Senior Software Engineer, Backend Job at Chef Robotics (San Francisco)

Job Description

As a Senior Software Engineer, Backend specializing in database architecture and AI systems, you'll lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of the robust backend services that power our robotics platform. You'll work at the intersection of data management, API development, and AI integration to build scalable solutions that support our robotics systems across customer deployments. This role requires expertise in database optimization, API framework implementation, and a deep understanding of how to architect systems that enable real-time robotics operations. As a senior engineer, you'll mentor team members and drive technical decision-making for backend infrastructure.

Job Responsibility

Lead the design, implementation, and optimization of database schemas to support robot operations, telemetry, recipe management, and system analytics
Develop robust data migration strategies and version control for database schema evolution
Implement efficient query optimization and indexing strategies to support high-throughput robot operations
Establish data integrity protocols and backup systems to ensure operational continuity across customer deployments
Create scalable data access layers that balance security, performance, and maintainability
Mentor team members on database design patterns and optimization techniques
Lead the development and maintenance of scalable APIs to serve robot control systems, dashboards, and monitoring tools
Design and implement secure authentication and authorization mechanisms across backend services
Develop robust middleware for processing and validating data between robotics subsystems
Create service interfaces that enable efficient communication between robotics components and cloud services
Collaborate with frontend and robotics engineers to ensure cohesive integration of backend services
Establish API design standards and best practices for the engineering team
Lead implementation of backend services that support machine learning pipelines for robot vision and motion planning
Develop sophisticated APIs for model deployment, monitoring, and version management across robotics fleets
Create efficient data storage and retrieval systems for training datasets and inference results
Design and implement systems to collect and process performance metrics from AI components
Collaborate with ML engineers to optimize data flow for training and inference processes
Drive architecture decisions for AI/ML infrastructure and scalability
Lead implementation of comprehensive logging, monitoring, and alerting for backend systems
Develop diagnostic tools and dashboards for operational visibility across distributed robotics deployments
Establish performance benchmarks and optimize systems to meet latency requirements for real-time operations
Implement fault-tolerant design patterns to ensure reliability in production environments
Create and maintain technical documentation for backend systems and mentor team on best practices
Drive technical initiatives for system scalability and performance optimization
Designing and implementing scalable database architecture for multi-site robotics deployments
Leading development of real-time APIs for robotics control and monitoring systems
Architecting AI/ML infrastructure for model deployment and performance monitoring
Establishing backend system reliability and performance monitoring frameworks
Mentoring engineering team on backend best practices and system design principles

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience
7+ years of professional experience in backend development roles with demonstrated leadership experience
Expert knowledge of relational databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL) including schema design, optimization, and administration
Strong proficiency with Python and JavaScript/TypeScript with advanced software engineering skills
Extensive experience leading projects with at least two web frameworks: Flask, FastAPI, Django, Node.js, or Next.js
Proven experience designing and implementing RESTful and GraphQL APIs at scale
Advanced understanding of containerization (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes) technologies
Experience with cloud infrastructure and deployment (AWS, GCP, or Azure) in production environments
Proven experience leading complex backend projects and mentoring junior engineers
Understanding of data requirements for robotics or automation systems
Experience with real-time or near-real-time systems and high-performance backend architecture
Background in developing secure, reliable systems with high availability requirements
Knowledge of CI/CD practices and infrastructure-as-code principles
Familiarity with AI/ML deployment workflows and requirements
Strong leadership and mentoring skills with ability to drive technical initiatives
Excellence in technical communication with ability to explain complex systems to diverse audiences
Proactive mindset in identifying potential issues and implementing scalable solutions
Comfort with working in a fast-paced startup environment with startup-oriented hours
Commitment to working onsite five days a week to contribute to positive in-office culture
Passion for robotics and automation technology
Collaborative approach to cross-functional engineering teams

Nice to have

Experience with time-series databases (InfluxDB, TimescaleDB) for telemetry data
Knowledge of message queue systems (Kafka, RabbitMQ) for distributed systems
Familiarity with WebSockets for real-time communication
Experience with Redis for caching and pub/sub patterns
Background in manufacturing, food production, or industrial automation
Experience developing systems that interface with robotics hardware
Knowledge of ROS (Robot Operating System) or similar frameworks
Startup experience with track record of shipping working products under tight deadlines
Experience with microservices architecture and distributed systems design

What we offer

medical, dental, and vision insurance
commuter benefits
flexible paid time off (PTO)
catered lunch
401(k) matching
early-stage equity

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Senior Software Engineer, Backend

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