Backend Architect

As a Backend Architect at this early-stage, well-funded design tool startup, you will be responsible for owning the backend architecture that powers the company's collaborative, real-time canvas. This includes designing the API surface, data layer, auth model, and real-time sync that every product feature and AI capability builds on. You will be deeply involved in hands-on architect tasks, designing the system architecture and writing production code yourself. Your role will set the patterns for the rest of the backend team, working with TypeScript in a monorepo to serve a live multi-user, multi-tenant product. Key Responsibilities: - Own the backend architecture end-to-end, including API design, data modeling, service boundaries, auth, and multi-tenancy - Build and maintain the real-time multiplayer layer, including WebSocket fanout, presence, conflict resolution, and document sync - Design the data layer with workload-specific judgment, choosing between relational, document, event log, blob, and cache stores - Ship across the TypeScript monorepo, defining structural patterns for scalability - Own auth, orgs, and permissions, ensuring the platform is safe for enterprise deployment - Build AI-friendly backend primitives for AI feature integration - Set the technical bar for backend engineering through code and architecture review Qualifications Required: - 12+ years of software engineering experience with a focus on backend architecture - Proficiency in TypeScript for backend systems, ideally in a monorepo setup - Experience in shipping collaborative or real-time backends, including WebSocket fanout and conflict resolution - Deep understanding of database fundamentals and multi-tenancy concepts - Working knowledge of Kubernetes, Terraform, and CI/CD for infrastructure design The company is backed by $44M from investors and advisors such as First Round, OpenAI, Meta, Google, Stripe, and Ramp. The culture is centered around rapid iteration, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and AI-native tooling. As part of a small, high-craft team of engineers and designers from top tech companies, you will have the opportunity to make a direct impact and have architect-level ownership at an early-stage company. As a Backend Architect at this early-stage, well-funded design tool startup, you will be responsible for owning the backend architecture that powers the company's collaborative, real-time canvas. This includes designing the API surface, data layer, auth model, and real-time sync that every product feature and AI capability builds on. You will be deeply involved in hands-on architect tasks, designing the system architecture and writing production code yourself. Your role will set the patterns for the rest of the backend team, working with TypeScript in a monorepo to serve a live multi-user, multi-tenant product. Key Responsibilities: - Own the backend architecture end-to-end, including API design, data modeling, service boundaries, auth, and multi-tenancy - Build and maintain the real-time multiplayer layer, including WebSocket fanout, presence, conflict resolution, and document sync - Design the data layer with workload-specific judgment, choosing between relational, document, event log, blob, and cache stores - Ship across the TypeScript monorepo, defining structural patterns for scalability - Own auth, orgs, and permissions, ensuring the platform is safe for enterprise deployment - Build AI-friendly backend primitives for AI feature integration - Set the technical bar for backend engineering through code and architecture review Qualifications Required: - 12+ years of software engineering experience with a focus on backend architecture - Proficiency in TypeScript for backend systems, ideally in a monorepo setup - Experience in shipping collaborative or real-time backends, including WebSocket fanout and conflict resolution - Deep understanding of database fundamentals and multi-tenancy concepts - Working knowledge of Kubernetes, Terraform, and CI/CD for infrastructure design The company is backed by $44M from investors and advisors such as First Round, OpenAI, Meta, Google, Stripe, and Ramp. The culture is centered around rapid iteration, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and AI-native tooling. As part of a small, high-craft team of engineers and designers from top tech companies, you will have the opportunity to make a direct impact and have architect-level ownership at an early-stage company.