Staff Backend Engineer, Tech Lead

Pulley; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a rapidly growing company that's redefining equity and business management with AI-powered tools. As a Staff Backend Engineer, you'll spearhead the architecture and design of critical backend services while mentoring junior engineers. This is a high-impact role in a collaborative environment focused on innovation and excellence.

Benefits

Competitive salary and equity

Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance

Unlimited PTO + Winter holiday break

Parental leave

Generous stipends for WFH, learning, wellness, and AI tools

401(k) match (US) / Pension match (Canada)

Qualifications

• 8+ years of software engineering experience, focusing on backend systems.
• Proven track record leading initiatives from inception to launch.
• Experience in fintech or legaltech is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical strategy and backend execution across product-critical systems.
• Build APIs that model complex real-world concepts.
• Mentor engineers and influence technical standards.

Skills

Backend architecture

Systems design

Data modeling

API design

Performance optimization

Job description

Join to apply for the Staff Backend Engineer, Tech Lead role at Pulley

Join to apply for the Staff Backend Engineer, Tech Lead role at Pulley

About Pulley

Pulley's mission is to make it easier for anyone to start a company. We believe that more startups should exist and that founder-led companies are more successful in the long term. With Pulley's cap table management tools, companies can better understand and optimize their equity for the long term. Starting a company is hard enough. Managing equity shouldn't be.

About Pulley

Pulley's mission is to make it easier for anyone to start a company. We believe that more startups should exist and that founder-led companies are more successful in the long term. With Pulley's cap table management tools, companies can better understand and optimize their equity for the long term. Starting a company is hard enough. Managing equity shouldn't be.

We're a high-performing team on a mission to redefine how early-stage leaders build and manage their companies in an AI-native world. As AI reshapes how businesses operate, we see a unique opportunity to reimagine equity and business management from the ground up. A brand-new, unsolved challenge that we're excited to tackle.

Pulley is growing quickly with over 4,000 customers, including startups like Linear, Runway, Fathom, and Roam. Our trajectory is fueled by top investors like Founders Fund, Stripe, General Catalyst, Caffeinated Capital, 8vc, Elad Gil, and other incredible angels. All of our growth has been organic, and we're expanding the team to meet the growing demand.

We're looking for passionate, execution-focused self-starters to help us build the next generation of tools for founders.

About the role

We're looking for a Staff Software Engineer to lead the design and evolution of Pulley's core systems, powering our products that help founders navigate equity, fundraising, and startup operations.

In this role, you'll own the architecture and scalability of foundational backend services across domains like access control, audit trails, transaction systems, document generation, and cap table modeling. You'll partner closely with product, infra, and design to translate complex workflows into reliable and composable APIs.

This is a high-impact role for an engineer who loves deep system design, thrives in ambiguity, and wants to shape both how we build and what we build. You'll guide the technical direction of the team, mentor engineers, and drive decisions that will define the long-term trajectory of Pulley's platform.

What You'll Do

• Lead technical strategy, architecture, and backend execution across product-critical systems
• Build resilient APIs and services that model complex real-world concepts like equity instruments, legal agreements, and financial events
• Identify scaling bottlenecks and design solutions to support 10x growth
• Collaborate with product and design to turn customer needs into backend-first solutions
• Guide engineering quality through code reviews, design documents, and system diagrams
• Mentor engineers and influence technical standards and culture across the org
• Champion backend excellence while also considering product velocity and business tradeoffs
  
  

What You Bring

• 8+ years of software engineering experience, with a focus on backend architecture and systems design
• Proven track record leading backend-heavy initiatives from inception to launch
• Strong fundamentals in data modeling, distributed systems, API design, and performance optimization
• Experience balancing engineering rigor with iterative delivery in fast-paced environments
• Comfort navigating ambiguity and driving alignment across functions
• Effective communicator with a collaborative mindset and strong product instincts
• Bonus: Experience in fintech, legaltech, equity platforms, or LLM-integrated backend systems
  
  

Benefits

• Competitive salary and equity
• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Unlimited PTO + Winter holiday break
• Parental leave
• Generous stipends for WFH, learning, wellness, and AI tools
• 401(k) match (US) / Pension match (Canada)
  
  

Annual Salary Range: $185,000—$220,000 USD

The range above reflects the typical salary range for this role. The final offer will depend on factors such as your experience, interview performance, level, and other considerations assessed during the hiring process.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Engineering and Information Technology

• Industries

  Software Development

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