Backend Engineer, ML Systems

About THIA

THIA is transforming how small and medium enterprises build internal applications and automate business processes. Our AI-powered platform enables business experts to create custom applications using natural language, eliminating the need for expensive development teams. We're well-funded, generating revenue, and solving real problems for companies that need more than off-the-shelf software.

About the Role

This is a backend role for an engineer who's curious about ML but not pretending to be an ML researcher. You'll build the API surface, orchestration layer, and tenant-aware services that sit between our customers and our ML core. You'll integrate models, not train them - but you'll be in the same room as people who do, and you'll learn as much about ML as you want to. You'll work closely with a small, senior team and have real influence on how the system is built.

We move fast, keep our codebase clean, and take tech debt seriously.

What You’ll Do

Backend Engineering

• Design and build tenant-aware API services: REST/RPC, auth, multi-tenancy, audit logging
• Build async pipelines and background jobs that feed and consume the ML layer
• Design data models and schemas in Postgres; integrate with vector and cache layers
• Integrate with model-serving systems as a consumer - you build clean interfaces, the ML team builds the models behind them
• Help drive the multi-tenant rollout across customer environments

Collaboration

• Work autonomously while staying tightly coordinated with a small, async-first team
• Partner with the ML team to consume their systems cleanly and feed back operational signal
• Contribute to architectural decisions and internal documentation

What We’re Looking For

Must-Haves

• Strong Python and at least one other production language (TypeScript, Go, Java, C, etc.)
• Production experience with relational databases (Postgres, SQLite, or similar) and at least one queue / streaming system
• API design (REST and/or RPC); auth and authorization patterns
• Cloud infrastructure experience (GCP preferred)
• Has shipped code into production environments with real customers and uptime expectations

Nice to Have

• Experience integrating with LLM APIs or model-serving systems as a consumer
• Multi-tenant SaaS experience
• Background-job / async-pipeline systems
• Vector DB or hybrid retrieval experience
• ML modeling experience — you'll integrate models, not train them

You Don’t Need

• ML modeling experience - you'll integrate models, not train them

Our Stack

Python · TypeScript · GCP · PostgreSQL / SQLite · Qdrant · Redis · Docker · GitLab CI/CD · Keycloak · OAuth2/OIDC · Datadog

Compensation \& Benefits

The salary range for this position is $110,000 - $160,000 per year. Placement within the range is based on role-relevant experience and skills. This range reflects what we genuinely expect to pay for the position; it is determined by the role and is not negotiable. Compensation also includes early-stage equity, health/dental/vision benefits, paid time off, and a fully remote work arrangement.

Equal Opportunity

THIA is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate all applicants based on skill and ability to do the work, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Accommodations

If you need a reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, let us know and we'll work with you.

How We Review Applications

We use AI tools to assist in reviewing applications and identifying qualified candidates. All final hiring decisions, including who advances through the interview process and who receives an offer, are made by our team.

A Note on AI

We actively encourage using AI tools to move faster for triage, documentation, and drafting policy. Real world IT judgment is still required: to direct AI effectively, catch what it misses, and make the final call on tasks before they're marked done.

What You Gain

• Ownership: end-to-end accountability for IT management and compliance at a growing AI company
• Impact: direct collaboration with leadership and real influence on technical direction
• Growth: clear path to a lead role as the team expands
• Equity: early stage equity at an AI startup
• Quality: a clean environment and a team that takes IT compliance seriously

Pay: $110,000.00 - $160,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: Remote