🛑 This is not an application for a specific job. Instead, this is a way to get on the radar of VC-backed startups that are actively hiring Engineering talent. If you have any questions, please direct inquiries to [email protected].
At SignalFire, we partner with top early-stage startups that are shaping the future of technology. Our portfolio spans 200+ innovative companies across AI, cybersecurity, healthtech, fintech, developer tools, and enterprise SaaS.
We’re looking to connect with exceptional Founding Backend Engineers who are excited about building scalable, high-performance systems at early-stage startups. By joining SignalFire’s Talent Network, your profile will be shared with our portfolio companies, giving you visibility into exclusive early-stage opportunities that may not be publicly listed.
Who Should Join?We’re looking for engineers who are:
✔ Passionate about backend architecture and scalable distributed systems
✔ Excited about joining early-stage startups and working directly with founders
✔ Interested in building APIs, microservices, and cloud infrastructure
Design, build, and maintain backend systems with a focus on scalability and performance
Develop high-performance APIs, microservices, and cloud-based architectures
Optimize databases and data pipelines for reliability and efficiency
Collaborate with founders to define technical strategy and align it with business goals
Ensure backend infrastructure is secure, fault-tolerant, and cost-efficient
Establish best practices for software development, DevOps, and infrastructure management
While each startup has its own hiring criteria, many founding backend engineering roles in our network look for:
3+ years of experience as a backend engineer, with a proven track record of shipping production systems
Expertise in backend frameworks (Node.js, Django, Flask, Ruby on Rails, FastAPI, Spring Boot)
Strong understanding of databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, DynamoDB, Redis) and data modeling
Experience with cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure) and containerization tools (Docker, Kubernetes)
Proficiency in backend programming languages such as Python, Go, Java, Node.js, or Ruby
Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure-as-code tools
Experience in early-stage startups or lean teams is a plus
Languages & Frameworks: Python, Golang, Java, JavaScript (Node.js), Ruby, Django, Flask, FastAPI, Ruby on Rails, Spring Boot
Databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, DynamoDB, Redis
Cloud & DevOps: AWS (Lambda, EC2, S3, RDS), GCP (Cloud Run, Firestore), Azure, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, Jenkins, GitHub Actions
Other Tools: REST APIs, GraphQL, WebSockets, Kafka, RabbitMQ, Elasticsearch
Submit your application to join SignalFire’s Talent Ecosystem.
We review applications on an ongoing basis to identify strong candidates.
If there’s a match, a SignalFire talent partner or a leader from one of our startups may reach out directly.
No match yet? We’ll keep your profile on file for future backend engineering roles in our portfolio.
Skills Required
- 3+ years experience as a backend engineer with production systems
- Expertise in backend frameworks (Node.js, Django, Flask, Ruby on Rails, FastAPI, Spring Boot)
- Proficiency in backend programming languages such as Python, Go, Java, Node.js, or Ruby
- Strong understanding of databases and data modeling (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, DynamoDB, Redis)
- Experience with cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure) and cloud services
- Experience with containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure-as-code tools (Terraform, Jenkins, GitHub Actions)
- Experience building APIs, microservices, and scalable distributed systems
- Experience in early-stage startups or lean teams
SignalFire Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about SignalFire and has not been reviewed or approved by SignalFire.
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Healthcare Strength — Benefit details indicate employer-paid comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and long-term disability for employees and dependents. Feedback suggests this level of coverage is a standout strength for a small venture firm.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Policy language highlights unlimited or flexible paid time off across job postings. Feedback suggests this supports work-life balance when paired with collaborative norms.
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Parental & Family Support — Listings include dedicated fertility benefits in certain roles. Feedback suggests targeted family-building support enhances the overall package for those prioritizing these benefits.
SignalFire Insights
What We Do
SignalFire is the first venture capital firm built like a technology company to better solve for the needs of founders. The core of its value-add is Beacon, the AI engine SignalFire has been refining since the firm's launch in 2013. Beacon tracks more than 600 million employees and 80 million companies to guide the fund’s investing and assist portfolio companies with scaling their teams and revenue. SignalFire also helps early-stage founders navigate the toughest parts of building a company at every stage, with expert advisors, 100 skill-building workshops a year, and an in-house team of recruiters, data scientists, PR experts, and go-to-market leaders. With over $2.1 billion in assets under management, SignalFire focuses on investing from seed to scale. The firm’s key sectors include AI/ML, developer tools, B2B SaaS, healthcare, cybersecurity, and consumer. https://www.signalfire.com/disclosures
