Sr Backend Software Engineer

Vista Higher Learning • Full-time • Remote (Hybrid in Boston, Massachusetts, United States) • $140,000 - $150,000 / year • 10h ago

Fast Facts

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Backend Software Engineer with a passion for innovation and expertise in Ruby on Rails and Python, to help drive the development of AI-powered language learning solutions.

Responsibilities: Key responsibilities include designing and building scalable backend systems, participating in the full Software Development Lifecycle, and collaborating with team members on project delivery.

Skills: Required skills include 7+ years of experience in software engineering, strong proficiency in Ruby on Rails, advanced SQL knowledge, and understanding of Large Language Models (LLMs).

Qualifications: Preferred qualifications include experience with AI tooling, building high-capacity applications in cloud environments, and a background in education technology or language learning.

Location: Position can be performed remotely or in a hybrid setup in the Boston area; must reside in the Eastern US Time Zone.

Compensation: $140000 - $150000 / Annually

WHO ARE YOU?You are a high‑impact Senior Software Engineer driven by innovation and excited to apply your technical expertise in building and scaling solutions that have a positive impact.

WHO ARE WE?We are passionate, innovative, lifelong learners, and creative thinkers working to develop culturally authentic language learning products for K-12 schools and universities.

WHAT IS THIS ROLE ABOUT?In this Senior Software Engineer role, you will join our talented and collaborative Development team, in designing, building, and scaling backend systems while integrating AI‑powered capabilities. You will play a key role in shaping our innovative, industry‑leading language education products for the K‑12 and Higher Education markets.

OUR TECHNOLOGY STACK

Languages/Frameworks: Ruby/Rails, JS, Vue
Persistence: MySQL, Postgres, Redis, ElasticSearch
Hosting: AWS

IN THIS ROLE YOU WILL:

Participate in all aspects of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)
Perform tests to optimize performance
Write clean code to develop functioning web applications
Work effectively and collaborate with different team members to deliver on-time and efficient projects

YOU MUST HAVE (MINIMUM REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE)

Bachelor’s Degree
7+ years of experience as a Senior Software Engineer working with Ruby, Ruby on Rails or Python + JavaScript
Demonstrated software architectural design experience, including data persistence and API design
Strong understanding of Large Language Models (LLMs), LLM APIs
Strong understanding of networking and web browser protocols
Advanced working knowledge of *nix systems, and comfort working at terminal command line.
Advanced SQL and DB schema design knowledge
Advanced working knowledge of git & GitHub
Experience collaborating with other departments/teams
Strong communication, listening and interpersonal skills to be able to actively listen to needs and respond to audience appropriately

IDEAL IF YOU HAVE or ARE (PREFERRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE)

Backend/Full stack development and AI Tooling experience
Knowledge around LLM evaluation and MLOps practices
Experience with Sagemaker, AWS Poly, Azure Speech Service
Experience with SQL, Postgres, Redis, Elasticsearch
Experience building/deploying high-capacity applications in cloud environments, especially AWS
A strong understanding of how to architect solutions for scalability and performance
Experience with Ruby highly preferred
Experience in ed-tech, education, language-learning or a similar industry
Familiarity with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and best practices for meeting 2.1 AA compliance

LOCATION:Boston-Hybrid or Remote - Eastern US Time Zone

Position requires current residence within the United States of America and within the eastern time zone. Ideal candidates will be located within close proximity to our Boston office location and be willing to work a Tuesday and Thursday (2-day minimum) Hybrid schedule. Relocation assistance is not available.

SALARY: $140k-$150k annual base salary range

This position is salaried and is eligible for an annual incentive based on employee and organizational performance.