Compensation: $170,000 - $200,000 | Equity Package

This is a hybrid role - you will be expected to be in our NYC office at least 3 days per week

We’re looking for a Lead Backend Engineer with real startup experience who has:

• Built and scaled backend systems in high-growth environments
• Strong architectural instincts and clear technical opinions
• Hands-on experience delivering GenerativeAI-powered features
• A track record of using AI tools to materially increase engineering productivity

You will lead backend architecture, drive technical decisions, mentor engineers, and partner closely with product and leadership as Iris continues to scale.

This is a hands-on leadership role. You will design, code, review, refactor, and ship.

Our AI-native platform is fundamentally transforming how enterprise revenue teams manage RFPs, security questionnaires, and compliance documentation—the critical bottleneck that delays deal closure and strains high-performing sales teams. We've engineered a solution that compresses weeks of manual work into minutes, delivering unprecedented speed and accuracy. Leading organizations including Corelight and BuildOps have already integrated our platform into their revenue operations.

We are executing against a massive market opportunity: over $10 trillion in annual transaction value flows through RFP processes, representing virtually unlimited automation potential.

ResponsibilitiesBackend Architecture & Core SaaS Platform

• Lead backend SOA architecture design for a multi-tenant, AI-driven SaaS platform
• Design and evolve core SaaS features
• Make opinionated trade-offs around performance, reliability, cost, and development velocity

API & Platform Development

• Lead the design and development of clean, well-structured REST APIs using Django REST Framework
• Define and enforce API standards, including OpenAPI documentation and validation
• Drive database design and optimization (PostgreSQL, indexing, migrations)
• Guide caching, batching, and asynchronous processing for AI-heavy operations
  

SaaS Features & Workflows

• Lead backend systems supporting core SaaS workflows such as document ingestion, processing, and lifecycle management
• Fine-grained permissioning and role-based access control
• Notifications: lead backend-driven notifications, including Server-Sent Events (SSE) for real-time updates
• Integrations: lead secure integrations with external enterprise systems using modern authentication patterns
• Ensure long-running and asynchronous workflows are reliable and scalable

AI-Augmented Engineering

We expect this role to use AI as leverage in day-to-day development. As such, you should be comfortable with:

• Using AI coding assistants such as Cursor, Claude Code, and Copilot
• Applying LLMs for code generation, refactoring, test creation, debugging, and documentation
• Using AI tools to improve code quality and engineering throughput
• Demonstrating measurable productivity gains through effective AI tool usage

Team & Technical Leadership

• Set backend engineering standards and best practices
• Perform thoughtful, high-impact code reviews
• Mentor engineers on backend architecture, Django internals, and AI integration patterns
• Collaborate closely with Product, Frontend, and DevOps teams
• Help shape hiring, onboarding, and overall engineering culture
  

Requirements
Core Backend

• 7+ years of backend engineering experience
• 4+ years of Django / Django REST Framework in production
• Strong Python fundamentals, including async patterns and advanced language features
• PostgreSQL expertise (query optimization, indexing, migrations)
• Experience with Celery, Redis, and asynchronous task orchestration
• Docker and containerized development workflows
• Cloud experience (AWS or equivalent)
  

GenerativeAI

• Hands-on experience integrating LLM-powered features into backend systems
• Experience building GenerativeAI applications using vector databases
• Familiarity with RAG concepts and AI-powered document or knowledge workflows
• Understanding of AI system reliability and failure modes

Architecture & SaaS

• Experience designing and evolving multi-tenant SaaS platforms
• Strong background in fine-grained permissioning and access control
• Experience building backend systems that support notifications, integrations, and long-running workflows
• Event-driven and asynchronous system design
• Authentication, authorization, and data-protection best practices
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in fast-growing startups
• Prior ownership of backend systems as a tech lead or senior engineer
• TypeScript experience and ability to collaborate effectively with frontend teams
• Experience designing or evolving CI/CD pipelines
• Experience operating systems under real customer load
• Familiarity with Model Context Protocol (MCP) or similar approaches for structured LLM tool and context integration

Benefits

• Health benefits package (including medical, dental, vision)
• Unlimited PTO
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• 401(k)

Visa Sponsorship is not included in our hiring package. Applicants will need to be authorized to work in the U.S.