates strong backend development skills in Kotlin and Python, with a focus on operational excellence and technical leadership. Proven ability to mentor engineers and improve product foundations through effective collaboration and communication.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Backend Development (Kotlin, Python)


• Cloud Infrastructure (AWS)


• API Design and Development


• Mentorship and Team Leadership


• CI/CD and Automated Testing

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Software Engineering


• Kotlin


• Python


• Go


• Rust


• Scala


• API Design


• Relational Databases (MySQL)


• Automated Testing


• CI/CD Pipelines

Soft Skills

• Clear Communication


• Problem‑Solving


• Attention to Detail


• Positive Attitude


• Adaptability

Certifications & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science


• Master’s Degree in Computer Science

Industry Keywords

• Operational Excellence


• Performance


• Scalability


• Security


• Reliability


• Incident Response


• UX Design


• Prototyping


• Testing


• Deployment Practices

Tools & Technologies

• Cloud Infrastructure (AWS)


• Developer Tooling


• Observability Tools


• Production Systems