Staff Software Engineer - Golang

Kai; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Kai is the AI company rebuilding cybersecurity for the machine-speed era. As a Staff Software Engineer, you’ll be a technical 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 with enterprise‑grade expectations. You’ll design and build scalable microservices in Go, mentor engineers, and help ensure reliable, secure delivery in

Qualifications

• 8+ years in software engineering with cloud-native architecture.
• Proven end-to-end project delivery across teams.
• Strong microservices, distributed systems, and API-driven design.
• Experience with Kubernetes, Docker, and CI/CD in a cloud environment.

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Cloud-native architecture

Microservices

Distributed systems

Kubernetes

Docker

CI/CD pipelines

Go (Golang)

API design

Leadership

Mentorship

Tools

Azure

Job description

Kai is the AI company rebuilding cybersecurity for the machine-speed era. Founded by second time founders and trusted by Fortune 500 enterprises, Kai is building a future where security has no categories, no silos, and no human speed bottlenecks. The KaiAgentic AI Platform replaces fragmented, human-limited workflows with agentic AI systems that continuously contextualize, assess, reason, and execute security work at machine speed – making human 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 a technical 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 delivery of major platform initiatives, from design through deployment and post‑launch success.
• Design, develop, and optimize distributed microservices in Golang for scale, reliability, and performance.
• 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.

What We’re Looking For

• 8+ years in software engineering with cloud‑native architecture experience.
• Proven record of driving technical projects end‑to‑end, coordinating across teams and stakeholders.
• Strong hands‑on background in microservices architecture, distributed systems, and API‑driven design.
• Expertise in Kubernetes, Docker, and CI/CD pipelines in 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.