Staff Software Engineer, Backend

Kai; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 270,000; Full time

Job summary

Kai, an AI company rebuilding cybersecurity, is seeking a Staff Software Engineer in San Jose, CA. You’ll be a technical leader and hands-on contributor, owning major platform initiatives and mentoring engineers to deliver scalable, secure services for enterprise-grade workloads.

You will design distributed microservices in Golang, leverage Kubernetes and CI/CD, and collaborate across Product, AI, and Security teams to shape the technical roadmap and architecture.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in software engineering with cloud-native architecture.
• Proven record of driving technical projects end-to-end, across teams.
• Strong hands-on background in microservices, distributed systems, and API design.
• Experience with Kubernetes, Docker, and CI/CD in cloud environments (Azure preferred).

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end delivery of major platform initiatives from design through deployment.
• Design, develop, and optimize distributed microservices in Golang for scale.
• Collaborate across teams—Product, AI, and Customer Success—to align architecture with business objectives.
• Drive engineering excellence through code quality standards, design reviews, automation, and CI/CD best practices.
• Be a mentor and multiplier, guiding software engineers through architecture decisions, trade-offs, and delivery.
• Partner with leadership to align engineering strategy with product objectives and technical roadmap.

Skills

cloud-native architecture

microservices

Golang

Kubernetes

Docker

CI/CD

Distributed systems

API-driven design

Tools

Docker

CI/CD pipelines

gRPC

Azure

Job description

Kai is the AI company rebuilding cybersecurity for the machine-speed era. Founded bysecond timefounders and trusted by Fortune 500 enterprises,Kai is building a future where security has nocategories, no silos, and nohumanspeed bottlenecks.TheKaiAgentic AI Platformreplaces fragmented, human-limited workflows with agentic AI systems that continuously contextualize, assess, reason,and execute security work atmachine speed-makinghuman defenders, superhuman.

Why Join Kai

• Well-funded: With $125M raised, we have the capital, runway, and resolve to rebuild cybersecurity from first principles.
• Proven: We've earned the trust of Fortune 500 and Global 1000 companies, and we're just getting started. Their confidence in Kai reflects what we've built: an AI-powered cybersecurity platform that performs at the scale and speed the enterprise demands.
• Experienced founders: Our founding team consists of second-time entrepreneurs, each with over 20 years of experience in the cybersecurity industry. Their proven expertise and vision drive our ambitious goals.
• World-class leadership team: Our Heads of AI, Engineering, and Product bring extensive experience from some of the world’s most influential companies, ensuring top-tier mentorship, direction, and vision.
• Frontier AI Applied Research Team: Our researchers operate at the leading edge of agentic AI systems, translating breakthrough capabilities into real-world cybersecurity applications.
• Generous compensation: We offer highly competitive salaries, equity options, and a supportive work environment. Your contributions will be valued and rewarded as we grow together.

As a Staff Software Engineer, you’ll be atechnical leader and hands-on contributor, driving critical initiatives from concept to production. You’ll architect, build, and mentor while partnering cross-functionally with Product, AI, and Security. This is a high-impact role where you’ll influence technical direction, mentor engineers, and ensure delivery of scalable, secure services that meet enterprise-grade expectations.

What You’ll Do

• Own end-to-end deliveryof major platform initiatives, from design through deployment and post-launch success.
• Design, develop, and optimizedistributed microservices in Golang for scale, reliability, and performance.
• Collaborate across teams— Product, AI, and Customer Success — to align architecture with business objectives.
• Drive engineering excellencethrough code quality standards, design reviews, automation, and CI/CD best practices.
• Be a mentor and multiplier,guiding software engineers through architecture decisions, trade-offs, and delivery.
• Partner with leadershipto align engineering strategy with product objectives and technical roadmap.

What We’re Looking For

• 8+ years in software engineering with cloud-native architecture experience.
• Proven record ofdriving technical projects end-to-end, coordinating across teams and stakeholders.
• Strong hands-on background inmicroservices architecture, distributed systems, and API-driven design.
• Expertise inKubernetes, Docker, and CI/CD pipelinesin a cloud environment (Azure preferred).
• Familiarity with modern databases, gRPC, message queues, and DevOps automation.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills — comfortable leading discussions from code to business impact.
• (Bonus) Understanding or interest in cybersecurity, AI-driven systems, or threat intelligence.

Our Culture

• Ownership & Leadership:Engineers make decisions and own outcomes.
• Mentorship & Growth:Learn from industry leaders and experiment with the frontier of AI and cybersecurity.
• Collaboration & Inclusion:We value diverse perspectives that challenge the status quo and fuel innovation.
• Impact Mindset:Every line of code contributes to shaping the future of enterprise security.

Kai is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that Kai will process your personal data in accordance with Kai's Privacy Policy .

This role requires working onsite five days per week at our San Jose, CA office.