Senior Software Engineer, Backend

PikaPalo Alto, California

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Overview

Schedule

Full-time

Career level

Senior-level

Remote

On-site

Benefits

Career Development

Job Description

Senior Software Engineer, Backend

About the Role

We're looking for a Senior Backend Engineer with deep experience in agentic systems to help shape the core infrastructure powering Pika's products. You will play a key role in designing and building robust, scalable backend systems and agentic platforms—owning everything from API design and service architecture to real-time messaging infrastructure and agent orchestration. This is a high-ownership role where your decisions directly impact how millions of users experience Pika.

As a senior engineer, you'll also help raise the bar for the team through architecture guidance, code reviews, and mentoring junior engineers.

What You'll Do

• Architect and build scalable backend and agentic services for Pika's web, mobile, and multi-platform products• Own backend logic end-to-end—from database modeling to API design, infrastructure, and production reliability• Design and build real-time systems—WebSocket connections, event-driven architectures, message queues, and agent orchestration• Scale agentic and backend infrastructure for throughput, latency, and reliability• Support internal tooling and operational automation to improve team workflows• Drive technical decisions—write RFCs, evaluate trade-offs, and build consensus across engineering• Mentor engineers through code reviews, architecture guidance, and pair programming• Debug, optimize, and future-proof our agentic and backend systems for scale

What We're Looking For

• 5+ years of backend engineering experience building production services at scale, including agentic systems or platforms• Proven experience architecting, developing, and scaling agentic solutions, multi-agent systems, or LLM-based orchestration platforms• Proficiency in modern backend technologies (Node.js, Python, Go, etc.) and frameworks (Express, FastAPI, etc.)• Strong understanding of distributed and agentic systems—event-driven architectures, agent orchestration, message queues, service-to-service communication• Deep knowledge of database design and operations (SQL, NoSQL, data modeling, performance tuning)• Experience with APIs, cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP), Kubernetes, and CI/CD workflows• Comfort building real-time systems—WebSockets, long-polling, pub/sub patterns• Strong debugging and observability skills—you can trace a problem across services and agentic pipelines and fix it fast• Ownership mentality—you identify problems and ship solutions without waiting for specs• Clear communication skills and a team-first mindset

Nice to Have

• Experience with AI/LLM integration (model orchestration, token management, prompt routing)• Experience with multi-tenant SaaS platforms or multi-platform products• Experience building internal tools or automation pipelines• Previous startup experience—comfortable with ambiguity and moving fast

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FAQs About Senior Software Engineer, Backend Jobs at Pika

What is the work location for this position at Pika?

This job at Pika is located in Palo Alto, California, according to the details provided by the employer. Some roles may also include multiple work locations depending on the requirement.

What pay range can candidates expect for this role at Pika?

Employer has not shared pay details for this role.

What employment applies to this position at Pika?

Pika lists this role as a Full-time position.

What experience level is required for this role at Pika?

Pika is looking for a candidate with "Senior-level" experience level.

What benefits are offered by Pika for this role?

Pika offers Career Development for this position. Actual benefits may vary depending on the employer's policies and employment terms.

What is the process to apply for this position at Pika?

You can apply for this role at Pika either through Sonara's automated application system, which helps you submit applications 10X faster with minimal effort, or by applying manually using the direct link on the job page.