Backend Software Engineer

at Perplexity AI
📍 San Francisco, United States
USD 180,000-300,000 per year
MIDDLE
✅ Hybrid

SCRAPED

Used Tools & Technologies

Not specified

Required Skills & Competences ?

Docker @ 3 Kubernetes @ 3 Redis @ 3 Python @ 3 Data Science @ 3 Hiring @ 3 AWS @ 3 FastAPI @ 3 PostgreSQL @ 3 React @ 3 Experimentation @ 3

Details

Perplexity is looking for an experienced Backend Engineer to join a small team revolutionizing the way people search and interact with the internet. You will lead design, implementation, and scaling of backend systems that power web, mobile, and browser products.

Tech Stack

Python | PostgreSQL | DynamoDB | Redis | FastAPI

Teams Hiring

  • Enterprise

    • Designs and builds core platform features like rich file attachments, secure file and app connectors (using Model Context Protocol), and Spaces for collaboration. Works at the intersection of AI, automation, and knowledge management to handle private data, files, and productivity apps.

  • Growth

    • Shapes user experience across onboarding, verticals (e.g., Students), and premium tiers. Builds AI-powered features (personalized prompts, auto-generated study guides, contextual upsell nudges) and owns growth platform components like experimentation frameworks, feature flagging, and notifications.

  • Billing

    • Builds subscription and payment infrastructure, partners with business and finance to define pricing and subscription models, and develops secure, scalable payment systems including agentic payments that interact autonomously with payment platforms.

  • Consumer Verticals

    • Reimagines consumer experiences across verticals such as travel, shopping, health, real estate, finance, sports, and ticketing, leveraging AI-powered exploration, personalization, and agentic actions.

  • Special Projects

    • Focuses on building 0-1 products that redefine search and AI assistants. Current stack in this area includes Python, Docker, Kubernetes, NextJS, and React. Works on multi-modal capabilities (text, voice, image, video) and bleeding-edge AI.

Responsibilities

  • Build scalable systems that ingest and process data from the web, files, and other sources.
  • Optimize interfaces that interact with databases and caching systems.
  • Collaborate with PMs, frontend engineers, and other stakeholders to understand product requirements.
  • Work closely with AI, Search, and Data Science teams to iterate on non-deterministic systems.
  • Manage a complex orchestration system with many moving parts and interfaces.
  • Scale, optimize, and load balance multiple services with rapidly changing needs.

Qualifications

  • Strong experience with Python.
  • Strong experience with databases and caching systems (PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, Redis are mentioned).
  • Experience with AWS cloud infrastructure at scale.
  • Experience working with high-scale data and non-deterministic systems like large language models (LLMs).
  • 4+ years of engineering experience.

Compensation & Benefits

  • Base compensation range: $180,000 - $300,000 per year.
  • Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including experience and expertise and may vary from the amounts listed above.
  • Equity: Equity may be part of the total compensation package.
  • Benefits: Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance for you and your dependents. Includes a 401(k) plan.