Iris AI · 1 day ago
Lead Backend Engineer
New York, NY
Full-time
Hybrid
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$170K/yr - $200K/yr
7+ years expIris AI is seeking a Lead Backend Engineer with significant startup experience to lead backend architecture and drive technical decisions. The role involves designing and developing a multi-tenant, AI-driven SaaS platform while mentoring engineers and collaborating closely with product and leadership teams.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)ComplianceCyber SecurityEnterprise SoftwareGenerative AISaaSSoftware
No H1B
Responsibilities
Lead backend SOA architecture design for a multi-tenant, AI-driven SaaS platform
Design and evolve core SaaS features
Make opinionated trade-offs around performance, reliability, cost, and development velocity
Lead the design and development of clean, well-structured REST APIs using Django REST Framework
Define and enforce API standards, including OpenAPI documentation and validation
Drive database design and optimization (PostgreSQL, indexing, migrations)
Guide caching, batching, and asynchronous processing for AI-heavy operations
Lead backend systems supporting core SaaS workflows such as document ingestion, processing, and lifecycle management
Fine-grained permissioning and role-based access control
Lead backend-driven notifications, including Server-Sent Events (SSE) for real-time updates
Lead secure integrations with external enterprise systems using modern authentication patterns
Ensure long-running and asynchronous workflows are reliable and scalable
Set backend engineering standards and best practices
Perform thoughtful, high-impact code reviews
Mentor engineers on backend architecture, Django internals, and AI integration patterns
Collaborate closely with Product, Frontend, and DevOps teams
Help shape hiring, onboarding, and overall engineering culture
Qualification
Required
7+ years of backend engineering experience
4+ years of Django / Django REST Framework in production
Strong Python fundamentals, including async patterns and advanced language features
PostgreSQL expertise (query optimization, indexing, migrations)
Experience with Celery, Redis, and asynchronous task orchestration
Docker and containerized development workflows
Cloud experience (AWS or equivalent)
Hands-on experience integrating LLM-powered features into backend systems
Experience building GenerativeAI applications using vector databases
Familiarity with RAG concepts and AI-powered document or knowledge workflows
Understanding of AI system reliability and failure modes
Experience designing and evolving multi-tenant SaaS platforms
Strong background in fine-grained permissioning and access control
Experience building backend systems that support notifications, integrations, and long-running workflows
Event-driven and asynchronous system design
Authentication, authorization, and data-protection best practices
Preferred
Experience working in fast-growing startups
Prior ownership of backend systems as a tech lead or senior engineer
TypeScript experience and ability to collaborate effectively with frontend teams
Experience designing or evolving CI/CD pipelines
Experience operating systems under real customer load
Familiarity with Model Context Protocol (MCP) or similar approaches for structured LLM tool and context integration
Benefits
Health benefits package (including medical, dental, vision)
Unlimited PTO
Employee Assistance Program
Flexible Spending Accounts
401(k)
Company
Iris AI
Iris helps sales and presales teams win faster by automating the hardest parts of the RFP process.
11-50 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageTotal Funding
$5MKey Investors
Florida FundersMDJ Group
2025-02-01Seed· $3M
2024-01-04Pre Seed· $2M
Leadership Team
Sagee Moyal
Co-Founder
Recent News
2025-11-24
2025-11-23
2025-11-19
Company data provided by crunchbase