Lightning AI is the company reimagining the way AI is built. After creating and releasing PyTorch Lightning in 2019, Lightning AI was launched to reshape the development of artificial intelligence products for commercial and academic use.
We are on a mission to simplify AI development, making it accessible to everyone—from solo researchers to large enterprises. By removing the complexity of building and deploying AI tools, we empower innovators to focus on solving real-world problems. Our platform is built to scale with the latest AI advancements while staying intuitive and adaptable, so you can bring your ideas to life.
We have offices in New York City, Palo Alto, and London and are backed by investors such as Coatue, Index Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, and Firstminute.
Our Values
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Move Fast: We act with speed and precision, breaking down big challenges into achievable steps.
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Focus: We complete one goal at a time with care, collaborating as a team to deliver features with precision.
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Balance: Sustained performance comes from rest and recovery. We ensure a healthy work-life balance to keep you at your best.
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Craftsmanship: Innovation through excellence. Every detail matters, and we take pride in mastering our craft.
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Minimal: Simplicity drives our innovation. We eliminate complexity through discipline and focus on what truly matters.
What we're looking for
We are looking for a Backend Engineer to work on developing and scaling the Lightning AI platform from the frontend, CLI, and API, to billing, security, and integrations.
We want someone who can take ownership of key features and drive development from end to end while collaborating with a super-smart team of engineers, product managers, and designers. Here, you’ll build from proof of concept to release with a focus on speed, quality, and iteration.
This is an opportunity to create groundbreaking technology that will transform the machine-learning ecosystem!
You will be joining the Blue Squad and report to our Director of Product. This is a hybrid role based in our Palo Alto office with in-office requirements of 2 days per week. The salary range for this role is $120,000 - $250,000.
What you’ll do
- Write readable/testable/efficient code in Go (Golang).
- Master our technology stack to deliver new features, improve system stability, and increase overall performance.
- Partner with engineering and product leaders on developing the Lightning product while using your experience to set the technical direction for large projects.
- Evaluate, strengthen, and document technical architecture, tools, and processes.
- Champion software quality, implement automation, drive continuous delivery, and reduce time to production while proactively reducing technical debt.
- Mentor and coach engineers on system design, operating in high uncertainty, and problem-solving to create a supportive, inclusive environment where each engineer can grow.
What you’ll need
- Extensive experience writing efficient, maintainable code in Go. Familiarity with best practices in testing, readability, and optimization is essential.
- Broad knowledge of backend and frontend systems, with experience building and scaling APIs, CLI tools, billing systems, and security protocols. Exposure to frontend frameworks is a plus.
- Experience with cloud platforms like AWS, GCP, or Azure and designing systems that are reliable, performant, and scalable. Familiarity with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) is a strong advantage.
- Proven ability to take ownership of key features and drive end-to-end development
- Commitment to software quality, test automation, and continuous delivery. Experience proactively managing technical debt and speeding up time to production.
- Hands-on experience as a backend or product engineer in a SaaS technology company
- Communication and collaboration with engineers, product managers, and designers
- Ability to operate in high uncertainty and rapidly changing environments
We offer competitive base salaries and stock options with a 25% one year cliff and monthly vesting thereafter. For our international employees, we work with Velocity Global to pay you in your local currency and provide equitable benefits across the globe.
In the US, we offer:
- Medical, dental and vision
- Life and AD&D insurance
- Flexible paid time off plus 1 week of winter closure
- Generous paid family leave benefits
- $500 monthly meal reimbursement, including groceries & food delivery services
- $1,000 home office stipend
- $1,000 annual learning & development stipend
- 100% Citibike membership (NYC only)
- $45/month gym membership
- Additional various medical and mental health services
At Lightning AI, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We believe that diverse teams drive innovation and create better products. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We are dedicated to building a culture where everyone can thrive and contribute to their fullest potential.
Top Skills
What We Do
Our platform provides intuitive open source tools, powerful cloud infrastructure and expertise to help you build AI securely.
Why Work With Us
Our team has shaped groundbreaking AI projects like PyTorch and PyTorch Lightning. We’re educators, innovators, and collaborators, united by a mission to democratize AI. A hybrid based company headquartered in New York City, we value in-person time for collaboration while still allowing flexibility.
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