Back End Developer (AI Infrastructure)

About The Role

We're looking for Back End Developers to design, build, and optimize the server-side systems and APIs that drive cutting-edge AI products — from data pipelines and model-serving infrastructure to scalable microservices that handle real-world traffic at scale. This is a fully remote, flexible contract role open to engineers based in New York and beyond. Whether you're a seasoned engineer looking for meaningful project work or a strong developer ready to apply your skills to AI-adjacent infrastructure, this is your chance to build things that matter.

Organization & Commitment

Alignerr · Hourly Contract · Remote · 10–40 hours/week

What You'll Do

• Design, develop, and maintain robust back end services, APIs, and data pipelines
• Build scalable, high-performance server-side architecture to support AI training and inference workloads
• Write clean, well-documented, and testable code following engineering best practices
• Integrate with databases, message queues, cloud services, and third-party APIs
• Optimize system performance, reliability, and scalability as usage grows
• Collaborate asynchronously with distributed teams of engineers, researchers, and product leads
• Troubleshoot production issues, conduct code reviews, and contribute to architectural decisions
• Work independently on task-based and project-based assignments on your own schedule

Who You Are

• Proficient in one or more back end languages — Python, Go, Java, Node.js, Rust, or similar
• Solid understanding of RESTful API design, microservices architecture, and distributed systems
• Experienced with relational and/or NoSQL databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, etc.)
• Comfortable working with cloud platforms such as AWS, GCP, or Azure
• Familiar with version control (Git), CI/CD pipelines, and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to debug complex systems independently
• Self-motivated, reliable, and effective when working asynchronously without close supervision
• Clear communicator who can document decisions and collaborate across time zones

Nice to Have

• Experience building infrastructure for machine learning or AI systems
• Familiarity with data processing frameworks (Apache Kafka, Spark, Airflow, or similar)
• Background in performance optimization, caching strategies, or high-throughput systems
• Knowledge of authentication, authorization, and security best practices
• Experience with serverless architectures or event-driven design patterns
• Contributions to open-source projects or a strong portfolio of personal/professional work

Why Join Us

• Work on cutting-edge AI infrastructure projects alongside leading research labs
• Fully remote and flexible — set your own hours and work from anywhere
• Freelance autonomy with access to meaningful, technically challenging work
• Build systems at the intersection of software engineering and artificial intelligence
• Collaborate with a global network of talented engineers and researchers
• Potential for ongoing work and contract extension as new projects launch