Senior Backend Engineer

About the company

Clera is a talent-matching platform that replaces traditional job applications by connecting candidates and hiring teams through curated introductions.

About this role

ABOUT THE ROLE A fast-growing, Y Combinator–backed AI startup in the supply chain space is looking for a Senior Backend Engineer to join their small, high-velocity engineering team in San Francisco. You'll build the backbone of an AI-powered platform that plans and executes how consumer goods are produced and moved globally — turning the messy, physical flow of goods into programmable, reliable, scalable systems. This is an end-to-end ownership role at a seed-stage company (fewer than 10 people) operating at the intersection of AI, logistics, and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG). You'll have a direct and meaningful impact on the core product from day one. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Design and implement backend systems that power AI-driven supply chain decisions and automated execution. - Architect data models and pipelines to ingest, clean, and organize messy, real-world supply chain data. - Ensure user requests and supply chain plans are processed in real time for reliable, 24/7 operation. - Build scalable, high-performance SQL queries and data access patterns across large datasets. - Ship production-grade services using modern backend frameworks and rigorous testing practices. - Collaborate closely with the core product and engineering team to translate logistics workflows into software. - Own and continuously improve deployment pipelines and runbook processes to keep systems running reliably. - Leverage AI code generation and management tools (e.g., Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode) to accelerate development, including parallelizing service instances for continuous operation. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR Must-haves (dealbreakers): - 5+ years of hands-on experience as a Backend Engineer with a strong track record of designing data architectures and shipping real products. - Proficiency in Python and modern backend frameworks such as FastAPI, with testing tools like pytest. - Demonstrated proficiency with AI-assisted coding tools (e.g., Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode), including experience parallelizing instances for autonomous, 24/7 operation. Required skills: - Experience organizing and managing messy, real-world data at scale. - Strong SQL skills — writing high-performance queries over millions of data points. - Solid system design skills; comfortable designing scalable data architectures with minimal supervision. - Experience owning backend systems end-to-end, including real-time request processing. - Experience with large-scale data architectures and systems engineering. Nice to have: - Experience building unstructured data ingestion systems. - Experience with frontend frameworks and their testing tools. - Familiarity with DevOps practices and AWS. - Background or genuine interest in supply chain, logistics, or CPG industries. COMPENSATION & BENEFITS - Salary: $110,000 – $200,000 USD annually, depending on experience. - Early-stage equity in a well-funded, high-growth startup. - Visa sponsorship available. LOCATION This is an on-site role based in San Francisco, CA. You'll work alongside a tight-knit, fast-moving team in person. Remote arrangements are not available for this position.