Staff Full-Stack Engineer (AI & Platform)

The client is a leading mobile and web-based learning platform that delivers efficient and affordable study solutions for professional certifications. Guided by the belief that education should be accessible to everyone, the platform aims to remove the stress and financial barriers often associated with professional certification exams by preparing members to pass with confidence and advance their careers.

The engineering team collaborates closely with the product and design teams to build and maintain the technical foundation of the platform’s applications. As stewards of the codebase, engineers are dedicated to their craft, delivering high-quality, resilient, and accessible products that support learners from all backgrounds in achieving their goals. The team continuously refines its processes, coding standards, and architectural patterns—both individually and collectively—to ensure readiness for future challenges.

Role Overview

The Staff Full-Stack Engineer on the Platform team plays a key role in research, experimentation, and early product development. This role focuses on exploring, validating, and prototyping new technologies and product concepts, often through the development of early-stage minimum viable products (MVPs) that help the broader organization evaluate new capabilities and opportunities.

In addition to R&D initiatives, the role contributes to core platform systems, ensuring that backend services and APIs align with the company’s long-term architectural direction. This engineer operates with a high degree of autonomy, working from loosely defined goals and translating them into practical, scalable technical solutions.

As a senior technical contributor, the Staff Full-Stack Engineer collaborates closely with engineering, product, and design partners to rapidly iterate on concepts, connect experimental systems to existing platforms, and assess tradeoffs between speed, quality, and maintainability. The role spans the full stack, including backend services, frontend integration, and interaction with AI/ML systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain backend services using TypeScript and Node.js , with a strong focus on reliability, performance, and scalability
• Lead and execute experimental initiatives, translating ambiguous product or research goals into working prototypes and MVPs
• Collaborate cross-functionally to design APIs and infrastructure that support both experimental features and long-term platform needs
• Work across frontend and backend systems to ensure smooth integration and usable end-to-end experiences
• Evaluate, integrate, and experiment with AI/ML systems, balancing innovation with practical engineering constraints
• Identify system bottlenecks and architectural risks, and independently drive solutions
• Monitor production systems, debug complex issues, and optimize database and service performance (MongoDB)
• Provide technical leadership through mentorship, code reviews, and contributions to architectural discussions and engineering standards

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional engineering experience, with significant ownership across backend and full-stack systems
• Deep expertise in TypeScript, including designing and maintaining large, production-grade codebases
• Strong experience building and maintaining APIs and backend services (security, rate limiting, reliability, observability)
• Demonstrated ability to work independently on ill-defined problem statements
• Experience integrating or experimenting with AI/ML systems in practical, product-oriented ways
• Strong commitment to code quality, testing, and clear technical documentation

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building production systems in additional languages (e.g., Python)
• Experience working with large language models (LLMs), embeddings, or AI-driven workflows
• Experience with MongoDB or other NoSQL databases, including performance optimization
• Experience taking projects from early concept through prototype, evaluation, and iteration
• Prior experience mentoring engineers or acting as a staff-level technical leader

Engineering Mindset & Working Style

• Operates with strong technical judgment and a focus on long-term maintainability
• Comfortable making decisions in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
• Applies prior experience to anticipate risks and avoid common architectural pitfalls
• Values collaboration, mentorship, and thoughtful technical debate (“strong opinions, weakly held”)

Cultural Alignment

• The ideal candidate is energized by experimentation, learning, and impact. They approach challenges with curiosity rather than judgment, communicate tradeoffs clearly, and value craftsmanship over rushed execution. A passion for continuous learning and improving access to education through technology is central to the role.

$175,000 - $213,500 a year

Why Join the Team

Stability The company has operated for over 10 years, remains 100% profitable without investor backing, and continues to grow year over year.

Work–Life Balance Team members are supported in balancing meaningful work with personal life through flexible PTO and a company-wide holiday break of approximately three weeks from mid-December through the New Year.

Comprehensive Healthcare The company covers 100% of employee healthcare premiums and 80% of dependent coverage.

Remote Flexibility Employees are encouraged to work where and when they are most effective. Offices are located near the University Village area in Seattle, Washington, and in downtown Durham, North Carolina, with support for remote work options.

Community Impact The organization actively supports community engagement through partnerships with local nonprofits and offers Volunteer Time Off (VTO) for independent community involvement.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.