Software Engineer - Backend

Software Engineer - BackendIntroduction At Driver, we're building systems that turn source code into human language. The tech stack includes a core compiler-like engine, a heavily asynchronous/distributed backend server, and a frontend web application that provides a rich user experience. As a backend engineer, you will help scale and extend our backend, build new product functionality, and make sound architectural decisions that keep pace with a fast-growing system.About DriverWe’re an early-stage startup backed by Y Combinator and Google Ventures that combines first principles technical approaches and applied LLM expertise to tackle context engineering at scale. Driver builds the context layer for employees and AI agents alike to use in developing software.Working at DriverDriver is an early-stage but fast-growing startup. As such, we take advantage of that which startups can excel: delivery speed, flexibility, and enjoying working with a close-knit team.Organizational and engineering values at Driver include first-principles thinking, correct by construction, writing things down, experimentation and iteration, pragmatism, commitment to effective communication and transparency, autonomy, and ambition.Job OverviewTitle: Software Engineer – BackendLocation: Remote or Austin, TXAbout the RoleOur core innovation, the Driver Transpiler, treats software explanation as a compilation problem. Instead of emitting machine code, it emits human language.The transpiler generates human language content at large volumes and highly variable levels of abstraction and requires significant asynchronous task orchestration due to the high volume of highly constrained LLM inference calls to external APIs.Major established components of our backend today include the data model to support the compiler's content generation and coordination with codebase assets in version control system (VCS) providers like GitHub, containerized deployment in a distributed cloud service, and an internal API layer consumed by both our frontend and external integrations, and an MCP server that delivers our computed content to AI agents.Key cross-functional interactions include coordinating with the transpiler team on data model and task orchestration, working with the DevOps and infrastructure team on distributed deployment and job execution, and collaborating with the frontend and product team on APIs and customer-facing MCP interfaces.Key ResponsibilitiesCore backend work:Contribute to building an efficient and scalable backend data model.Build and maintain critical backend integrations (e.g., VCS providers).Build and maintain the backend web server.Design, build, and maintain internal APIs for our web application.Build and maintain backend APIs for our Model Context Protocol (MCP) products.Build foundations that scale.Interface with the transpiler team on:Efficient data model for transpiler content.Asynchronous and distributed implementation for transpiler task orchestration.Bring strong architectural instincts to the team:Identify and address scalability, correctness, and maintainability risks early.Write clean, well-structured code that is readable by both humans and LLMs.Distinguish robust tests from fragile ones; build systems that are easy to verify.Embrace AI-assisted development:Use agentic coding tools as a core part of your workflow to accelerate delivery.Apply your architectural judgment to validate, guide, and extend AI-generated code.Interface with the frontend team on:Co-design the internal API for the FE and important interface contracts.The best way to model data communicated between BE and FE.Interface with the DevOps/Infrastructure team on:Distributed task orchestration implementation.Container and distributed job implementation.Communicate effectively with team members and across key team interfaces.QualificationsEducation: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.Experience: Minimum 3 — 5 years as a backend engineer. 7+ years experience preferred.Required Technical SkillsExperience building and scaling backend systems, with a strong grasp of distributed systems fundamentals (queuing, consistency trade-offs, async task orchestration).Proficient in Python; experience with at least one statically typed language (e.g., Rust, Go, Java, C++) and a strong grasp of data-structure-oriented design — you think carefully about types, contracts, and correctness, not just getting code to run.Strong API design instincts: knows how to define clean, stable interfaces and contracts that are easy to consume and hard to misuse.Strong experience with asynchronous programming paradigms.Strong understanding of data model design, particularly for relational databases.Strong instincts for architecture: knows what good looks like, can identify fragile code and tests before they become problems.Experience building monitoring, logging, and testing in larger backend systems.Experience building and maintaining REST APIs at scal