Software Engineer

Chalk; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

15 days PTO + 14 holidays

Daily lunch and dinner provided

Office snacks

Job summary

Chalk is hiring Software Engineers to join our early team in San Francisco, tackling challenging systems problems in DBMS planning, optimization, and distributed analytics. This is an in-person, non-hybrid role with strong ownership and impact as we build a data platform for ML applications.

You will write C++, Python and Rust, design and ship core components of our execution engine, and iterate quickly to meet customer needs.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of professional backend software engineering experience.
• Ability to own and lead new components.
• Experience with data infrastructure and compilers/ query planners

Responsibilities

• Productionize Chalk’s first iteration.
• Write C++, Python and Rust.
• Design, implement, ship, and maintain significant components of our query planning and execution engine.
• Iterate rapidly to respond to customer needs

Skills

Backend engineering

Systems design

Distributed systems

Rust

Autonomy

Python

C++

Tools

Rust

C++

Python

Job description

Chalk is building the data platform that powers the future of machine learning applications. We tear down complexity, latency, and scale barriers that have traditionally constrained ML capabilities. Our platform combines Rust-speed performance with elegant tools that developers love to use. Leading companies depend on Chalk for everything from stopping fraudulent credit card swipes, diagnosing sepsis, and maximizing clean energy capture. We've recently raised a $50 million Series A, led by Felicis.

About the role

We are hiring Software Engineers to join our team. This is an opportunity to join us in-person as an early employee and make a large impact at a high growth start-up. You will tackle challenging engineering problems with a high degree of autonomy and ownership.

We're in the office 5 days a week. When unavoidable conflicts come up, we’re flexible. This is not a hybrid role.

We are looking for a software engineer with a strong background in systems engineering. At Chalk we are solving problems drawn from the fields of DBMS query planning & optimization, compilers, and distributed analytical data processing systems.

Chalk uses dynamic and static analysis of Python programs in order to optimize arbitrary user Python code, infers and orchestrates infrastructure implied by the structure of that code, and tracks metadata about flow of data through these systems.

What you will do

• Work directly with Chalk’s co-founders to productionize our first iteration
• Write C++, Python and Rust
• Design, implement, ship, and maintain significant components of our query planning and execution engine
• Iterate rapidly to improve Chalk’s platform in response to customer needs

What we’re looking for

• 4+ years experience of professional backend software engineering experience
• Strong working knowledge of computer science fundamentals. We’re not looking for experience from drilling leet code – we need folks who are comfortable building and maintaining real systems
• Comfort with leading development of new components of existing systems, and with taking ownership of existing software
• Track record of learning new concepts quickly
• Ability to work autonomously & to make pragmatic tradeoffs with an eye towards business outcomes
• Experience implementing data infrastructure
• Experience with distributed systems/compilers/query planners
• Experience with Rust
• Experience with developing PaaS-like software

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family

15 days of PTO and 14 company holidays each year

Daily lunch and dinner on Chalk

Office is fully-stocked with drinks and snacks to fuel your work day.

Staying late? Dinner is on us

Staying even later? Grab an Uber / Lyft home on Chalk

Team building events & happy hours

Compensation

Salary Range

$170,000 – $280,000 - Offers equity + benefits

Chalk offers early team members a generous salary + equity package based on experience and competitive benefits.

Actual compensation awarded to successful candidates will be based on several factors, including but not limited to: market, location, scope of the position and individual qualifications objectively assessed during the interview process.

Our comprehensive total package plays a major role in how we recognize individuals for the impact they will have on Chalk’s growth and us achieving our goals.

Inclusivity

Chalk is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and inclusion and provide reasonable accommodations to anyone in need of individualized support.