Senior Backend Engineer (Python)
Who is Recruiting from Scratch:
Recruiting from Scratch is a specialized talent firm dedicated to helping companies build exceptional teams. We partner closely with our clients to deeply understand their needs, then connect them with top-tier candidates who are not only highly skilled but also the right fit for the company’s culture and vision. Our mission is simple: place the best people in the right roles to drive long-term success for both clients and candidates.https://www.recruitingfromscratch.com/
Title of the role:
Senior Backend Engineer (Python)
Location:
San Francisco, CA
Company Stage of Funding:
Seed / Early-Stage (YC-backed)
Office Type:
Onsite – 5 Days a Week
Salary:
$150,000 – $220,000 + Equity (0.10% – 0.45%)
Company Description
We’re representing a fast-growing, YC-backed startup building the infrastructure for AI-powered voice agents. Their platform enables companies—especially large contact centers—to build, simulate, and deploy voice AI systems that handle customer support at scale.
The company is growing rapidly, with strong early traction and partnerships with some of the largest contact centers globally. Their mission is to power the future of business communication, where AI agents handle the majority of customer interactions.
What You Will Do
As a
Senior Backend Engineer
, you will build and scale the systems that power real-time voice AI agents operating in production environments.
You will:
- Build and maintain
Python-based state systems
that control real-time conversational behavior.
- Design and orchestrate integrations with multiple
LLM providers
, including prompt design, routing, and fallback logic.
- Develop high-performance backend services using
async Python (e.g., FastAPI)
.
- Write automated tests and validation systems to ensure correctness and reliability of agent behavior.
- Monitor production systems, debug issues, and continuously improve system reliability and conversation quality.
- Implement
metrics, logging, and alerting systems
to ensure high availability.
- Design and optimize database schemas across
SQL and NoSQL systems
.
- Build secure
authentication and authorization systems
.
- Architect and maintain
microservices-based systems
.
This role is highly hands-on and requires building production systems that operate in real-time, high-throughput environments.
Ideal Background
The ideal candidate is a strong backend engineer with deep Python expertise and experience building scalable, production-grade systems.
- 5+ years of experience writing production Python code.
- Experience building
async web applications
(e.g., FastAPI).
- Strong understanding of system design, architecture, and backend best practices.
- Experience working with
LLMs, APIs, and cloud infrastructure
.
- Experience with
CI/CD pipelines and testing frameworks
.
- Strong understanding of
security and authentication systems
.
- Experience with
AWS and Kubernetes
.
- Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate cross-functionally.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-intensity startup environment.
Preferred
- Experience building
real-time systems
(e.g., voice, streaming, or event-driven architectures).
- Experience with
telephony systems (SIP, voice APIs)
.
- Experience with
Redis and distributed systems
.
- Experience with
observability tools
(Datadog, logging, tracing).
- Familiarity with modern frontend frameworks (Next.js) for full-stack collaboration.
Compensation and Benefits
- Salary:
$150,000 – $220,000 base.
- Equity:
0.10% – 0.45%.
- Work Model:
Fully onsite in San Francisco (5 days/week).
- Visa:
U.S. work authorization required.
Team & Culture:
- Highly driven, builder-oriented team with a strong ownership mindset.
- Collaborative, in-person culture with shared meals and team activities.
- Regular team offsites and travel opportunities.
Impact:
- Work on core infrastructure powering real-time AI voice systems used by large enterprises.
- Direct influence on product direction and system architecture at an early-stage company.
