What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Backend Platform Engineer - Distributed Systems position at Salt Ai?
Our MissionSalt AI is founded by industry veterans in high-performance computing (HPC), artificial intelligence and life sciences. Salt AI is dedicated to providing reliable and transparent AI solutions that advance the underlying goals and purpose of life sciences teams. We've focused our collective expertise on a tech-enabled offering that realizes successful outcomes faster and more efficiently than previously imagined.Salt's platform prioritizes data integrity and reliability while providing a robust interface for cross-functional collaboration and rapid interchangeability of best of breed AI models. The end result is meaningful breakthroughs and competitive advantage for your organization.Senior Backend Platform Engineer - Distributed SystemsWhat You'll Do: We're looking for a Senior Backend Platform Engineer with deep distributed systems experience to help build the core infrastructure of our AI platform for life sciences. You'll play a key role in designing high-performance systems that support AI model orchestration, real-time collaboration, and secure scientific workflows.Responsibilities:Design and build scalable backend microservices using Python for AI workflow orchestrationImplement distributed systems for real-time AI model orchestration using Dapr and event-driven architecturesBuild high-performance gRPC and RESTful APIs for inter-service communicationDesign reliable message queuing and event streaming systems (Redis, Kafka, RabbitMQ)Implement infrastructure-as-code using Terraform for multi-cloud deploymentsDevelop backend services for AI/ML workflow orchestration with strong reliability and observabilityOptimize containerized workloads and GPU resource management in Kubernetes environmentsBuild data processing pipelines with emphasis on scientific data integrity and traceabilityCollaborate with AI/ML engineers to integrate distributed backend services into the platformContribute to frontend development using React and TypeScript when needed for full-stack features.Participate in system design, code reviews, and architectural decision-makingTechnical Requirements (Core Skills - Must Have):5 years of backend development with strong distributed systems experienceExpert-level Kubernetes experience (EKS, GKE, or self-managed clusters)Proficiency Python or Golang, Typescript, Kotlin, etc for microservices developmentHands-on experience with Dapr, service mesh, or similar microservices frameworksStrong understanding of event-driven architectures and message queuing systemsExperience building gRPC services and RESTful APIsSolid DevOps background: Docker, Terraform, CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure automationExperience with workflow orchestration systems (Argo Workflows, Kubeflow, Temporal, or similar)Understanding of observability (OpenTelemetry, Prometheus, Datadog, or similar)Cloud platform experience (AWS, GCP, or Azure) with multi-cloud awarenessCompetency in frontend technologies (React, TypeScript) for occasional full-stack contributionsExcellent communication and collaboration skills in remote-first environmentsYou'll Know If You're Succeeding In Your Job If:You're always thinking about how folks on the product teams are using the features and backend services you're building, and what problem you're solving for them.Your solutions are broadly useful. You probably had one small initial use-case in mind, but what you built gets used again and again, by several different teams.Teams at Salt AI are able to build new features fast on top of the backend systems you've built.Cross-functional teams are able to operate effectively. They know when their products are working (and when they're not), and have the tools they need to quickly solve problems.Preferred / Bonus Skills (Nice To Have):Experience with Next.js and modern frontend frameworksFamiliarity with NoSQL and vector databases for AI applications.Background implementing authentication systems (OAuth2, JWT).Experience with real-time collaboration features using WebSockets.Knowledge of model serving frameworks (TensorFlow Serving, Triton).Experience implementing feature flags and A/B testing systems.Background in life sciences or scientific computing.Experience with data lineage and provenance tracking.Knowledge of message queuing systems (Redis, RabbitMQ, Kafka).Experience with API rate limiting and performance optimization.Contributions to open-source AI/ML ecosystem projects.What Makes You A Great Fit:You have deep experience building distributed systems that scaleYou're passionate about cloud-native architecture and Kubernetes-based platformsYou think in terms of reliability, observability, and system resilienceYou've shipped features end to end - from infrastructure to backend to occasional frontend workYou're comfortable working in microservices architectures with event-driven patternsYou enjoy solving complex orchestration and workflow management challengesYou have strong opinions about API design, system boundaries, and service communicationYou're proactive about DevOps practices and infrastructure automationYou're excited about AI/ML platforms and want to build the backbone that powers themYou thrive in autonomous environments where you own problems end-to-endYou communicate effectively in async, remote-first teams across time zonesYou're curious about life sciences and the impact AI can have in healthcare and researchBenefits:Competitive salary100% Employee Covered Medical, Dental, Vision Plan Base Plans (PPO & HMO)Life Insurance, 401k, & MoreJoin Us:At Salt AI, we're building more than just a product – we're creating the backend systems that will power the future of AI development for life sciences. If you're excited about building scalable, high-performance backend systems that enable breakthrough scientific discoveries, we want to hear from you.Company Description:Based in Southern California, Salt AI is pioneering the future of life sciences with advanced AI. Founded in 2024 by Aber Whitcomb and Jim Benedetto—veterans of MySpace, Jam City, Gravity, and Core Scientific—our leadership team brings over 15 years of collaboration. We're not just building products, but transforming what's possible in research and discovery. We value diverse perspectives and are committed to an inclusive team. If you're excited about shaping the future of AI in life sciences, we'd love to connect with you.
Salary : $140,000 - $180,000
