Staff Backend Engineer

Cortex is the AI-powered Internal Developer Portal that helps engineering leaders at companies like Canva, Grammarly, and Skyscanner build organizations that ship reliable, secure, and efficient software, faster. By connecting data across your engineering ecosystem, Cortex uses AI to make sense of complex systems, identify what’s holding your teams back, and drive action automatically. From understanding ownership and production readiness to enforcing best practices and measuring AI maturity, Cortex transforms engineering data into meaningful insights and automated workflows.

We’re fully remote and welcome candidates from anywhere in the US! We have all-company offsites a few times a year where we fly the whole team out to meet in person, build stronger relationships, kick off important projects, and have fun!

We are a mighty group of ~100 passionate individuals excited about building a product that developers love. We recently raised $60M in Series C Funding led by Scale Ventures (with participation from Sequoia, IVP, and others) to build the future of developer experience. You can read more about it here.

We are seeking a Staff Backend Engineer to join our engineering team. As the Staff Backend Engineer you will be responsible for establishing the architectural framework for significant parts of our product. You will work closely with engineering, design and product management teams to develop foundational systems to support scalability and efficient delivery while ensuring appropriate technical design.

• Define both architecture and best practices for large portions of the product
• Lead and contribute to the design, development, and implementation of scalable backend systems
• Implement core systems technologies that allow us to scale and deliver
• Head efforts for clarity and alignment of technical direction and vision
• Collaborate with leaders and product to develop the vision and deliver key features
• Foster a challenging and safe environment for engineers to learn and grow
• Set the bar for high quality engineering across the organization
• Advocate for best practices, focusing on system design, overall performance and testing
• Optimize existing backend systems to improve performance, scalability, and reliability

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent work experience
• 10+ years of experience designing and implementing scalable, high-performance backend systems
• Solid fundamental problem solving skills and a drive to build high-quality software
• Solid understanding of computer science concepts, common design patterns, and engineering best practices
• Strong understanding of database technologies (NoSQL)
• Strong communication and collaboration skills
• Ability to mentor and coach engineering team members
• Experience at a previous startup is a plus

• Competitive salary and equity
• National medical, dental & vision insurance (we cover 100%!)
• Fully covered life insurance
• $400 monthly perks stipend
• $1000 yearly Learning & Development stipend
• 401k plan
• Pet Insurance
• Unlimited PTO
• Remote & flexible working hours
• Gender-neutral parental leave
• All-Company Retreats (San Diego + NYC)

Our job titles may span more than one career level. The base pay for this role starts between $245,000-$260,000. The actual base pay is dependent upon many factors, such as training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs, and market demands. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. This role is eligible for equity and benefits.

Cortex is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Cortex is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status. For individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation, please email [email protected].