Overview of Role

Heretic Ventures is seeking an experienced Senior Software Engineer with extensive back-end Python experience to join an early stage generative AI consumer business that Heretic Ventures is launching. 

The ideal candidate has extensive experience in building scalable and high-performance back-end systems from the ground up (preferably in e-commerce) and is ready to work with new technologies and architectures in a flexible, forward-thinking organization that’s always pushing boundaries. This person’s firm understanding of web frameworks, APIs, databases, and back-end Python development will be instrumental in shaping the success and technical evolution of the platform.

This is a unique opportunity to help build a billion-dollar company from the ground up while learning from successful repeat entrepreneurs and a stable of powerful and experienced mentors and advisors. 

This is a hybrid role with the expectation of 3 days per week in-person in our sunny Presidio, SF office. The position is compensated with salary, benefits, and equity.

About Heretic 

Heretic Ventures is a San Francisco-based venture studio ideating and launching new businesses in the creator economy, including those that capitalize on AI/ML technology. Heretic is run by Managing Partner Mariam Naficy, who founded and built the pioneering internet companies Minted and Eve.com. Heretic is backed by household names in Silicon Valley (investors and entrepreneurs), who act as the studio’s advisors both in selecting and in advising companies.

Responsibilities

• Drive technical decisions and architectural design from 0-to-1 to ensure high-quality code and adherence to best practices.
• Design, develop, and maintain robust, observable and scalable back-end systems using Python and related technologies.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including Product, AI scientists and front-end engineers, to build and integrate AI-driven features into the platform.
• Partner with SRE and other backend engineers to build and improve CI/CD pipeline and cloud infrastructure
• Lead efforts to ensure smooth operation of the platform by optimizing system performance, troubleshooting issues and prioritizing the security and integrity of the platform 
• Develop and maintain documentation, including technical specifications, system diagrams, and deployment processes.
• Stay up to date with emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices to continuously improve our platform.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 5 years of professional experience as a Software Engineer, with a strong focus on back-end development using Python.
• Proven track record of delivering complex, scalable, and high-performance software systems.
• Solid understanding of software engineering principles, data structures, and algorithms.
• Experience with designing and implementing RESTful APIs and integrating third-party services.
• Proficient in working with relational databases, such as PostgreSQL or MySQL, and knowledge of SQL query optimization.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, agile environment.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams.

• Experience with (or desire to learn) state-of-the-art generative AI technologies, such as diffusion models and LLMs (e.g., Stable Diffusion, GPT) and deep learning frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch)
• Proficient with cloud platforms (e.g. GCP, AWS) and containerization technologies (e.g., Kubernetes, Docker).
• Knowledge of e-commerce platforms, payment gateways, and related technologies
• Familiarity with Javascript technologies including Typescript, React and Next.js
• Previous startup experience, especially in an early-stage environment
• Experience in building services using Django and asynchronous programming