Founding Backend Engineer

New York City, remote-first to start | Founding role

About Aurora Genesis

Aurora Genesis is an early-stage startup building Aurora Origins, a consumer platform that models complex personal data and turns it into something people can explore and act on. We're pre-seed and founder-led, and this hire would be one of our first.

About the role

We're looking for a Founding Backend Engineer to build the systems and data foundation behind Aurora Origins. This is a backend-first role: the front-end and visual experience are being built by a separate design contractor, so this hire is squarely about backend architecture, data modeling, and the systems that make ambitious, computationally complex backend logic reliable at production scale. You'll work directly with the founder to turn an ambitious product thesis into a working, dependable system.

What you'll do

• Build the production foundation: accounts, authentication, data flows, permissions, entitlements, payments, instrumentation, deployment, and release quality.
• Design and build the backend and data model behind the product's core logic: modeling complex state, handling computationally heavy work asynchronously, and defining the interfaces the front end will consume.
• Make sound calls on system boundaries, data lineage, privacy, and reliability, and on what belongs in product code versus the core engine.
• Use AI development tools to move quickly without losing engineering judgment, readable code, or testing discipline.
• Work directly with the founder to turn product direction into a staged, shippable sequence.

What we're looking for

• Real experience designing and shipping production backend systems end to end, including the middle layer between a durable backend and a working interface.
• Comfort across APIs, databases, permissions, deployment, and observability. You can own the production foundation yourself.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and high context. You bring a point of view rather than waiting for a complete specification.
• You treat privacy, consent, and security as engineering requirements, not afterthoughts. This product works with people's personal data.

Nice to have

• React/TypeScript front-end familiarity (not required; the front end is being built separately).
• Experience with game engines or simulation-style systems.
• Prior experience as an early or founding engineer at a startup.
• Comfortable using AI development tools as a core part of how you build day to day.

How to apply

Apply here on Wellfound with your portfolio or GitHub and a short note on what draws you to this. Target start is 4 to 5 weeks from an accepted offer.