Staff Software Engineer, Backend

Genius AI (HearstLab); New York (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance & dental

Flexible PTO

In-office lunch NYC & SF

Wellhub wellness access

Professional development stipend

401k from day 1

Dependent Care FSA

Paid parental leave

Fertility & adoption benefits

Job summary

Genius AI is seeking a Staff Backend Engineer to anchor architectural direction and hands-on delivery for AI-powered products in a fast-growing environment. This role focuses on architecture, proof-of-concepts, and building scalable systems, with leadership responsibilities and cross-functional collaboration.

You will drive strategic technical decisions, implement high-quality code, and partner with Product, Design, and Engineering to translate business goals into concrete roadmaps.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional engineering experience with a strong backend focus and ownership of system design and architecture for scalable products.
• Experience building with AI and integrating LLMs into production systems.
• Ability to make architectural decisions with incomplete information and iterate quickly in production.
• Deep expertise in Kotlin; good understanding of backend service design and performance at scale. TypeScript is a plus.
• Solid command of modern cloud infrastructure (AWS) and Kubernetes.
• Natural collaborator who aligns teams around a shared vision and keeps execution moving.

Responsibilities

• Architect and own the technical direction of AI-powered products and 0-to-1 builds, balancing long-term trade-offs and maintaining a backlog of build-ready work.
• Integrate AI models and LLMs into customer-facing products as reliable, high-performance production systems.
• Shape architectural decisions that define product capabilities for years to come.
• Write high-quality code and ship proof-of-concepts to validate options and address challenges.
• Partner with Product, Design, and Engineering leadership to translate business goals into well-architected initiatives with clear sequencing.
• Proactively identify and resolve systemic technical debt, unblock engineers, and raise the quality bar across the team.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align on technical vision and ensure smooth execution.
• Communicate complex architectural trade-offs clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Skills

Backend architecture

Kotlin

AWS

Kubernetes

AI/LLMs integration

Production systems

Communication

Job description

Genius AI is looking for a Staff Backend Engineer to serve as the technical anchor for high-innovation teams, setting architectural direction, validating options through proof-of-concepts, and turning ambitious initiatives into clear, buildable roadmaps. This is an individual contributor role with significant leadership responsibility, focused on both architecture and hands‑on building. The Staff Backend Engineer will unblock engineers, make critical technical decisions, and set a new standard for backend engineering at Genius AI.

Responsibilities will include:

• Architect and own the technical direction of AI-powered products and 0-to-1 builds, balancing long-term trade-offs and maintaining a backlog of build-ready work
• Integrate AI models and LLMs into customer-facing products as reliable, high-performance production systems
• Shape architectural decisions that define product capabilities for years to come
• Write high-quality code and rapidly ship proof-of-concepts to validate architectural options and address technical challenges
• Partner with Product, Design, and Engineering leadership to translate business goals into well-architected initiatives with clear sequencing
• Proactively identify and resolve systemic technical debt, unblock engineers, and raise the quality bar across the team
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align on technical vision and ensure smooth execution
• Communicate complex architectural trade-offs clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders

You’re a great fit if you:

• Have 7+ years of professional engineering experience with a strong backend focus and a track record of owning system design and architectural choices for high-scale or high-growth products
• Have experience building with AI, integrating LLMs into production systems, and using AI tooling to accelerate development workflows
• Are comfortable making architectural decisions with incomplete information and iterating rapidly in production environments
• Have deep Kotlin expertise and strong intuitions about backend architecture, service design, and performance at scale (TypeScript experience is a plus)
• Possess solid command of modern cloud infrastructure, including AWS and Kubernetes
• Are a natural collaborator who can align teams around a shared technical vision and keep execution moving smoothly
• Are an exceptional communicator who can make complex architectural trade‑offs understandable to diverse stakeholders

Total Compensation

Competitive salary and benefits.

Additional benefits include:

• Competitive health and dental insurance options, effective on your first day of employment
• Flexible PTO
• In-office lunch twice per week for NYC and SF employees, plus late night dinner stipends
• Access to Wellhub, a corporate wellness platform with discounted gym memberships, fitness classes, and mental health resources
• Annual stipend for professional development and continued learning
• High performers at 5 years receive a generous stipend for personal recharge
• 401k benefit: employees are eligible to contribute starting day 1 of employment
• Dependent Care FSA
• Paid parental leave
• Fertility and adoption benefits via Carrot and Kindbody

Genius AI is committed to creating a workplace where all employees feel supported and empowered to do their best work and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Aff...