Staff Software Engineer, Backend

Genius AI is looking for a Staff Backend Engineer to serve as the technical anchor for high-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. The Staff Backend Engineer will unblock engineers, make critical technical decisions, and set a new standard for backend engineering at Genius AI.

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 architectural decisions that define product capabilities for years to come
• 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 across the team
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align on technical vision and ensure smooth execution
• Communicate complex architectural trade-offs clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders

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
• Have experience building with AI, integrating LLMs into production systems, and using AI tooling to accelerate development workflows
• Are comfortable making architectural decisions with incomplete information and iterating rapidly in production 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 teams around a shared technical vision and keep execution moving smoothly
• Are an exceptional communicator who can make complex architectural trade-offs understandable to diverse stakeholders

Total Compensation

Competitive salary and benefits.

Additional benefits include:

• Competitive health and dental insurance options, effective on your first day of employment
• Flexible PTO
• In-office lunch twice per week for NYC and SF employees, plus late night dinner stipends
• Access to Wellhub, a corporate wellness platform with discounted gym memberships, fitness classes, and mental health resources
• Annual stipend for professional development and continued learning
• High performers at 5 years receive a generous stipend for personal recharge
• 401k benefit: employees are eligible to contribute starting day 1 of employment
• Dependent Care FSA
• Paid parental leave
• Fertility and adoption benefits via Carrot and Kindbody

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