Principal Engineer

Strong experience building backend services in Go (or similar language willingness to learn Go) Solid understanding of modern API design, data modeling, and distributed systems basics, specifically GraphQL Practical experience deploying and operating systems on AWS Comfort with core AWS services (Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB/RDS, S3, ECS/Fargate, CloudWatch, IAM) Experience leading a small engineering team or being the de-facto tech lead Able to manage priorities, set expectations, and give clear feedback Comfortable being both player and coach Actively uses AI tools like ChatGPT/Claude/Copilot Understands AI strengths/limitations and how to design workflows Clear written and verbal communication Low-ego, pragmatic, and comfortable working in a fast-moving environment Experience with Flutter or native iOS/Android is a plus Experience with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation, CDK, etc.) is a plus Experience with Observability tooling is a plus Experience with Security and compliance is a plus Prior experience in an early-stage startup is a plus Product intuition is a plus

Own the backend stack Lead design and implementation of backend services in Go on AWS Make core architecture decisions Keep the system reliable, observable, and cost-efficient Lead a small engineering team Provide day-to-day technical leadership Coordinate across platforms Work closely with mobile/backend engineers Ensure smooth APIs, contracts, and releases for mobile clients Collaborate with product and stakeholders Use AI as a force multiplier Encourage and model effective use of AI coding and productivity tools Identify where AI can accelerate development Partner with product on incorporating AI features Own production readiness Improve developer experience Help maintain a healthy engineering culture