‍Overview

We are partnering with an innovative, high-growth technology company building a next-generation, AI-first platform designed to modernize a large and fragmented industry through automation, intelligent workflows, and unified user experiences.

This is an exciting opportunity for a Staff Data Engineer (Backend Focused) to play a foundational role in solving some of the organization’s most critical platform, backend, and data architecture challenges. You’ll help build scalable systems that unify data, identity, and platform services across multiple products while influencing long-term technical direction and platform strategy.

The ideal candidate is a strong systems thinker with backend depth who enjoys solving complex platform challenges and thrives in fast-moving, highly collaborative environments.

What You’ll Be Doing

Backend & Data Platform Engineering

  • Architect and build scalable backend and data systems powering a next-generation software platform
  • Design APIs, backend services, and data pipelines supporting platform growth and product expansion
  • Lead efforts around data unification, identity management, authentication, and cross-platform architecture
  • Help define scalable shared data models and system interoperability across multiple products

Platform Architecture & Technical Leadership

  • Contribute to long-term platform strategy focused on scalability, maintainability, and performance
  • Help solve complex platform integration and distributed systems challenges
  • Lead technical initiatives and influence architectural decisions across engineering teams
  • Mentor engineers and contribute to engineering standards, best practices, and technical excellence

Cross-Functional Collaboration

  • Partner closely with Product, Backend, AI, Mobile, and Frontend teams to rapidly develop and ship new functionality
  • Support a highly iterative product environment focused on experimentation, speed, and continuous improvement
  • Collaborate across teams to align technical execution with product and business priorities

AI-Enabled Engineering & Innovation

  • Contribute to modern AI-assisted engineering workflows and intelligent product experiences
  • Help drive innovation through experimentation, automation, and scalable engineering solutions

What We’re Looking For

This is not a traditional analytics or BI-focused data engineering role. We are seeking a backend-oriented engineer who enjoys solving large-scale platform, systems, and data architecture challenges.

Ideal candidates are:

  • Excited about modern AI-assisted engineering workflows
  • Strong systems thinkers with deep backend engineering expertise
  • Comfortable operating in ambiguity and fast-moving environments
  • Energized by greenfield product development and platform unification challenges

Qualifications

Required

  • 8+ years of backend engineering and/or data engineering experience
  • Strong experience designing scalable backend systems, APIs, and data architectures
  • Deep understanding of data modeling, identity systems, integrations, and distributed systems
  • Experience working across backend services, platform architecture, and large-scale data environments
  • Proven technical leadership and architectural decision-making experience
  • Experience leading cross-functional technical initiatives
  • Strong communication, mentoring, and collaboration skills
  • Ability to adapt quickly across evolving technologies and architectures

Preferred

  • Experience in startup, high-growth, or greenfield product environments
  • Familiarity with AI-assisted engineering workflows and modern developer tooling
  • Experience with platform unification, interoperability, and identity management initiatives

Helpful Technical Experience

Experience with some combination of:

  • Python
  • Rust
  • Node.js
  • Go
  • PostgreSQL
  • MongoDB
  • AWS
  • Distributed systems
  • Event-driven architectures
  • APIs and platform integrations

This organization values strong engineering fundamentals, adaptability, and systems thinking over specialization in any single language or framework.

Why This Opportunity

  • Greenfield opportunity to help build a modern platform from scratch
  • AI-first engineering culture focused on speed and innovation
  • High ownership, visibility, and technical influence
  • Opportunity to solve large-scale platform, identity, and data unification challenges
  • Startup pace backed by experienced leadership
  • Chance to help redefine a large and evolving market through technology

Additional Information

  • Hybrid work model preferred in the Minneapolis area
  • Fast-moving, collaborative, and highly entrepreneurial environment
  • Opportunity to make meaningful technical contributions from day one

‍

APPLY NOW