Senior Software Engineer, Backend (Infrastructure)

Otter.ai•Seattle, WA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced Senior Software Engineer, Backend (Infrastructure) to lead the development, deployment, and management of web services and infrastructure that empower AI-driven products and initiatives. This role involves collaborating closely with AI researchers, product managers, and technologists to deliver innovative solutions for end-user professionals and enterprise clients. The engineer will take ownership of architecting scalable solutions using technologies like MySQL, Vitess, Kafka, Cassandra, Redis, and big data platforms to support sophisticated AI applications and workflows. They will leverage Python to build and enhance backend systems, mentor junior engineers, and design robust business logic using web frameworks such as Django. The position requires writing reusable, efficient, and maintainable code for high-performance web services and real-time AI analytics, and collaborating with AI teams to streamline data pipelines and optimize model deployment.

Requirements

Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in Computer Science or a related field.
Strong expertise in databases, distributed systems, backend performance optimization, and familiarity with backend requirements for machine learning infrastructure.
Solid understanding of database internals, transactions, indexing, and experience in schema design optimized for AI data workloads.
5+ years of experience in developing and architecting large-scale web services, preferably with exposure to supporting AI systems.
Expert proficiency in Python or other programming languages such as Go, Java, or C++.
Extensive experience with web frameworks like Django.
Comfortable integrating systems with technologies such as MySQL, Redis, Elasticsearch, Kafka, and Cassandra, particularly in support of AI workflows.
Hands-on experience deploying and managing services on AWS, particularly those interfacing with machine learning platforms.
Driven by ownership and passionate about delivering impactful solutions from conception to deployment, especially in collaborative environments with AI-focused teams.
Substantial production server experience or equivalent backend expertise.
Excellent communication skills.
Genuine curiosity for technology.
Meticulous attention to detail.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with HTTP, networking principles, and API design patterns beneficial to AI integrations.
Experience with operating systems, particularly Linux, and an understanding of their interactions with AI applications and services.

Responsibilities

Architect scalable solutions utilizing technologies like MySQL, Vitess, Kafka, Cassandra, Redis, and big data platforms to support sophisticated AI applications and workflows.
Build and enhance backend systems using Python that seamlessly integrate with machine learning and AI models.
Mentor junior engineers.
Design and implement robust business logic using web frameworks such as Django, ensuring compatibility with AI components and integration with databases.
Write reusable, efficient, and maintainable code that underpins high-performance web services and supports real-time AI analytics.
Collaborate closely with AI teams to streamline data pipelines, optimize model deployment, and ensure backend systems effectively support AI-based product features.
Drive technical decisions within the team and communicate effectively with stakeholders across multiple teams, clearly articulating technical strategies related to AI-enabled infrastructure.
Deploy and manage services on AWS, particularly those interfacing with machine learning platforms.
Deliver impactful solutions from conception to deployment, especially in collaborative environments with AI-focused teams.