> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/2589553-principal-staff-backend-engineer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/2589553-principal-staff-backend-engineer). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Principal / Staff Backend Engineer - **Company:** CLERA, LLC - **Location:** Seattle, WA, United States (Remote available) - **Salary:** $250,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Artificial Intelligence, Mobile Application Development, Databases, Backend, Data Layers - **Published:** August 2, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=3fb078e9735ab3aa ## About the Role * Staff or principal-level backend engineering depth - strong in systems design, databases, and infrastructure * Fully AI-native development workflow: you actively and effectively use AI tooling as a core part of how you build, not an afterthought * Based in the United States (fully remote within the US is fine) * Comfortable with high-intensity startup pace (~50 hours/week sustainably) * Exceptionally sharp - raw intelligence and a clear track record of capability matter more than years on a résumé Nice to Have: * Enterprise-grade engineering mindset - careful about downstream consequences in a product that owns legally significant transaction contracts * Experience in proptech, legaltech, fintech, or other regulated/high-stakes verticals * Background at companies handling complex document workflows, contract management, or compliance-sensitive data, * No visa sponsorship available - must be authorized to work in the US ## Description A fast-growing proptech startup rebuilding the operating system for US real estate is looking for a Principal / Staff Backend Engineer to own the backend end to end. The company's AI-powered platform automates real estate transaction coordination - reading contracts, tracking deadlines, drafting paperwork, and enabling agents and brokerages to manage transactions from anywhere. The founding team includes a second-time entrepreneur with deep real estate industry experience, and the company is backed by investors with unicorn-building track records in the real estate vertical. Having achieved its first revenue in early 2026 and growing month over month, this is a seed-stage company with strong early traction and significant upside. You would report to and partner closely with the CTO, becoming the primary technical owner of the platform's architecture, data layer, and infrastructure., * Set and raise the engineering bar for a platform that handles real estate transaction contracts - enterprise-grade care about downstream consequences, not just fast shipping * Build AI-natively: AI tooling is treated as a first-class part of the engineering workflow with a substantial annual AI/token budget * Make key architectural decisions and delegate effectively as the team scales * Collaborate closely with a small, high-caliber team in a high-ownership, high-impact environment ## Related Videos - [Developing the Backend with Stefan Lingler, CTO at Shpock](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100360-developing-the-backend-with-stefan-lingler-cto-at-shpock) - [Kubernetes and Microservices with Multi-Model Databases](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/382-kubernetes-and-microservices-with-multi-model-databases) - [Why Your AI Agent Keeps Hallucinating Your Data: Building Deterministic Context Layers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/2055-why-your-ai-agent-keeps-hallucinating-your-data-building-deterministic-context-layers) - [Agentic employees in world's most downloaded FinTech app](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100123-agentic-employees-in-world-s-most-downloaded-fintech-app) - [Fault Tolerance and Consistency at Scale: Harnessing the Power of Distributed SQL Databases](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1146-fault-tolerance-and-consistency-at-scale-harnessing-the-power-of-distributed-sql-databases) - [Nest.js - TypeScript in the backend can also be clean](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1033-nest-js-typescript-in-the-backend-can-also-be-clean) ## Related Articles - [Fully Remote Software Engineer Jobs](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/447-fully-remote-software-engineer-jobs) - [Find a Developer Job: 12 Best Job Sites For Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/165-find-a-developer-job-12-best-job-sites-for-developers) - [Navigating the AI Shift](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/629-navigating-the-ai-shift) - [How to Become an AI Engineer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/331-how-to-become-an-ai-engineer) - [The Biggest German Tech Companies](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/424-the-biggest-german-tech-companies) - [Dev Digest 120 - Apple and peers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/455-dev-digest-120-apple-and-peers)