SignalFire

Join SignalFire’s Talent Network for Founding Back-end Software Engineer Roles at VC-Backed Startups 
 
At SignalFire, we partner with top early-stage startups that are shaping the future of technology. Our portfolio spans 200+ innovative companies across AI, cybersecurity, healthtech, fintech, developer tools, and enterprise SaaS. 
 
We’re looking to connect with exceptional Backend Engineers who are excited about joining high-growth startups as founding team members. By joining SignalFire’s Talent Network, your profile will be shared with our portfolio companies, giving you visibility into exclusive early-stage opportunities that may not be publicly listed. 
 
💡 This is not an application for a specific job. Instead, this is a way to get on the radar of VC-backed startups that are actively hiring AI/ML talent. If you have any questions, please direct inquiries to talentnetwork@signalfire.com. 
 
Who Should Join? 
 
We’re looking for engineers who are: 
 
✔ Passionate about backend architecture and scalable distributed systems 
 
✔ Excited about joining early-stage startups and working directly with founders 
 
✔ Interested in building APIs, microservices, and cloud infrastructure 
 
Typical Roles & Responsibilities 
 


* Design, build, and maintain backend systems with a focus on scalability and performance
* Develop high-performance APIs, microservices, and cloud-based architectures
* Optimize databases and data pipelines for reliability and efficiency
* Collaborate with founders to define technical strategy and align it with business goals
* Ensure backend infrastructure is secure, fault-tolerant, and cost-efficient
* Establish best practices for software development, DevOps, and infrastructure management 
 
 

Common Qualifications 
 
While each startup has its own hiring criteria, many founding backend engineering roles in our network look for: 
 

* 3+ years of experience as a backend engineer, with a proven track record of shipping production systems
* Expertise in backend frameworks (Node.js, Django, Flask, Ruby on Rails, FastAPI, Spring Boot)
* Strong understanding of databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, DynamoDB, Redis) and data modeling
* Experience with cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure) and containerization tools (Docker, Kubernetes)
* Proficiency in backend programming languages such as Python, Go, Java, Node.js, or Ruby
* Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure-as-code tools
* Experience in early-stage startups or lean teams is a plus 
 
 

💡 Technologies You Might Work With: 
 


* Languages & Frameworks: Python, Golang, Java, JavaScript (Node.js), Ruby, Django, Flask, FastAPI, Ruby on Rails, Spring Boot
* Databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, DynamoDB, Redis
* Cloud & DevOps: AWS (Lambda, EC2, S3, RDS), GCP (Cloud Run, Firestore), Azure, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, Jenkins, GitHub Actions
* Other Tools: REST APIs, GraphQL, WebSockets, Kafka, RabbitMQ, Elasticsearch 
 
 

What Happens Next? 
 


* Submit your application to join SignalFire’s Talent Ecosystem.
* We review applications on an ongoing basis to identify strong candidates.
* If there’s a match, a SignalFire talent partner or a leader from one of our startups may reach out directly.
* No match yet? We’ll keep your profile on file for future backend engineering roles in our portfolio. 
 
 

Compensation Range: $170K - $250K

Database

Node.js

Ruby

Cloud

Microservices

Django

Ruby on Rails

PostgreSQL

MySQL

MongoDB

Flask

Spring

Spring Boot

Python

Java

Software Development

Redis

Amazon

Docker

Infrastructure

DevOps

Kubernetes

Azure

JavaScript

Data modeling

Golang

Data

Security software

Amazon EC2

Amazon S3

Jenkins

AWS Lambda

Web Development

Graphql.js

Continuous Integration

Elasticsearch

Scalability

Network

Data Pipelines

System security

Terraform

WebSocket

Apache Kafka

RabbitMQ

Fastapi

DynamoDB

Google Cloud Platform

Founding Backend Software Engineer - VC Backed Startups (Senior/Staff)