Senior Software Engineer - Backend (Data)
Read AI is hiring a Senior Software Engineer - Backend (Data) for a remote role open to applicants in United States. It pays $190k-$210k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Read AI.
Level's read on this job
- Builds AI ●●●● is how Level rates this software engineer role: the job is building AI systems.
- The listed pay starts 13% above the typical software engineer posting on Level.
- The posting lists this role as remote.
- Tools and skills the posting cites include ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot.
- Level lists 17 other open roles at Read AI.
AI in this role
About Us:
At Read AI we're redefining how teams collaborate by bringing intelligence to every meeting. Our platform supercharges productivity before, during, and after meetings—and across messages and email—so work gets done faster, smarter, and with better focus. We integrate seamlessly with tools like Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Zoom, Slack, HubSpot, ChatGPT, Claude, and more, helping teams stay aligned and move forward, whether they're in the same room or across time zones.
Backed by $81 million in funding from Smash Capital, Madrona, and Goodwater Capital, Read AI is growing. If you're excited to shape the future of AI-powered meetings and want to make an impact at a product-focused startup, we'd love to meet you.
The Role:
As a Senior Software Engineer at Read AI in the Data Org, your contributions will directly impact the functionality, scalability and reliability of our product. Our team is responsible for owning the data flows and ML infrastructure across the company, which includes realtime audio/video processing, interactions with third party llm providers, data processing orchestration, database management, data APIs, inferencing services, and transcription services.
Responsibilities:
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design and develop scalable and reliable backend services and APIs that power our platform.
Take ownership of critical components of our system, from conception to deployment and maintenance.
Practice quality assurance best practices including unit and integration testing.
Optimize data processing pipelines and storage solutions.
Integrate third-party services and data sources seamlessly into our platform.
Monitor, troubleshoot, and resolve issues related to infrastructure and operations to ensure maximum uptime and reliability.
Continuously evaluate and implement best practices, tools, and technologies to enhance the scalability, reliability, and maintainability of our systems.
Requirements:
Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science/Engineering, or 7+ years of relevant industry experience.
Proven experience in backend development, with proficiency in one or more programming languages such as Python, Java, or Go.
Strong understanding of distributed systems, microservices architecture, and cloud computing platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP).
Familiarity with relational and non-relational databases, along with expertise in data modeling and database management.
Excellent problem-solving skills with a pragmatic and results-driven approach.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced startup environment with a high degree of autonomy and accountability.
Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams.
Nice to Have:
Experience with containerization and orchestration tools such as Docker and Kubernetes.
Experience with big data processing tools such as Flink and Spark.
Experience with Python, Pydantic, FastAPI, and SQLAlchemy.
Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices.
Prior experience in a startup or fast-growing environment.
Why Read AI?
Innovative: We bring AI to the masses with proactive technology that acts as the ultimate AI assistant. Built on our proprietary, patented technology, Read AI takes notes, surfaces information, facilitates collaboration, and learns you, making individuals and teams more effective.
Massive Impact: AI's greatest impact will be on the ability to allow people to do more, taking away mundane tasks, and guiding them to the next best action.
Growth Opportunities: Read AI is the fastest growing AI-copilot and meeting notetaker in history, and is one of the leading AI companies in the world, adding more than 1MM new customers every month. The company raised Series A and B in 2024, also was recognized as a Top Startup in Seattle by LinkedIn (2025), also notably a Top Company To Watch in 2025 by Inc Magazine, and is one of the Top AI Companies in Demand by Startups, according to a16z.
Leadership: Learn more about CEO and Co-Founder David Shim in this Fortune Good Life profile and listen to him share his vision for AI Agents, Digital Twins and the Future of Work. CTO and Co-Founder Rob Williams was recently anointed as one of the most disruptive leaders in AI. For more on our technology, Co-Founder and VP Data Science Elliott Waldron goes behind-the-scenes on our patents and models in this tech brief.
Collaborative Culture: Work in a supportive and collaborative environment with a diverse and talented team.
Software Engineer positions offer a base pay range of $190,000 - $210,000, plus equity and benefits. Please note that the base pay shown is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies, and work location. We also offer low deductible health plans, as well as flexible time away and family leave programs.
Please note our company does not provide visa support or sponsorship for employees at this time.
How we rate this
Senior Software Engineer - Backend (Data) at Read AI rates 88 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Builds AI (AI Level 4 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.
Builds AI. The job is building AI systems.
- ●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
- ●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
- ●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
- ●○○○ Little AI0 to 39
Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.
Prepare for this job
Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.
Skills and AI tools this role asks for
Also common in software engineer jobs at this level
Pay
- This job starts at
- $190k
- Typical software engineer job
- $168k
This posting starts 13% above the typical software engineer job. See software engineer jobs
Questions you could be asked
- How do you decide when an AI agent can act on its own versus asking for approval first?
- Walk me through how you've used ChatGPT in your day-to-day work.
- What are the limits of Claude that you've run into, and how did you work around them?
- What's a project where you used Copilot hands-on?
- How would you decide a model or AI system is ready to ship?
Adapt your resume
- List these exact terms on your resume: AI agents, ChatGPT, Claude, and Copilot. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
- Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
- Lead with what you built, trained or shipped. This role is judged on the AI system itself, not the tools around it.
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