Staff Software Engineer (Backend), AI Governance (Remote USA)
Optro · United States
- Hybrid
- Full-time
- $160,000 / year
- United States
Job highlights
- Lead complex backend projects with AI governance focus.
- Design and architect scalable, maintainable software solutions.
- Mentor engineers and drive application architecture decisions.
- Implement APIs using Python/FastAPI; work with cloud tech.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams in an Agile environment.
About the role
About Optro
Having surpassed $300M ARR and continuing to grow, Optro is the leading audit, risk, ESG, and InfoSec platform on the market. More than 50% of the Fortune 500, including 7 of the Fortune 10, leverage our award-winning technology to move their businesses forward with greater clarity and agility. And our customers love us: Optro is top-rated on G2.com and Gartner Peer Insights.
At Optro, we inspire each other to innovate and are proud of what we are producing. We spend each day thinking of new ways to help our customers and contribute to the greater good of our company and our surrounding communities. We are all about assisting each other and breaking through barriers to create the most loved audit, risk, ESG, and InfoSec platform by our customers. This is how we have become one of the 500 fastest-growing tech companies in North America for the seventh year in a row, as ranked by Deloitte!
Why This Role Is Exciting
We are looking for a highly motivated staff software engineer who can lead large, strategic, and complex projects. This position demands a high level leadership, mentoring other engineers and helping to design and architect scalable solutions. In this role, you will face a huge array of challenges - from building scalable systems to designing new product features. Our ideal candidate is someone who loves to collaborate with others but can also work independently to take an idea from concept to implementation. We're a hardworking, energetic team that is passionate about our customers and believes that to be successful we should never stop learning: learning about our customers, our product, and how to build better software.
Responsibilities
- Build and ship product features end-to-end
- Ability to write clear and well defined design documentation
- Mentor fellow engineers
- Lead application architecture decisions
- Troubleshoot, debug and resolve software bugs
- Implement back-end APIs in Python/FastAPI
- Collaborate with engineers, designers, and product managers
- Participate in an Agile software development life cycle
- Write well-designed, maintainable & testable code
- Be product-minded and think about the customer
- Work with Python, Docker, PostgreSQL, Kubernetes, etc.
- Contribute to open-source projects
Attributes For a Successful Candidate
- 10+ years of experience developing web-based applications and platforms
- Expertise in writing REST / JSON APIs
- Experience working with B2B integrations
- Experience writing software tests
- Experience with ETL pipelines or data engineering
- Ability to solve technical problems independently
- Motivation to work hard and always be learning
- Experience using agentic software development tools and processes
Preferred Skills
- Experience working on SaaS web applications/platforms
- Experience creating developer documentation
- Bonus: Docker or Kubernetes experience
- Bonus: GRC or CyberSecurity domain experience
- BS in Computer Science (or equivalent experience)
Perks (United States)
- Launch a career at one of the fastest-growing SaaS companies in North America and EMEA!
- Live your best life (LYBL)! $200/mo for anything that enhances your life
- Comprehensive employee health coverage
- 401(k) with company match
- Competitive compensation & bonus program
- Flexible vacation (exempt) / Accrued vacation (non-exempt)
- Time off for your birthday & volunteering
- Employee resource groups
- Opportunities for team and company-wide get-togethers!
- Parental Leave
- Perks may vary based on eligibility/location
Key skills/competency
- Staff Software Engineer
- Backend Development
- AI Governance
- Python
- FastAPI
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- PostgreSQL
- API Design
- System Architecture
Skills & topics
- Staff Software Engineer
- Backend Engineer
- AI Governance
- Python
- FastAPI
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- API Development
- System Architecture
- Software Engineering
- SaaS
- Remote
- USA
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight 10+ years of backend development, API design, and AI governance experience. Quantify achievements.
- Showcase leadership: Emphasize mentoring, architecture decisions, and end-to-end feature ownership in your application.
- Demonstrate technical depth: Detail experience with Python, FastAPI, Docker, Kubernetes, PostgreSQL, and REST/JSON APIs.
- Align with values: Express customer obsession, resilience, innovation, teamwork, and a growth mindset in your cover letter.
- Prepare for interviews: Be ready to discuss complex technical challenges, system design, and collaborative problem-solving.
Technical preparation
Behavioral questions
Frequently asked questions
- What is the career growth potential for a Staff Software Engineer at Optro?
- As a Staff Software Engineer at Optro, you'll have significant opportunities for career advancement. The role emphasizes leadership, mentoring, and architectural decision-making, which are stepping stones to Principal Engineer or management positions. Optro's rapid growth and focus on internal development mean that performance and initiative are often rewarded with increased responsibility and new career paths.
- What kind of AI Governance challenges will I be working on at Optro?
- In this Staff Software Engineer role focused on AI Governance, you'll tackle challenges related to ensuring the ethical, secure, and compliant development and deployment of AI systems. This could involve building features for data privacy, bias detection, model monitoring, audit trails, and regulatory compliance within Optro's platform. You'll be instrumental in shaping how AI is responsibly integrated into our products.
- How does Optro support professional development for its engineers?
- Optro strongly supports continuous learning. The 'Growth mindset' is a core company value, and engineers are encouraged to learn about customers, products, and software development best practices. The role involves contributing to open-source projects, and Optro offers resources like a $200 monthly 'Live Your Best Life' stipend that can be used for professional development, along with opportunities for team and company-wide learning events.
- What is the team culture like for engineers at Optro?
- The engineering team at Optro is described as hardworking, energetic, and passionate about customers. The culture emphasizes collaboration, mutual support, and a 'Win, together' mentality with no silos or egos. There's a strong belief in never stopping learning and a drive to build the most loved audit, risk, ESG, and InfoSec platform. Employee resource groups and team get-togethers also foster a sense of community.
- What technologies are central to the Staff Software Engineer role at Optro?
- The core technologies for this Staff Software Engineer role include Python and FastAPI for backend API implementation. You'll also work extensively with Docker and Kubernetes for containerization and orchestration, and PostgreSQL for database management. Experience with REST/JSON APIs and a strong understanding of system architecture are crucial.
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