Software Engineer, Platform Engineering

Confidential; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Zekai is seeking a Software Engineer for Platform Engineering to work remotely on our AI-driven platforms and workflows. You will own concepts through design, implementation, launch, and iteration, helping shape technical architecture in a fast-growing startup environment.

Ideal candidates have 4+ years of full-stack experience, strong system design skills, and a product-focused mindset. You will engage with product, design, and operations to deliver meaningful outcomes while leveraging AI tools

Qualifications

• 4+ years of professional software engineering experience in full-stack and backend systems.
• Experience designing, building, and evolving production systems.
• Experience taking ideas from concept to launch in fast-moving startups.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end engineering lifecycle from discovery to deployment and iteration.
• Design scalable, reliable systems with thoughtful architecture and API design.
• Collaborate with product, design, and operations to define requirements.
• Build and evolve internal platforms and AI-powered workflows.
• Leverage AI coding tools to accelerate development and problem-solving.
• Make pragmatic trade-offs balancing speed, simplicity, and scalability.
• Take ownership of technical challenges and software quality.

Skills

Full-stack development

Backend systems

System design

0-to-1 product development

Startup experience

AI-native mindset

APIs & data modeling

Ownership & shipping

Tools

Cursor

Claude Code

Job description

Job Title: Software Engineer, Platform Engineering

Job Type: Full-time

Location: Remote

The Role

You'll work across our internal platforms, products, and AI-driven workflows, owning solutions from initial concept and system design through implementation, launch, and iteration.

Ideally, you've been part of an early-stage engineering team at a fast-growing startup, where you've helped shape technical architecture, made key product decisions, and built systems that evolved alongside the business.

We're looking for someone who thinks beyond code, understands the why behind what they're building, and leverages AI to move faster and solve problems more effectively.

What You'll Own

• Build products from 0 to 1, translating business needs and ambiguous ideas into well-designed, production-ready solutions.
• Own the end-to-end engineering lifecycle, from problem discovery and system architecture to development, deployment, and iteration.
• Design scalable, reliable systems, making thoughtful decisions around architecture, data modeling, APIs, and integrations.
• Work closely with product, design, and operations to define requirements, challenge assumptions, and deliver meaningful outcomes.
• Build and evolve internal platforms, tools, and AI-powered workflows that improve efficiency and enable business growth.
• Leverage AI-powered development tools to accelerate engineering workflows, improve productivity, and deliver high-quality solutions.
• Make pragmatic technical trade-offs, balancing speed, simplicity, performance, and long-term scalability.
• Take ownership of technical challenges, continuously improving system reliability, architecture, and the overall product experience.

What We're Looking For

• 4+ years of professional software engineering experience, with a strong foundation in full-stack development and backend systems.
• Strong system design and architectural thinking, with experience designing, building, and evolving production systems.
• Proven 0-to-1 product development experience, taking ideas from concept to launch in fast-moving environments.
• Experience working as an early engineering team member at a startup, contributing to both technical and product decisions.
• Product-oriented mindset: You understand user needs, business goals, and how engineering decisions translate into product outcomes.
• AI-native mindset: You actively leverage AI coding tools (such as Cursor, Claude Code, or similar) in your daily workflow and know how to use them effectively to accelerate development and problem-solving.
• Strong understanding of backend architecture, APIs, databases, and modern software engineering principles.
• Experience building across the stack using modern frameworks and technologies, with the flexibility to choose the right tools for the problem.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity, challenging assumptions, making independent decisions, and taking full ownership of solutions.
• A pragmatic, hands-on approach to engineering, with a bias toward shipping, learning, and iterating quickly.

Nice to Have

• Experience building AI-powered products, agentic workflows, or LLM-integrated applications.
• Experience designing internal platforms, developer tools, or workflow automation systems.
• Familiarity with cloud infrastructure, distributed systems, and scalable backend architectures.
• Experience making architectural decisions and evolving systems through different stages of startup growth.
• Experience working closely with founders or product leadership to shape technical and product direction.

Compensation & Benefits Notice

The national pay range for this full-time position is base salary of $120,000 -$160,000 USD. All employees are eligible for equity compensation, and employees may also receive performance-based bonuses, dependent on role and subject to company policies. our partner provides a comprehensive benefits package, including up to 100% reimbursement for health-insurance premiums, paid time off, a 401(K) plan with a company match, and additional benefits designed to support a high-performing, remote-first workforce.

our partner is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation during the application process, reach out to support@our partner.

Our hiring process utilizes artificial intelligence tools to assist in candidate screening and assessment. Our AI tools are designed to complement, not replace, human decision-making.

This is a 100% remote contract role, open to applicants worldwide in the countries the employer accepts.