Location: REMOTE / Montreal, Quebec
This job allows you to work remotely.
About the Role
Our client is an early-stage, venture-backed technology company building AI-powered software for engineering teams. Their platform combines generative AI, machine learning, simulation, and validation technologies to help customers identify complex issues earlier in the product development lifecycle.
They're hiring a Principal Backend Developer to join the Platform team and own the core service infrastructure powering the product end-to-end. This includes internal data systems, backend services supporting AI-driven analysis, and orchestration layers responsible for distributed compute and simulation workloads.
This is a high-ownership individual contributor role. The successful candidate will help set the technical direction of the platform while remaining hands-on in architecture, implementation, and delivery.
Key Responsibilities:
- Own the architecture and implementation of core platform services
- Design and evolve backend systems supporting AI-driven workflows
- Build and maintain AWS infrastructure using infrastructure-as-code
- Design and optimize PostgreSQL schemas, indexing strategies, and migrations
- Define engineering standards for backend services, APIs, observability, deployment, and operations
- Architect and operate distributed compute workloads, job orchestration systems, and scaling infrastructure
- Partner closely with AI/ML engineers, frontend developers, and domain experts
- Mentor through technical leadership, code reviews, architecture discussions, and hands-on contribution
- Leverage AI-assisted development tools effectively while maintaining strong engineering judgment
What They're Looking For
- High-ownership mindset
- Hands-on technical leadership
- Strong architectural judgment
- Pragmatic decision-making
- Excellent communication
- Comfort operating in ambiguity and fast-moving startup environments
Special Perks:
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive compensation package
- Equity opportunity
- Comprehensive health benefits
- Fully remote within Canada
- Opportunity to have significant influence on product direction, architecture, and technical strategy within a high-growth venture-backed company
Must Have Skills:
Required Qualifications
- 8+ years building and operating production backend systems
- 3+ years operating at a Staff, Principal, or equivalent senior IC level
- Strong TypeScript experience in production environments
- Deep PostgreSQL expertise including schema design, indexing, query optimization, and migrations
- Experience managing AWS infrastructure using Terraform or similar tools
- Track record of making significant architectural decisions that improved product and engineering outcomes
- Experience with distributed systems and orchestration of long-running compute workloads
- Excellent communication skills
- Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related STEM field
Nice to Have Skills:
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting AI-powered products
- Experience with NestJS or similar TypeScript backend frameworks
- Experience with distributed simulation, batch processing, or scientific computing workloads
- Containerization experience
- Exposure to engineering software, simulation systems, hardware design workflows, or other complex technical domains
- Startup experience
