Software Engineer, Backend

Shepherd; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Premium Healthcare

Unlimited PTO

Professional Development

Dog-friendly office

Job summary

Shepherd is seeking a talented software engineer based in San Francisco, California, to drive technical excellence and innovation in building AI-native commercial insurance solutions. This role emphasizes end-to-end ownership of features and mentoring fellow engineers in a collaborative environment. Strong experience with Javascript/Typescript and a passion for improving construction safety are essential. The position offers a competitive salary range of $170,000 - $220,000 along with comprehensive benefits including unlimited PTO and premium healthcare.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as a full-stack engineer with proven product delivery.
• Ability to adapt and communicate clearly with stakeholders.
• Interest in insurance and construction safety.

Responsibilities

• Lead product initiatives and own domain technical decisions.
• Work across different disciplines to deliver quality products.
• Mentor engineers and contribute to company culture.

Skills

Ownership and results-driven

End-to-end feature ownership

Strong communication skills

Experience with Javascript/Typescript

Mentoring

Actuarial or InsurTech experience

Tools

React

Next.js

Node.js

Postgres

Redis

GraphQL

Job description

Company Overview

Shepherd is an AI‑native commercial insurance platform transforming how high‑hazard industries get covered. Our mission is to make risk frictionless for the builders and operators shaping the physical world — protecting progress from concept through construction and into decades of operation. The infrastructure behind the AI boom – data centers, semiconductor fabs, renewable energy assets – has to be built and insured, but traditional carriers were not built for this speed. Shepherd solves this by using AI to perform underwriting workflows in seconds and integrating real‑time data from construction technology partners to see risk as it actually exists.

Role Description

We’re looking for a talented software engineer who is passionate about what we’re building and ready to do the best work of their career. You thrive on ownership, drive results, and care deeply about both technical excellence and customer impact.

Qualifications

• You’re not afraid of ambiguity, and it may even excite you
• You enjoy shipping product every day (maybe multiple times a day) while maintaining high quality standards
• You enjoy wearing multiple hats while solving problems as an engineer, product manager, and designer
• You take end‑to‑end ownership of features and systems, from conception through release
• You care about the built‑world and how to improve construction safety and productivity
• You care about others’ growth and welcome mentoring other engineers – you’ve led or been a major contributor on significant projects
• You have strong opinions, weakly held – you advocate for your ideas but adapt when presented with better solutions
• You communicate technical concepts clearly to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders
• You have some experience with insurance – either from a prior InsurTech role or actuarial role
• You have experience working with Javascript/Typescript (backend and/or frontend)
• You have at least 5 years of working experience, preferably as a full‑stack engineer, with a track record of delivering high‑impact products

Responsibilities

• Lead major initiatives and own a large area of Shepherd’s product experience across each vertical while driving technical decisions for your domain
• Work across the stack, even across different disciplines (e.g., underwriting, design, product management)
• Play an integral role in building our culture as the company grows and mentor other engineers as we scale the team
• Balance innovation with pragmatic delivery – staying current with emerging tech while shipping quality products
• Contribute to product strategy and architectural decisions, not just implementation
• Collaborate closely with PM, the CTO, and the insurance team (underwriters, actuaries, and more)

Technical Stack

Frontend

• React & Next.js
• Typescript
• GraphQL with Apollo

Backend

• Node.js
• Postgres & Redis
• Typescript
• GraphQL APIs

Benefits

• Premium Healthcare – 100% contribution to top‑tier health, dental, and vision
• Fertility benefits and family building support
• Unlimited PTO – flexibility to take the time off, recharge, and perform
• Daily lunches, dinners, and snacks – we work together and enjoy meals together
• Office locations in SF, NYC, Dallas‑Fort Worth, Chicago, and LA
• Professional Development – access to premium coaching, including leadership development
• Competitive 401(k) Plan
• Dog‑friendly office – plenty of dogs to play with and make friends with in the SF office

Compensation Range: $170,000 - $220,000