Staff Software Engineer, Backend

About the Role

As a Staff Software Engineer, Backend at GlossGenius, you will play a critical role in leading technical planning, system architecture, and scaling AI-powered products. You will be responsible for turning ambitious initiatives into clear, buildable roadmaps and acting as a technical mentor and accelerator for backend engineers on the team. The role will involve a healthy balance of leadership and execution, with roughly 60% technical planning and architecture, and 40% hands-on building.

The engineering team at GlossGenius is committed to innovation and excellence, and you will be expected to contribute to this culture by proactively identifying systemic technical debt, resolving blockers, and raising the bar for engineering excellence. You will also partner closely with Product, Design, and Engineering leadership to turn ambiguous business goals into clear, well-architected initiatives.

GlossGenius is a company that values flexibility and work-life balance, and this role is no exception. As a remote position, you will have the opportunity to work from anywhere and collaborate with a talented team of engineers, product managers, and designers to drive innovation and growth.

What You Will Do

• Lead technical planning and system architecture for AI-powered products
• Scale 0-to-1 product builds and integrate AI models into customer-facing products
• Write high-quality code and rapidly build proof-of-concepts to validate architecture options
• Act as a technical mentor and accelerator for backend engineers on the team
• Identify systemic technical debt, resolve blockers, and raise the bar for engineering excellence
• Partner closely with Product, Design, and Engineering leadership to turn ambiguous business goals into clear, well-architected initiatives
• Embed cutting-edge AI workflows into daily development practices
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive innovation and growth
• Participate in code reviews and contribute to the improvement of the codebase
• Stay up-to-date with industry trends and emerging technologies

What We Are Looking For

• 7+ years of professional engineering experience, with a strong focus on web and a track record of leading high-impact technical work
• Proven experience operating at a senior-to-staff level, with a track record of owning system design and architectural choices for high-scale or high-growth products
• Strong backend depth with Kotlin (experience with TypeScript is a plus)
• Solid understanding of modern cloud infrastructure, specifically AWS and Kubernetes
• Hands-on experience integrating AI models and LLMs into customer-facing products
• Experience working in early-stage, startup, or high-innovation environments
• Exceptional communication skills with a natural ability to collaborate closely with PMs, Designers, and other engineering teams
• Experience with or enthusiasm for AI-assisted development tools (like Claude Code) to maximize engineering velocity

Nice to Have

• Experience with Agile development methodologies
• Knowledge of containerization using Docker
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and automation
• Experience with cloud-based AI services (e.g. AWS SageMaker, Google Cloud AI Platform)

Benefits and Perks

• Flexible PTO
• Competitive health and dental insurance options, with premiums partially or fully covered by GlossGenius
• In-person opportunities for team members to foster collaboration and build community
• Fertility and adoption benefits via Carrot
• Generous, fully-paid parental leave policy
• 401k benefit with employee eligibility to contribute starting day 1
• Opportunities for professional growth and development
• Access to cutting-edge technology and tools
• Collaborative and dynamic work environment

• Showcase your technical expertise and experience with AI-powered products in your resume and cover letter.
• Be prepared to discuss your experience with system architecture and technical planning in your interview.
• Highlight your ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Emphasize your experience with modern cloud infrastructure and containerization using Docker.
• Research the company culture and values, and be prepared to discuss how you align with them.
• Be prepared to provide specific examples of your experience with AI-assisted development tools and how you have used them to maximize engineering velocity.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions about the role, the team, and the company culture during the interview process.