Senior software engineer, backend (Scala) (UK)

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About Writer

Writer is the full-stack generative AI platform delivering transformative ROI for the world's leading enterprises. Named one of the top 50 companies in AI by Forbes and one of the best places to work by Inc. Magazine, Writer empowers hundreds of customers like Accenture, Intuit, L'Oreal, Mars, Salesforce, and Vanguard to transform the way they work.

Writer's fully integrated solution makes it easy to deploy secure and reliable AI applications and agents that solve mission-critical business challenges. Our suite of development tools is powered by Palmyra - Writer's state-of-the-art family of LLMs - alongside our industry-leading graph-based RAG and customizable AI guardrails.

Founded in 2020 with office hubs in San Francisco, New York City, Austin, Chicago, and London, our team of over 250 employees thinks big and moves fast, and we're looking for smart, hardworking builders and scalers to join us on our journey to create a better future of work.

About this role

Writer is seeking a talented Backend Engineer with deep functional programming and Scala experience to join our dynamic team and contribute to our groundbreaking projects in the enterprise generative AI space.

At Writer, we believe in using the power of AI to unlock the potential of the enterprise. With the help of our Backend Engineer, we can continue to build the most advanced language model available in the industry and revolutionize how companies interact with AI.

As a Backend Engineer, you will play a crucial role in designing, developing, and maintaining the backend infrastructure that powers our systems. You will collaborate closely with our cross-functional teams to build scalable and efficient solutions. Your expertise in Scala will be instrumental in implementing robust and high-performance backend services.

Your responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain backend systems and APIs using Scala and related technologies
• Collaborate with data scientists and machine learning engineers to integrate AI models into the backend infrastructure
• Optimize and scale backend services to handle large volumes of data and ensure high performance
• Implement data storage and retrieval mechanisms, ensuring data integrity and security.
• Work closely with frontend developers to define and implement APIs that meet the requirements of the user interface
• Collaborate with SREs to deploy and monitor backend services in a cloud environment
• Conduct code reviews, provide constructive feedback, and ensure adherence to coding standards
• Stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends and technologies, and proactively suggest improvements to enhance the backend infrastructure

☆ Is this you?

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 +years of recent professional experience in functional programming and Scala
• Proficient in Cats Effect or similar technologies, such as ZIO, Monix, or Scalaz, to design, develop, and maintain high-performance, scalable, and resilient distributed systems
• Exceptional understanding of backend development principles, including RESTful APIs, microservices architecture, and database design.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP, or Azure) and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
• Knowledge of distributed systems, scalability, and performance optimization techniques.
• Familiarity with version control systems (e.g., Git) and agile development methodologies.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• Strong communication skills and ability to effectively articulate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• 10+ years functional programming experience
• 7+ years Scala programming experience
• Several years experience with Cats Effect

Curious to learn more about who we are and how we operate? Visit us here

Benefits & perks

• Generous PTO, plus company holidays
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family
• Paid parental leave for all parents (12 weeks)
• Fertility and family planning support
• Early-detection cancer testing through Galleri
• Flexible spending account and dependent FSA options
• Health savings account for eligible plans with company contribution
• Annual work-life stipends for:
  • Home office setup, cell phone, internet
  • Wellness stipend for gym, massage/chiropractor, personal training, etc.
  • Learning and development stipend
• Company-wide off-sites and team off-sites
• Competitive compensation, company stock options and 401k

Writer is an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to diversity. We don't make hiring or employment decisions based on race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other basis protected by applicable local, state or federal law. Under the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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