Staff Software Engineer (Backend)

We're building AI employees. Not chatbots. Not copilots. Autonomous digital workers that do real jobs.

Our first, Ava, is an AI BDR used by hundreds of companies. She researches leads, writes and sends emails in a customer's voice, runs multi-step outbound sequences, manages her own deliverability infrastructure, self-optimizes over time, and handles objections and meeting booking. She's not a tool someone uses. She's a teammate.

We're a YC W24 company, have raised $35M+ from investors including Y Combinator, and are at $8M+ ARR. Right now we're building Ava 2.0, a step change in what an AI employee can do. The engineering problems are hard and the surface area is enormous.

• You’ll build the backend that makes AI employees possible. This is a foundational engineering role.

• We process millions of signals — lead data, email engagement, deliverability metrics, behavioral patterns — to make autonomous decisions. The backend is core to everything we do: it powers the AI, runs the platform, and determines how well Ava performs for every customer. You’ll own major parts of it.

• You’ll ship constantly. We run a flat engineering org with minimal process and no red tape.

• Our stack: TypeScript/Node, PostgreSQL, Redis, Kubernetes, Mastra, Temporal, Langfuse, ECS, EC2, deployed on AWS. We release continuously.

• 6+ years of backend experience, ideally at a high-growth startup where you owned systems end to end

• A 5x engineer who knows how to leverage Claude Code effectively

• Strong experience building and operating data-intensive services at scale

• Deep understanding of distributed systems, database performance, and API design

• Comfortable with cloud-native infrastructure: containers, orchestration, CI/CD, and monitoring

• Strong opinions on reliability, observability, and testing — with good judgment on when to move fast

• Clear communicator who can explain systems to engineers and product leaders alike

• TypeScript/Node preferred; Python, Go, or similar is fine if fundamentals are strong

• The problem is genuinely interesting. Autonomous AI agents interacting with real people, managing real infrastructure, and making real decisions creates backend complexity that is non-trivial and growing fast.

• You’ll have real ownership. Small team, large scope. The systems you build directly power what customers use — no layers between you and impact.

• The pace is high and the bar is higher. We ship weekly, iterate constantly, and expect engineers to drive outcomes.

• Competitive salary and meaningful equity in a company with real revenue, real traction, and a clear path to a major outcome.

Location: San Francisco, New York, or Remote (US)

Team: Engineering

Reports to: Sam Stallings, CPTO

Introductory chat with our recruiter

60-minute technical interview with an engineer

Second 60-minute technical interview with an engineer

30-minute interview with Sam, our CPTO

30-minute culture and values interview with Jaspar, our CEO

Founder mindset. Everyone acts like an owner: take initiative, think big, challenge ideas, and push for 10× outcomes.

Obsessed with impact. We apply the 80/20 rule, kill sunk costs quickly, and focus on what actually moves the needle.

Customer-first, always. Every decision starts with the customer experience.

High standards, every detail. Quality matters in everything we ship, from product and code to copy and design.

Clear, direct communication. We value candor, fast responses, and real feedback.

Winning team energy. Positive vibes, low ego, zero drama. We genuinely enjoy building together.