Lead Backend Engineer

Job Title: Lead Backend Engineer
Location: New York City, or Remote
Type: Full-time
Structure: Salary + Significant Equity

About Us:

We’re a stealth startup, currently in the pre-launch and pre-revenue phase, building a groundbreaking AI-powered recommendation engine focused on food, travel, and hotels on OpenAI. Our platform combines data from multiple sources, including user input, to create personalized, insightful recommendations.

We're looking for a passionate, driven backend engineer to lead the development of our backend while playing a key role in shaping our product. Our MVP is already built out and we’ll be raising capital in the coming weeks.

Job Description:

As the Lead Backend Engineer, you’ll be responsible for designing, developing, and scaling the backend infrastructure for our AI-based platform. This role offers the chance to take ownership of core backend services, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and lead the technical direction of our platform.

The ideal candidate should have experience building scalable systems and a deep understanding of modern backend technologies, frameworks, and best practices. If you're excited about working in a fast-paced startup environment and enjoy problem-solving, this role is a great fit.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the design, architecture, and implementation of backend services for our AI-driven platform.
• Collaborate on AI/ML to integrate models and data pipelines.
• Build and maintain APIs (RESTful and WebSocket) to serve our mobile and web applications.
• Ensure high performance, reliability, and scalability of backend systems.
• Own the backend engineering process, from design to deployment, including CI/CD pipelines.
• Work closely with product and web/mobile teams to support new features and improve user experience.
• Guide and mentor junior engineers as the team grows.
• Requirements:
• 5+ years of experience in backend development, with strong expertise in Python, Go, or Rust.
• Proficiency in building RESTful APIs and WebSocket services.
• Experience with AI/ML integration in backend systems, large language models, or data pipelines.
• Familiarity with cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, etc.) and deploying scalable services.
• Strong understanding of distributed systems, performance optimization, and microservices architecture.
• Experience in supporting backend infrastructure for mobile applications.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work independently in a fast-moving environment.
• Bonus Skills:
• Experience in startups or early-stage companies, with a love for food and travel.
• Familiarity, know-how with backend development for mobile applications.

Why Join Us:

• Join an exciting startup building a product with real-world impact.
• Opportunity to lead the technical development and grow with the company.
• Work with a talented team passionate about food, travel, and AI.
• Remote flexibility and a collaborative startup culture.

How to Apply:
If you’re excited about this opportunity, send your resume and a brief note about your experience and what excites you about this role. We look forward to hearing from you!