Senior Backend Engineer

About the role

The Senior Backend Engineer will work directly with the CEO and CTO to design, build, and scale the core infrastructure of the Straia platform. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the product, engineering culture, architecture, and trajectory of the company.

Responsibilities

• Build the core platform — architect and implement services spanning data ingestion, query orchestration, and agentic AI workflows
• Ship end-to-end features across our React + Node.js + Postgres stack, integrating directly with LLMs like GPT, Gemini, and Claude
• Scale infrastructure on GCP for performance, reliability, and data security
• Collaborate with users (university data teams and administrators) to translate real problems into elegant, powerful solutions
• Lay the foundation for Straia’s engineering culture, best practices, and technical roadmap
• Prototype fast, iterate faster — your work will directly shape how education leaders experience AI in their daily decision-making

Requirements

• 6-8 years of experience building and shipping full-stack applications, with a strong emphasis on backend systems (Node.js, TypeScript, Postgres)
• Deeply technical, with a track record of building scalable, high-quality software
• Startup-minded — you thrive in ambiguity, love building from scratch, and see constraints as creative fuel
• Mission-driven — excited to improve education through technology that makes institutions smarter, faster, and more equitable
• Collaborative and high-agency — you take initiative, value clear communication, and have the instincts of an owner, not an employee
• AI-curious or experienced — exposure to LLMs, vector databases, or prompt engineering is a plus

Qualifications

• Experience with GCP for cloud infrastructure
• Strong understanding of data modeling and database optimization
• Knowledge of LLMs (GPT, Gemini, Claude) and their integration with backend systems
• Experience with React and Vite for frontend development
• Experience with Express and other Node.js frameworks

Skills

• Strong problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication and collaboration abilities
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Passion for using technology to drive positive change in education

Benefits

• Health (platinum insurance), dental, and vision benefits
• Competitive salary + meaningful equity
• Flexible work schedule with in-office 4 days a week
• Opportunities to shape the company's engineering culture and roadmap
• Challenging and impactful work that directly improves student success and equity in higher education

Pay

$200K–$225K + equity

Schedule

In-office 4 days a week