Senior/Staff Backend Engineer

About the Role

Your day-to-day activities will include developing autonomous agents that can interact with sensitive enterprise data, a task that requires not only a deep understanding of backend engineering but also a keen sense of security and privacy. Given the stringent deployment mechanisms and the need to sometimes reinvent the wheel due to the inability to use the most popular libraries or tooling, this role is ideal for someone who thrives in challenging, fast-paced environments.

Cohere's mission to scale intelligence to serve humanity means that every member of the team is crucial to the success of the company. As such, you will be working in a collaborative environment where each person is one of the best in the world at what they do, contributing to increasing the capabilities of Cohere's models and the value they drive for customers.

What You Will Do

• Build and ship features for North, Cohere's cutting-edge AI workspace platform, designed to provide a secure and customizable environment for enterprises to deploy AI.
• Develop autonomous agents that can interact with sensitive enterprise data, ensuring the highest levels of security and privacy.
• Write and ship minimal code that runs in low-resource environments, with highly stringent deployment mechanisms.
• Collaborate with researchers to productionize state-of-the-art models and techniques, bridging the gap between research and practical application.
• Work across the stack, with a strong focus on backend engineering, but also comfortable with reading, understanding, and fixing issues outside of the main code base.
• Participate in the design and implementation of new features, ensuring that they meet the highest standards of performance, security, and user experience.
• Contribute to the development of best practices and standards within the engineering team, helping to foster a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.
• Sometimes need to re-invent the wheel due to the inability to use the most popular libraries or tooling, requiring creative problem-solving and a deep understanding of the underlying technologies.
• Execute while priorities and objectives are a moving target, demonstrating adaptability and the ability to thrive in fast-paced environments.

What We Are Looking For

• Proficiency in Python, with a track record of shipping Python code in production environments.
• Experience in building and deploying extremely performant client-side or server-side RAG/agentic applications to millions of users.
• Strong coding abilities, with the comfort to work across the stack, and the ability to read, understand, and fix issues outside of the main code base.
• Background in working in both large enterprises and startups, with an understanding of the different challenges and opportunities each presents.
• Ability to excel in fast-paced environments and execute while priorities and objectives are a moving target.
• Strong understanding of security and privacy principles, with the ability to develop solutions that meet stringent security requirements.
• Experience with collaborative development tools and version control systems, such as Git.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work effectively in a distributed team environment.

Nice to Have

• Experience with AI or machine learning technologies, and an understanding of their applications and limitations.
• Knowledge of cloud platforms, such as AWS or Google Cloud, and experience with deploying applications in these environments.
• Familiarity with agile development methodologies, and experience with continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.
• Experience with containerization using Docker, and orchestration using Kubernetes.

Benefits and Perks

• The opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI technologies and contribute to the development of innovative solutions that are shaping the future of AI.
• Collaborative and dynamic work environment with a team of highly skilled professionals who are passionate about their craft.
• Comprehensive benefits package, including full health and dental benefits, and a separate budget to take care of your mental health.
• Weekly lunch stipend, in-office lunches, and snacks, to support your well-being and productivity.
• 100% Parental Leave top-up for up to 6 months, supporting you and your family during significant life events.
• Personal enrichment benefits towards arts and culture, fitness and well-being, quality time, and workspace improvement, to help you grow both professionally and personally.
• Remote-flexible work arrangement, with offices in Toronto, New York, San Francisco, London, and Paris, as well as a co-working stipend, to provide you with the flexibility and resources you need to work effectively.
• Six weeks of vacation (30 working days), to ensure you have the time to rest, recharge, and pursue your interests.

• Ensure your portfolio or resume highlights your experience with Python and backend engineering, as well as any relevant projects or contributions to open-source software.
• Practice explaining complex technical concepts in simple terms, as this will be valuable in your interview and in collaborating with cross-functional teams.
• Be prepared to discuss your approach to security and privacy, and how you would handle scenarios where sensitive data is involved.
• Show a genuine interest in AI and machine learning, and be prepared to discuss how you see these technologies evolving and how you can contribute to their development.
• Don't underestimate the importance of soft skills; highlight your ability to work in a team, communicate effectively, and adapt to changing priorities.