AI Principal Software Engineer 💻 - US SaaS startup 🚀🇺🇸 | Remote

The client is a venture-backed startup simplifying access to essential benefits for frontline workers. Their AI-powered platform helps employees easily find and apply for benefits like childcare, elder care, and nutrition programs. With backing from major enterprise retail investors and $2.5M secured in funding, they're expanding their reach to serve leading retailers, healthcare providers, and Fortune 500 companies. Our diverse, remote-first team is spread across the globe, united in our mission to empower employees and create healthier workplaces.

About the role

Take ownership of designing, implementing, and scaling the platform's core backend systems and data pipelines. Lead end-to-end development for critical platform features, ensuring quality, performance, and scalability. Define the architecture and standards for identity management, security solutions, and third-party API integrations. Champion best practices in reliability engineering, DevOps, and infrastructure-as-code across the engineering team. Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product, design, and data, to shape the future of the platform. Work with a small team of experienced engineers on full-stack development, impacting both backend systems and frontend technologies. This role involves both hands-on technical work and high-level problem-solving.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and scale the platform's core backend systems and data pipelines
• Lead end-to-end development for critical platform features, ensuring quality, performance, and scalability
• Define architecture and standards for identity management, security solutions, and third-party API integrations
• Champion best practices in reliability engineering, DevOps, and infrastructure-as-code
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (product, design, data) to shape the platform's future
• Contribute to full-stack development alongside a small team of experienced engineers

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience as a software engineer, with a proven track record of leading complex projects end-to-end
• Expertise in system architecture and designing scalable, reliable software solutions
• Strong backend foundation (Node.js, Python, JavaScript, etc.)
• Proficiency in modern cloud technologies (AWS or similar)
• Experience implementing secure systems, including best practices for handling sensitive data and integrating identity verification
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution
• Experience building and shipping scalable software

Nice to have

• Experience automating complex processes (e.g., eligibility checks, fraud detection)
• Experience building systems handling large volumes of sensitive data (privacy/security focus)
• Experience integrating identity verification features (facial recognition, document verification)

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Stock options in a high-growth startup
• Comprehensive benefits package (tailored to your location)
• Opportunity to make a tangible impact on people's lives
• Collaborative, remote-first culture