Staff Software Engineer, Backend

GlossGenius is seeking a Staff Backend Engineer to serve as the technical anchor for our highest-innovation teams, setting architectural direction, validating options through proof-of-concepts, and turning ambitious initiatives into clear, buildable roadmaps. This is an individual contributor role with significant leadership responsibility, focused on both architecture and hands-on building. You will unblock engineers, make critical technical decisions, and set a new standard for backend engineering at GlossGenius.

Responsibilities will include:

• Architect and own the technical direction of AI-powered products and 0-to-1 builds, balancing long-term trade-offs and maintaining a backlog of build-ready work
• Integrate AI models and LLMs into customer-facing products as reliable, high-performance production systems
• Shape how GlossGenius builds with AI, making architectural decisions that define future product capabilities
• Write high-quality code and rapidly ship proof-of-concepts to validate architectural options and address technical challenges
• Partner with Product, Design, and Engineering leadership to translate business goals into well-architected initiatives with clear sequencing
• Proactively identify and resolve systemic technical debt, unblock engineers, and raise the quality bar for the team
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align on technical vision and ensure smooth execution

You’re a great fit if you:

• Have 7+ years of professional engineering experience with a strong backend focus and a track record of owning system design and architectural choices for high-scale or high-growth products
• Are already building with AI as a core part of your workflow, including integrating LLMs into production systems and using AI tooling to accelerate development
• Ship fast and iterate, making architectural decisions with incomplete information and thriving in ambiguous, early-stage environments
• Have deep Kotlin expertise and strong intuitions about backend architecture, service design, and performance at scale (TypeScript experience is a plus)
• Possess solid command of modern cloud infrastructure, including AWS and Kubernetes
• Are a natural collaborator who can align PMs, designers, and engineering teams around a shared technical vision
• Communicate complex architectural trade-offs clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders

Benefits & Perks

• Flexible PTO
• Competitive health and dental insurance options, with premiums partially or fully covered
• In-person opportunities for collaboration and team building
• Fertility and adoption benefits
• Generous, fully-paid parental leave policy
• 401k benefit with eligibility starting day 1
• Yearly stipend for professional development and educational expenses
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Dependent Care FSA
• Home office support

GlossGenius is committed to creating a workplace where all employees feel supported and empowered to do their best work. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.