Staff Software Engineer, Backend

Description

Kai is the AI company rebuilding cybersecurity for the machine-speed era. Founded by second time founders and trusted by Fortune 500 enterprises, Kai is building a future where security has no categories, no silos, and no human speed bottlenecks. The Kai Agentic AI Platform replaces fragmented, human-limited workflows with agentic AI systems that continuously contextualize, assess, reason, and execute security work at machine speed - making human defenders, superhuman.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end delivery of major platform initiatives, from design through deployment and post-launch success.
• Design, develop, and optimize distributed microservices in Golang for scale, reliability, and performance.
• Collaborate across teams — Product, AI, and Customer Success — to align architecture with business objectives.
• Drive engineering excellence through code quality standards, design reviews, automation, and CI/CD best practices.
• Be a mentor and multiplier, guiding software engineers through architecture decisions, trade-offs, and delivery.
• Partner with leadership to align engineering strategy with product objectives and technical roadmap.

Requirements

• 8+ years in software engineering with cloud-native architecture experience.
• Proven record of driving technical projects end-to-end , coordinating across teams and stakeholders.
• Strong hands-on background in microservices architecture , distributed systems, and API-driven design.
• Expertise in Kubernetes, Docker, and CI/CD pipelines in a cloud environment (Azure preferred).
• Familiarity with modern databases, gRPC, message queues, and DevOps automation.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills — comfortable leading discussions from code to business impact.
• (Bonus) Understanding or interest in cybersecurity, AI-driven systems, or threat intelligence.
• Our Culture
• Ownership & Leadership: Engineers make decisions and own outcomes.
• Mentorship & Growth: Learn from industry leaders and experiment with the frontier of AI and cybersecurity.
• Collaboration & Inclusion: We value diverse perspectives that challenge the status quo and fuel innovation.
• Impact Mindset: Every line of code contributes to shaping the future of enterprise security.
• Individual pay reflects job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Alongside base salary, this role includes equity, medical, dental and vision coverage, 401(k), and more.

Benefits

• Well-funded: With $125M raised, we have the capital, runway, and resolve to rebuild cybersecurity from first principles.
• Proven: We've earned the trust of Fortune 500 and Global 1000 companies, and we're just getting started. Their confidence in Kai reflects what we've built: an AI-powered cybersecurity platform that performs at the scale and speed the enterprise demands.
• Experienced founders: Our founding team consists of second-time entrepreneurs, each with over 20 years of experience in the cybersecurity industry. Their proven expertise and vision drive our ambitious goals.
• World-class leadership team: Our Heads of AI, Engineering, and Product bring extensive experience from some of the world’s most influential companies, ensuring top-tier mentorship, direction, and vision.
• Frontier AI Applied Research Team: Our researchers operate at the leading edge of agentic AI systems, translating breakthrough capabilities into real-world cybersecurity applications.
• Generous compensation: We offer highly competitive salaries, equity options, and a supportive work environment. Your contributions will be valued and rewarded as we grow together.
• As a Staff Software Engineer , you’ll be a technical leader and hands-on contributor, driving critical initiatives from concept to production. You’ll architect, build, and mentor while partnering cross-functionally with Product, AI, and Security. This is a high-impact role where you’ll influence technical direction, mentor engineers, and ensure delivery of scalable, secure services that meet enterprise-grade expectations.