Senior Software Engineer, Backend, Infrastructure Focus

Kira

Senior Software Engineer at Kira Learning, focusing on backend systems and infrastructure. Collaborating with product teams to improve educational experiences with transformative AI technologies.

Posted 7/30/2026full-timeSan Francisco • California, New York • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $180,000 - $250,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates strong backend development skills in Kotlin and Python, with a focus on operational excellence and technical leadership. Proven ability to mentor engineers and improve product foundations through effective collaboration and communication.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Backend Development (Kotlin, Python)Cloud Infrastructure (AWS)API Design and DevelopmentMentorship and Team LeadershipCI/CD and Automated Testing

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Software EngineeringKotlinPythonGoRustScalaAPI DesignRelational Databases (MySQL)Automated TestingCI/CD Pipelines

Soft Skills

Clear CommunicationProblem-SolvingAttention to DetailPositive AttitudeAdaptability

Tools & Technologies

Cloud Infrastructure (AWS)Developer ToolingObservability ToolsProduction Systems

Certifications & Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer ScienceMaster’s Degree in Computer Science

Industry Keywords

Operational ExcellencePerformanceScalabilitySecurityReliabilityIncident ResponseUX DesignPrototypingTestingDeployment Practices

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

AWSCloudGoKotlinMySQLPythonReactRustScalaTypeScript

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Ship impactful, end-to-end features that improve student and teacher experiences
Help set and evolve technical direction, translating business goals into pragmatic technical plans
Improve product and engineering foundations, including code quality, observability, CI/CD, and developer tooling
Own operational excellence, addressing performance, scalability, security, reliability, and incident response
Partner closely with product managers and designers on UX, interaction design, and execution
Participate across the full lifecycle: prototyping, testing, rollout, and ongoing support
Provide technical leadership through design discussions, code reviews, and mentorship

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, or equivalent technical experience
8+ years of professional software engineering experience or equivalent practical experience
Strong backend experience (e.g., Kotlin, Python, Go, Rust, Scala), with willingness to ramp up on Kira’s stack (Kotlin, Python)
Ability to own technical decisions and execute with minimal guidance in ambiguous environments
Hands-on experience operating production systems and cloud infrastructure (ideally AWS)
Experience designing APIs, working with relational databases (e.g., MySQL), and shipping complex systems
2+ years experience mentoring and/or managing junior and mid-level engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and high-quality delivery
Familiarity with automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, and reliable deployment practices
Clear written and verbal communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences
Comfort operating in a fast-paced, early-stage startup environment with changing priorities
A positive, can-do attitude. You’re not deterred by minor setbacks and are able to swiftly overcome ambiguity
Impeccable attention to detail
(Preferred) Extensive experience contributing to frontend codebases (e.g., React, TypeScript)
(Preferred) Experience with integrating LLM-backed services, including API usage, evaluation, and operational considerations

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical, dental, vision and life insurance, including a medical insurance plan with 100% coverage of employee
DoorDash credit for lunch daily