Staff Software Engineer, Voice AI Platform

Toast

Staff Software Engineer building Toast’s Voice AI platform for its restaurant technology ecosystem. Leading scalable backend systems, AI integrations, observability, and cross-team technical initiatives.

Posted 8/17/2026full-timeRemote • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $159,000 - $254,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in designing and maintaining scalable backend services and AI-integrated systems, with a strong focus on architectural decision-making and engineering best practices. Proven ability to lead complex projects and mentor engineers while fostering collaboration across teams.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Java ProgrammingKotlin ProgrammingAI-Integrated Product DevelopmentDistributed Systems DesignCross-Team Collaboration

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Object-Oriented ProgrammingAI-Powered Systems DevelopmentProduction ReliabilityScalability EngineeringCode ReviewDesign FeedbackTechnical GuidanceComplex Project LeadershipObservability FrameworksEvaluation Strategies

Soft Skills

Strong Communication SkillsCollaboration SkillsInfluencing Without Authority

Tools & Technologies

AWSDynamoDBRDSLambdaDropWizardPostgresClaude CodeCursorReactES6

Certifications & Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer ScienceBachelor’s Degree in Software EngineeringBachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering

Industry Keywords

Voice AIConversational AIAI Coding ToolsBackend ServicesProduction Services

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

AWSDistributed SystemsDynamoDBJavaKotlinPostgresReact

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Design, build, deploy, and maintain highly resilient and scalable backend services, applications, and core platform components supporting Toast's Voice AI platform
Lead complex, cross-cutting projects from design through production, owning outcomes and driving stakeholder alignment
Shape technical direction through architectural decisions, defined patterns, and complexity reduction
Build and evolve integrations with AI platforms and internal Toast systems
Establish observability, monitoring, and evaluation frameworks for AI-powered systems, using production data to improve system behavior
Set engineering quality and best-practice standards through patterns and written guidance
Mentor engineers at all levels through code reviews, design feedback, and technical guidance
Collaborate with product, engineering, and stakeholders to turn ambiguous problems into reliable, scalable systems

Requirements

What you’ll need

8+ years of experience with object-oriented languages such as Java or Kotlin
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
Experience developing AI-integrated products or features, including systems incorporating LLMs or other AI capabilities
Experience building and reasoning about AI-powered systems, including nondeterminism, evaluation strategies, observability, and cost management
Experience shipping complex, mission-critical production services and owning them long-term
Track record of leading multi-person and multi-team projects end-to-end, from design through rollout
Deep understanding of distributed systems, scalability, and production reliability
Basic familiarity with frontend development
Strong cross-team communication and collaboration skills; ability to influence direction without formal authority
Active use of AI coding tools such as Claude Code or Cursor, and experience helping others become more proficient with them
Experience with voice or conversational AI platforms is a plus, but not required
Backend services experience with Kotlin, Java, DropWizard, AWS, DynamoDB, RDS, Lambda, and sharded Postgres; familiarity with React and ES6

Benefits

Comp & perks

Competitive compensation and benefits programs
Cash compensation, including overtime and bonus/commissions if eligible
Equity
Benefits supporting a healthy lifestyle
Flexibility to meet changing needs
AI tools provided across disciplines
Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities during the hiring process