Sr Engineer (Backend)

We are looking for a mid to senior level API Platform Engineer.

In this role, you’ll architect and scale the foundation that powers delightful developer experiences and production-grade AI systems. You'll work at the intersection of high-performance APIs, scalable infrastructure, and cutting-edge machine learning—delivering tools that enable developers and partners to build on top of Menlo’s intelligent platform.

Responsibilities

• Design and build the Menlo API Platform, focusing on high reliability, performance, and a world-class developer experience
• Develop intuitive APIs and SDKs that make it easy for developers to access and integrate multimodal AI capabilities
• Deploy and optimize AI/ML models into scalable, production environments, working closely with research and applied ML teams
• Manage and evolve a modern, cloud-native infrastructure stack, using Kubernetes, Docker, and infrastructure-as-code (IaC) tools
• Ensure platform reliability, including designing and implementing telemetry, monitoring, alerting, autoscaling, failover, and disaster recovery mechanisms
• Contribute to developer and operations workflows, including CI/CD pipelines, release management, and on-call rotations
• Collaborate across teams to implement secure APIs with fine-grained access control, usage metering, and billing integration
• Continuously improve platform performance, cost-efficiency, and observability as we scale to serve millions of users worldwide

Requirements

• 3+ years of experience building and operating large-scale, production systems with real-world usage and uptime expectations
• Strong experience with containerization and orchestration: Kubernetes, Docker, Helm, and service mesh technologies (e.g., Istio or Linkerd)
• Proficiency with cloud platforms: AWS, GCP, or Azure — including experience with IAM, networking, and serverless tooling
• Hands-on coding skills in Python and JavaScript/TypeScript, with familiarity in backend frameworks (e.g., FastAPI, Express)
• Deep knowledge of API architecture and design patterns: WebRTC/Websockets, REST, gRPC, OpenAPI/Swagger, authentication (OAuth2, API keys), and versioning
• Experience with databases: PostgreSQL, Redis, and modern vector databases (e.g., Pinecone, Weaviate, FAISS)
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, GitOps practices, and tools like GitHub Actions, Argo CD, or Jenkins
• Comfortable with monitoring and observability tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog, or OpenTelemetry

Bonus Experience

• Experience with MLOps tools and AI workflows: model versioning, inference pipelines, model registries, etc.
• Understanding of access control systems: ACLs, RBAC, multi-tenant security and isolation
• Knowledge of billing systems, rate limiting, chargeback models, quota enforcement, and usage metering
• Prior experience working on developer platforms or API products with a strong focus on UX and documentation

Application Rules

• Please submit only 1 application, as you will be considered across all roles. Duplicate submissions will auto-delete
• Join our Discord to check out how we build in public
• We conduct reference checks and, when relevant, background verifications for final-stage candidates. To maintain the integrity of our hiring process, AI-generated or suspicious applications are automatically filtered out. Your authenticity and genuine interest matter.

We value curiosity, creativity, and a builder's mindset. Learn more about who we hire and what makes Menlo a unique place to work.