Senior Backend Engineer (Remote)

Role overview Build and operate backend systems for a browser-based virtual makerspace where K–12 students collaborate on realistic robotics, electronics, and engineering projects. The work combines high-concurrency, real-time product infrastructure with AI-powered learning workflows, while strengthening reliability, delivery practices, and safeguards for student data.

Responsibilities - Architect and run backend services that support real-time 3D experiences for tens of thousands of concurrent users, including on lower-powered Chromebooks. - Set and meet measurable performance and latency targets. - Prototype AI applications for learning, classroom engagement, and reducing teacher workload; build orchestration for multi-step interactions, context, memory, and tool use. - Improve CI/CD, automated testing, deployment, monitoring, logging, and observability to support frequent, dependable releases. - Apply privacy and security practices appropriate for K–12 users, including COPPA and FERPA considerations. - Mentor engineers, lead design reviews, and align technical work with product goals.

Requirements - At least seven years building distributed backend systems; Node.js and TypeScript are preferred. - Production experience operating systems for tens of thousands of concurrent users with strict performance requirements. - Experience with real-time or event-driven architectures, such as WebSockets, Pub/Sub, or message queues. - Strong hands-on cloud and infrastructure experience, including AWS, Cloudflare, and global caching or CDN strategies. - Solid relational database skills, including schema design, indexing, query optimization, and transactions; PostgreSQL at scale is preferred. - Practical experience integrating ML or LLM APIs, building AI orchestration, debugging complex systems, and improving CI/CD and automated testing. - Availability to overlap substantially with India working hours.

Nice to have - Frontend or GUI development with Vue, React, or similar technologies. - Work on real-time collaboration, multiplayer, gaming, educational technology, or startup products.