$180,000–$260,000 Per Year
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Artificial Intelligence (AI) Agents, Automation, Brokerage, Circuit Breakers, Data Management, Database Architecture, Database Design, Distributed Computing, Elasticsearch, Engineering, Logistics, Mentoring, Microsoft Product Family, Production Systems, Query Optimization, RabbitMQ, Regulations, Revenue Growth, Simple Queue Service (SQS), Slack, Software Engineering, Startup, System Architecture
San Francisco, California
Senior Backend Engineer — Amari AI
Location: San Francisco, CA (Onsite)
Base Salary: $180,000–$260,000
Equity: 0.2%–0.5%
Visa: H-1B transfer, O-1, OPT supported
About Amari AI
Amari AI is building AI agents for customs brokers and the broader logistics industry, a $10 trillion market still reliant on manual, document-heavy workflows. The platform automates customs entries, tracks regulatory updates, and integrates directly with Gmail, Microsoft Teams, Slack, CargoWise, and Descartes. Achieved product-market fit with 30+ customers, 100%+ MoM revenue growth, and 30,000+ hours returned to brokerage teams. Backed by First Round Capital and Pear VC with $5M raised.
Role Overview
High-ownership backend engineering role focused on designing and scaling the core data infrastructure powering AI-driven logistics systems. You will build distributed systems, data pipelines, and search infrastructure that enable real-time processing and automation at scale. Zero-to-one environment with direct founder collaboration.
Core Responsibilities
- Architect and scale distributed backend systems including queue pipelines and communication layers
- Design systems for resilience using retry strategies, circuit breakers, and graceful degradation
- Own database architecture including schema design, indexing, and query optimization
- Build AI search infrastructure for real-time logistics data and AI-driven features
- Define service boundaries and backend engineering standards
- Collaborate directly with founders on roadmap, architecture, and technical direction
- Support hiring and mentorship of future backend engineers
Requirements
- 4–6+ years of backend software engineering experience
- Experience in high-growth startup or production environments
- Proven ability to design and ship backend systems end-to-end
- Strong understanding of distributed systems and architectural trade-offs
- Ability to operate independently in ambiguous environments
- Willingness to work onsite in San Francisco
Nice to Have
- Experience with Kafka, RabbitMQ, or SQS
- Familiarity with AI/ML pipeline infrastructure
- Experience with Elasticsearch or pgvector
- Background in logistics, customs, or regulated industries