Software Engineer, Backend

Walters, Nelson and Smith; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Walters, Nelson & Smith in San Francisco seeks a Software Engineer, Backend to design and maintain scalable backend services powering AI-driven products. You will own services end-to-end from design to deployment, monitoring, and continuous improvement.

Ideal candidates have about 4 years of backend experience, strong API and database skills, and comfort collaborating with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced boutique engineering setting.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of professional software engineering focusing on backend development.
• Experience designing RESTful/gRPC APIs in production.
• Strong understanding of algorithms, data structures and distributed systems.
• Experience with relational and NoSQL databases.
• Familiarity with AI/ML services in backend.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain backend services, APIs, and data pipelines.
• Collaborate with product, frontend, and AI teams to translate requirements.
• Write unit, integration, and end-to-end tests.
• Optimize database schemas and storage for performance.
• Integrate AI/ML models and services into backend systems.
• Participate in code reviews and architectural decisions.
• Monitor and improve production backend reliability.
• Document systems for long-term maintainability.

Skills

4+ years exp

Backend programming

REST/gRPC APIs

Data structures

Relational/NoSQL DBs

AI/ML integration

Cloud & containers

CI/CD & testing

Debugging & performance

English communication

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Git

AWS

GCP

Azure

Job description

Software Engineer, Backend

Walters, Nelson and Smith San Francisco, California, United States

About this position

Walters, Nelson & Smith | Precision in Engineering

Walters, Nelson & Smith (WNS) is a premier boutique engineering consulting firm dedicated to delivering high-impact solutions for complex structural and mechanical challenges. Founded on the principles of technical excellence and agile problem-solving, we bridge the gap between visionary design and practical execution.

Unlike larger, more rigid firms, WNS prides itself on a bespoke approach . We offer senior-level expertise and direct partner involvement on every project, ensuring that our clients receive sophisticated engineering insights tailored to their specific operational needs.

Core Specializations

• Structural Forensic Analysis: Identifying and resolving integrity issues in existing infrastructure.


• Sustainable Systems Design: Integrating energy-efficient mechanical solutions into modern builds.


• Precision Prototyping: Streamlining the transition from conceptual CAD models to functional, manufacture-ready designs.


• Regulatory Compliance & Risk Mitigation: Navigating the complex landscape of international engineering standards.

\"At Walters, Nelson & Smith, we don't just solve problems—we engineer resilience. Our focus is on building lasting partnerships through transparency, technical rigor, and a relentless commitment to quality\"

About The Role

As a Software Engineer, Backend, you will play a key role in designing, building, and maintaining scalable backend services that power our AI-driven products. You’ll collaborate closely with cross-functional partners in the Backend and AI teams to architect reliable APIs, optimize system performance, and ensure robust data flows that support our customer-facing and internal applications. This salaried, full-time position is ideal for an engineer with around 4 years of experience who is comfortable owning services end-to-end—from design and implementation through deployment, monitoring, and continuous improvement.

What You'll Do

• Design, implement, and maintain backend services, APIs, and data pipelines to support AI-powered applications and internal tools.


• Collaborate with product managers, frontend engineers, and AI/ML engineers to translate business and model requirements into scalable backend solutions.


• Write clean, testable, and maintainable code, including unit, integration, and end-to-end tests, following modern software engineering best practices.


• Architect and optimize database schemas, queries, and storage strategies for performance, reliability, and scalability.


• Integrate AI/ML models and services into backend systems, ensuring robust, low-latency, and secure inference and data processing paths.


• Participate in code reviews, technical design discussions, and architectural decisions within the Backend team.


• Monitor, troubleshoot, and improve the performance, reliability and observability of backend services in production.


• Contribute to continuous delivery and deployment pipelines, automating build, test, and release processes where possible.


• Document systems, services, and processes to ensure long-term maintainability and effective knowledge sharing across the team.


• Stay current with backend and AI-related technologies and propose improvements to our stack, tools, and development practices.

Qualifications

• Approximately 4+ years of professional software engineering experience with a primary focus on backend development.


• Strong proficiency in at least one modern backend programming language (e.g., Python, Java, Go, Node.js, or similar).


• Hands-on experience designing and building RESTful and/or gRPC APIs and backend services in a production environment.


• Solid understanding of software engineering fundamentals, including algorithms, data structures, design patterns, and distributed systems concepts.


• Experience with relational and/or NoSQL databases, including schema design, query optimization, and data modeling.


• Familiarity with integrating AI/ML services or working within AI-infused applications (e.g., model-serving, feature APIs, or data pipelines).


• Comfort working with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP, or Azure) and containerization/orchestration tools (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).


• Experience with modern development practices, including code reviews, version control (Git), CI/CD, and automated testing.


• Strong debugging and problem-solving skills, with a focus on performance, reliability, and scalability.


• Effective communication skills in English and the ability to work collaboratively in a cross-functional, team-oriented environment.