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# Staff Backend Engineer

- **Company:** Recruiting from Scratch
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA, United States (Remote available)
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Salary:** $290,000.0 - $350,000.0
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** Artificial Intelligence, Amazon Web Services, Software Quality, Data Systems, Distributed Systems, PostgreSQL, Software Systems, AI Infrastructure, Real Time Systems, System Availability, Reliability of Systems, Backend, Kubernetes, Production Code, Software Coding
- **Published:** October 27, 2026
- **Apply:** https://www.careerbuilder.com/job-details/staff-backend-engineer-san-francisco-ca--9641d84e-dc4b-4ec3-ac59-fd92028be1dd

## About the Role

7+ years of backend or distributed systems engineering experience

Staff-level technical ownership experience

Strong architectural decision-making capability

Deep backend systems expertise

Experience building large-scale production infrastructure

Hands-on coding excellence

Strong distributed systems fundamentals

Experience operating high-availability production systems

Strong technical judgment

Track record leading complex technical initiatives

Experience influencing engineering organizations through technical leadership

Strong Signals

Staff / Principal engineering experience

High-growth infrastructure startup experience

Distributed systems / platform engineering expertise

Real-time systems experience

Enterprise-scale backend infrastructure

Python backend depth

AWS / Kubernetes expertise

Postgres and data systems architecture

High-throughput systems design

Operational excellence / observability leadership

Strong mentorship through technical execution

Infrastructure scaling through hypergrowth

Fast-moving startup adaptability

High agency and systems thinking

Bias for building over advising

## Description

This is an opportunity to join a fast-scaling AI infrastructure company at a pivotal inflection point and shape the technical direction of systems operating at massive scale.

What You Will Do

Lead architecture decisions across critical backend systems

Design scalable infrastructure for real-time AI agent orchestration

Own ambiguous, high-impact technical initiatives

Drive backend platform evolution as systems scale

Solve complex distributed systems challenges

Build highly available systems operating at enterprise scale

Identify technical gaps before they become operational risks

Drive technical strategy across multiple engineering domains

Set standards for system design, code quality, and operational excellence

Write production code and ship hands-on

Mentor engineers through technical collaboration

Influence engineering direction across teams

Improve system reliability, observability, and performance