Senior Software Engineer, Core Platform

Lightning-Ai; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Coverage

Equity (RSUs)

401(k) matching / Pension

Unlimited PTO

Winter Break

Parental & Family Leave

Learning & Development allowance

Wellness stipends

Sabbatical program

Hybrid work model

In-office meals

Job summary

Lightning AI is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to design, build, and scale core backend services that power Lightning AI Studio. You will collaborate with product, infrastructure, and AI engineering teams to improve reliability, scalability, and developer experience across the platform.

You will work on authentication, resource management, multi-tenancy, and developer workflows, leading architectural decisions and mentoring engineers.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience building scalable backend systems.
• Experience designing and operating distributed/cloud-native services.
• Experience building APIs, platform services, and infrastructure used by other engineers.
• Familiarity with Kubernetes, Docker, and major cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure).
• Strong focus on software quality, testing, observability, and CD.
• Proven ability to lead technical initiatives from architecture to production.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Thrives in fast-moving startup environments.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain scalable backend services powering Lightning AI Studio.
• Develop APIs and platform services for authentication, resource management, multi-tenancy, and workflows.
• Improve reliability, observability, scalability, and performance of core platform infrastructure.
• Collaborate with product, infrastructure, and AI engineering teams to deliver new platform capabilities.
• Evaluate and improve architecture, processes, and tooling.
• Mentor engineers and promote engineering best practices.

Skills

Backend languages

Distributed systems

APIs & infrastructure

Kubernetes & Docker

Cloud platforms

Testing & CD

Technical leadership

Communication skills

Startup environment

Tools

Kubernetes

Docker

AWS

GCP

Azure

Job description

London, England, United Kingdom; New York, New York, United States; San Francisco, California, United States

Who We Are

Lightning AI is the company behind PyTorch Lightning. Founded in 2019, we build an end-to-end platform for developing, training, and deploying AI systems - designed to take ideas from research to production with less friction.

Through our merger with Voltage Park, a neocloud and AI Factory, Lightning AI combines developer-first software with cost-efficient, large-scale compute. Teams get the tools they need for experimentation, training, and production inference, with security, observability, and control built in.

We serve solo researchers, startups, and large enterprises. Lightning AI operates globally with offices in New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and London, and is backed by Coatue, Index Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, and Firstminute.

The Way We Work

The people who thrive here are builders who move fast, communicate openly, take ownership, and continuously improve themselves, their teams, and our company. Here's what that looks like in practice:

• Move with Urgency: We move quickly, make thoughtful decisions, and keep momentum. We value action over perfection and learn by shipping.
• Take Ownership: We own outcomes, not just our individual work. We make decisions that move the company forward and follow through.
• Communicate Openly: We communicate directly, seek to understand, and create clarity for others. Honest conversations help us move faster together.
• Build Great Teams: We lead by example, empower others, and create healthy teams where people can do their best work.
• Raise the Bar: We're always improving ourselves. We learn from feedback, consistently challenge ourselves to grow, and focus on the work that matters most.
• Think Long-Term: We design for what's next. We create scalable systems, simplify complexity, and use AI and automation to amplify our impact.

What We're Looking For

The Core Platform team builds the foundational services that power every experience across Lightning AI. From authentication and APIs to multi-tenancy, resource management, and developer tooling, this team creates the platform capabilities that every customer and engineering team depends on.

We're looking for a Senior Software Engineer to help design, build, and scale these core systems. You'll work on backend services that support researchers, startups, and enterprise AI teams as they build, train, and deploy AI applications on Lightning AI. You'll collaborate closely with product, infrastructure, and AI engineering teams to improve reliability, scalability, and developer experience across the platform.

This role is based in one of our San Francisco, NYC, or London office hubs, with a minimum of 2 in-office days per week and occasional team and company offsites. We are not able to provide visa sponsorship for this position at this time.

What You’ll Do

• Design, build, and maintain scalable backend services powering Lightning AI Studio.
• Develop APIs and platform services supporting authentication, resource management, multi-tenancy, and developer workflows.
• Improve reliability, observability, scalability, and performance across core platform infrastructure.
• Partner closely with product, infrastructure, and AI engineering teams to deliver new platform capabilities.
• Evaluate and improve technical architecture, engineering processes, and operational tooling.
• Mentor engineers and help establish engineering best practices across the organization.

What You’ll Need

• Extensive experience building scalable backend systems using Go, Python, Rust, React or similar languages.
• Strong experience designing and operating distributed systems or cloud-native services.
• Experience building APIs, platform services, and infrastructure that other engineers depend on.
• Familiarity with Kubernetes, Docker, and modern cloud platforms such as AWS, GCP, or Azure.
• Strong understanding of software quality, automated testing, observability, and continuous delivery.
• Proven ability to lead technical initiatives from architecture through production.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively across engineering, product, and design.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-moving, ambiguous startup environment.

Compensation

We are committed to offering competitive compensation that reflects the value each team member brings to our mission. Final offers are based on factors such as experience, skills, geographic location, and role expectations. In addition to base salary, our total rewards package for eligible roles includes a discretionary bonus, a meaningful equity component, and comprehensive benefits.

The anticipated annual base salary range for this role is:

$180,000 - $250,000 USD

Benefits and Perks

We offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package designed to support our employees’ health, well-being, and long-term success:

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and eligible dependents.
• Meaningful Equity: RSUs that give employees a stake in the company's long-term success.
• Retirement Savings: 401(k) matching (U.S.) and pension contributions (U.K.).
• Flexible Time Off: Unlimited PTO, company holidays, and floating holidays to support work-life balance.
• Company-Wide Winter Break: Two weeks of company closure each winter to disconnect and recharge.
• Paid Parental & Family Leave: Paid leave to support you and your family through life's important moments.
• Professional Development: Annual learning and development allowance to support your professional growth.
• Wellness Benefits: Wellness and work-from-home stipends to support your physical and mental well-being.
• Sabbatical Program: Four weeks of paid sabbatical leave after four years of service.
• Flexible Work: Flexible schedules and a hybrid work model for our office-based teams.
• In-Office Meals: Complimentary meals at our office hubs.

Benefits may vary by location, team, and role.

At Lightning AI, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We believe that diverse teams drive innovation and create better products. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We are dedicated to building a culture where everyone can thrive and contribute to their fullest potential.