Software Engineer

K2 Venture Partners LLC; Cleveland (OH); On-site; USD 85,500 - 104,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible PTO

Comprehensive health benefits

Direct mentorship from successful entrepreneurs

Profit sharing program

Job summary

K2 Venture Partners LLC is looking for an exceptional Software Engineer to join their innovative team in Cleveland, Ohio. In this role, you'll design and implement scalable backend systems and work closely with founders to transform visionary ideas into technical solutions.

The ideal candidate will have strong backend development skills, including API design and database modeling, along with proficiency in Python and experience in AI/ML frameworks. Enjoy a collaborative environment with flexible PTO and comprehensive health benefits.

Qualifications

• Strong computer science fundamentals to design elegant solutions.
• Experience with software design patterns and clean architecture.
• Professional software development experience with shipping production systems.
• Solid understanding of RESTful API design and performance optimization.
• Excellent communication skills to explain concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement scalable backend systems including databases and APIs.
• Build AI-powered features and integrate RAG systems for intelligent applications.
• Collaborate with founders to translate visions into technical roadmaps.
• Ensure clean, maintainable code with comprehensive testing.

Skills

Backend Development

API Design

Database Modeling

Python

React

AI/ML Concepts

Tools

FastAPI

Node.js

Docker

Job description

Join our team of founders, engineers, and product innovators who are passionate about turning visionary ideas into successful ventures.

Why Work at K2?

Work directly with founders to build products that solve real problems. Every project you work on has the potential to become the next breakthrough startup.

We embrace cutting‑edge technology and AI‑first development. You'll work with the latest tools and methodologies in a fast‑paced, innovative environment.

Learn from experienced founders who've built and scaled multiple successful companies. Gain exposure to diverse industries and technologies.

Software Engineer

Westlake, OH

Full‑Stack Backend API Python React AI/ML Startups

K2 Venture Partners is a hands‑on software development studio specializing in AI‑first problem solving and zero‑to‑one product development, founded by serial entrepreneurs who've built dozens of products and sold multiple companies. We partner with early‑stage companies to transform bold ideas into market‑ready products, with a core focus on achieving product‑market fit through rapid, traction‑centric development.

The Role

We're seeking an exceptional software engineer who combines technical excellence with pragmatic product thinking. As a full‑stack generalist, you'll own entire features from database design to user interface, working closely with our product team to deliver cutting‑edge software solutions. This role demands versatility and technical depth. While you'll touch every part of the stack, we especially value strong backend expertise: building robust APIs, designing scalable databases, implementing complex business logic, and integrating AI/RAG capabilities. You'll architect systems that can evolve with rapidly changing startup needs while maintaining the flexibility to jump into React when the front end needs attention. You'll be a technical partner to founders, translating business requirements into elegant technical solutions and making critical architecture decisions that shape products from their earliest stages.

What You’ll Do

• Design and implement scalable backend systems including APIs, databases, and microservices that power multiple startup products
• Build AI‑powered features and RAG (Retrieval‑Augmented Generation) systems to create intelligent, context‑aware applications
• Architect data models and implement business logic that captures complex domain requirements while remaining flexible for iteration
• Develop responsive frontend interfaces using modern React patterns when needed to complete end‑to‑end features
• Collaborate directly with founders to understand their vision and translate it into technical roadmaps and implementation plans
• Make critical technology decisions around frameworks, infrastructure, and architecture patterns that set products up for long‑term success
• Write clean, maintainable code with comprehensive testing that allows for rapid iteration without sacrificing quality
• Participate in code reviews and contribute to engineering best practices across multiple codebases

What We’re Looking For

• Strong computer science fundamentals with the ability to design elegant solutions to complex problems
• Solid understanding of software design patterns, clean architecture principles, and when to apply them pragmatically
• Some professional software development experience with the ability to ship production systems
• Experience in backend development: RESTful API design, database modeling, authentication/authorization, and performance optimization
• Experience with modern backend languages and frameworks (Python/Django/FastAPI, Node.js/Express, Go, or similar)
• A product‑minded approach: you care about user outcomes, not just technical implementation
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts to non‑technical stakeholders

Nice to Haves

• Experience with AI/ML frameworks and Large Language Models (OpenAI, Anthropic, vector databases)
• Experience with monitoring and evaluating production LLM (Langfuse, Langsmith, etc.)
• Contributions to open‑source projects or technical writing
• Experience with mobile development (React Native, Flutter)
• DevOps expertise with CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure as code (Docker, Github Actions, etc.)
• Boutique studio in Westlake, OH. Collaborate in‑person with founders and the team 3 days/week.
• Compensation: $95,000 base salary + participation in profit sharing program
• Work on diverse, cutting‑edge products across multiple industries
• Direct mentorship from successful serial entrepreneurs
• Small, high‑impact team where your decisions directly shape product outcomes
• Flexible PTO and comprehensive health benefits