Senior Software Engineer, MLOps

Forward Financing; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 175,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Flexible time-off

401k match (US)

Job summary

Forward Financing is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to own the online feature store and real-time ML serving. You will design, build, and operate pipelines and data models, collaborating with Data Science and Analytics teams.

The role emphasizes reliability, low latency, and scalability in a multi-service backend. A Bachelor's in CS or related field is expected, with 5+ years in backend and 2-3 years in MLOps. We offer flexible work locations across the US.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of software experience, backend focus (Python) and 2-3 years of MLOps
• Strong experience with relational databases (Postgres preferred) and production load
• Experience building real-time inference systems and ML-serving infrastructure

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and operate the online feature store with low latency and strong consistency
• Build and maintain data pipelines (batch and streaming) to publish features
• Work on data models and Postgres schemas for real-time serving
• Lead feature store infrastructure improvements for quality, scale, and observability
• Collaborate with Data Science, Analytics Engineering, PM, and App Development
• Mentor junior engineers
• Contribute to code reviews and technical design discussions

Skills

Python

PostgreSQL

MLOps

Real-time inference

Distributed systems

Microservices

Agile

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Feast

Tecton

SageMaker Feature Store

MLflow

Airflow

dbt

Job description

Forward Financing is a financial technology company based in Boston, Massachusetts with team members throughout the United States, Dominican Republic, and Canada. The company is on a mission to unlock the capital that fuels small businesses across America. Recognized as a Best Place to Work by Built In Boston and certified as a Great Place To Work®, Forward is investing in its employees, technology, and customer experience -- with long-term success in mind every step of the way.

Forward Financing is a Boston-based financial technology company with an operational hub in the Dominican Republic, on a mission to unlock the capital that fuels small businesses across America. Recognized as a Best Place to Work by Built In Boston and certified as a Great Place To Work®, Forward is investing in its employees, technology, and customer experience -- with long-term success in mind every step of the way.

Our Engineering team serves as a key driver of innovation at Forward Financing. We build the software that powers a FinTech product that serves Small Businesses across the country. A key part of our strategy involves leveraging data from dozens of sources to power our AI/ML initiatives and our analytical capabilities. We're looking for an experienced Senior Software Engineer to join our team, responsible for the systems that power our online (real-time) feature store --- the infrastructure that serves ML features to production models with low latency and high reliability.

In this role you will:

• Design, build, and operate the online feature store --- the real-time serving layer that delivers ML features to production models with low latency and strong consistency guarantees
• Build and maintain data pipelines (batch and streaming) that compute, validate, and publish features from source systems into the online and offline stores
• Work on the data models and Postgres schemas that back real-time feature serving, optimizing for query performance, freshness, and scale
• Act as a technical leader for feature store infrastructure; help drive enhancements to quality, scalability, reliability, and observability for the systems ML models depend on
• Partner closely with our Data Science, Analytics Engineering, Product Management, and Application Development teams to translate business requirements into production-grade engineering solutions
• Contribute to mentoring for junior engineers
• Contributing to best practices and raising the bar through thoughtful code reviews and contributions to technical design discussions

Why you should apply:

• Mission-driven company: Forward is a trusted source of fast, flexible funding for small businesses that have often been underserved by traditional financing options. When you join the team, you will help ensure all small businesses have access to the financial support they need to succeed.
• Flexibility is a top priority: Our employees are empowered to choose where they want to work (whether that's from home, in the office, or a combination of both).

Role Requirements:

• 5+ years of software experience, with a focus on backend systems (Python required) and 2-3 years of MLOps experience
• Strong experience with relational databases (Postgres preferred) --- schema design, query optimization, and operating databases under production load
• Experience building and operating real time inference systems
• Understanding of the unique reliability and correctness demands of ML-serving infrastructure (data freshness, training/serving skew, feature consistency)
• Experience in mutli-service architectures and design patterns
• Experience in Agile software development
• Typically has a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or a related field, or additional relevant experience

Bonus Qualifications:

• Experience with feature stores (e.g., Feast, Tecton, SageMaker Feature Store) or building an equivalent system in-house
• Experience with MLOps tooling (e.g., MLflow, Airflow, dbt) and ML model deployment/serving patterns
• Experience designing and implementing complex systems across multiple software applications and/or languages
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Ability to influence others
• Demonstrated project management skills

Compensation:

• Annual Salary: $175,000 - $220,000 USD
• Annual Bonus: You have the potential to earn an additional 10% annual bonus.

At Forward Financing, we're committed to fair and transparent compensation. We believe in providing a compensation package that recognizes your skills, experience, and the unique value you bring to our team. We take a market-basedapproach to pay, regularly reviewing benchmark data to ensure our compensation remains competitive, equitable, and aligned with our performance-driven culture. Final offers are determined by a variety of factors, including the candidate's qualifications, relevant experience, specific skills, and internal equity. This approach ensures that our compensation is competitive and equitable. Your recruiter will provide specific details on the expected base and variable earnings as it pertains to this specific role.

Our Core Values:

• Drive the Mission: We believe in financial opportunity for underserved small businesses. We say "yes" when others say "no."
• Keep It Real: We value direct communication, candid feedback, and authenticity. We are an open book.
• Act With Kindness: We create an environment where caring is cool and helping is the norm. We do the right thing.
• Shoot for Extraordinary: We are inspired by innovative thinking and continuous improvement. We never settle for yesterday's best.

About Us:

Forward Financing is a financial technology company based in Boston, Massachusetts with an operational hub in Santiago, Dominican Republic, on a mission to unlock the capital that fuels small businesses across America. Whether facing challenges accessing traditional financing or simply needing a convenient, flexible solution, Forward is committed to funding more of the millions of small businesses nationwide. Forward offers revenue-based financing -- delivering an upfront sum of working capital in exchange for a set amount of the business's future revenue. By simplifying the requirements, streamlining the process, and using advanced proprietary technology, Forward is often able to deliver approvals within hours and funds that same day -- giving more businesses the financial opportunity they need to thrive. Plus, with their dedicated teams and award-winning service, customers get personalized support when they need it most.

Since 2012, Forward has expanded access to capital by providing over $3.5 billion in funding to more than 71,000 small businesses. The company is A+ rated by the Better Business Bureau with an Excellent / 4.7 stars rating on Trustpilot.com. Recognized as a Best Place to Work by Built In Boston and certified as a Great Place To Work®, Forward is dedicated to empowering both its team and the customers they serve, helping them succeed and thrive.

Perks & Benefits:

• At Forward, our team members are at the heart of our company, and we are committed to taking care of them as people, not just employees. We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including but not limited to: medical, dental, vision, and commuter benefits, a flexible time-off policy, paid parental leave, 401k match for US employees, wellness reimbursement, volunteering days, annual professional development budget, and charitable donation match.
• Workplace flexibility is a top priority at Forward too. Our Employee Choice policy means that almost all of our employees get to decide where they work. As a business, we are focused on impact; we are more concerned with your contributions to the success of the company than where you get your work done. If face-to-face time is desired, people managers are empowered to find a cadence that works for their team.
• When we aren't collaborating to drive business and support our customers, we're finding virtual and in-person ways to get to know our colleagues, celebrate team wins, and have fun together!

U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Information

Forward Financing is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and is committed to fostering a fair and inclusive culture built on a foundation of high performance and exceptional customer experience. With a laser focus on employee impact, we're able to reduce biases and ensure the right people are in the right jobs to contribute to our mission. The varied perspectives of our people fuel innovation and make us a stronger team. By embracing what makes each of us unique, we create a supportive environment where people feel valued, accepted, and empowered to thrive.

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