Staff / Senior Backend Engineer, Agentic AI

Airwallex3 weeks ago

Location

US - San Francisco

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 150,000 – 299,000

Level

Staff

Role

Backend Engineer

Posted

Feb 19, 2026

Full TimeStaff

The role

Summary

Airwallex is seeking a Staff/Senior Backend Engineer to design and build the backbone of their intelligent finance systems for their Agentic AI team. This role focuses on creating scalable services, resilient APIs, and thoughtful data models using Python on GCP to power autonomous financial operations systems that eliminate manual processes for global businesses.

What you'll do

Distributed Systems Design: Design and operate distributed, event-driven systems that process high-volume, high-sensitivity financial data with strict correctness and latency guarantees

API Development: Build typed, production-grade APIs and services in Python using FastAPI and Pydantic that power agentic workflows, AI copilots, and real-time financial infrastructure

Data Architecture: Own data architecture end-to-end including schema design, event models, ledger primitives, and storage layers optimized for auditability, traceability, and scale

Infrastructure Development: Develop resilient infrastructure primitives including queues, retries, idempotency, observability, and backpressure handling

AI Systems Integration: Work at the intersection of systems and AI, building feedback loops where product data continuously improves models and models autonomously improve system behavior

Platform Engineering: Ship platform foundations including internal frameworks, SDKs, and tooling that accelerate development across the organization

Cross-team Collaboration: Partner closely with ML and product teams to productionize research-grade ideas into real customer-facing systems

Architecture Leadership: Help define the architecture of an AI-native financial stack, designing software that assumes AI is a first-class runtime

What we look for

Technical

Python Backend Experience5+ years of backend experience with Python at scale in production environments

Database DesignDeep knowledge of SQL and NoSQL database design for financial systems

Distributed SystemsExperience with distributed systems, event-driven architectures, or microservices patterns

Google Cloud PlatformFamiliarity with GCP services including Pub/Sub, Cloud Run, Cloud SQL, BigQuery, and KMS

Security and ComplianceStrong grasp of security and compliance best practices for financial systems

Education

Bachelor's DegreeBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field preferred

Experience

Backend DevelopmentMinimum 5 years of backend development experience with Python at enterprise scale

Financial SystemsExperience building systems for financial services, fintech, or high-compliance industries preferred

AI/ML SystemsExperience integrating AI/ML models into production backend systems preferred

Skills

Required skills

PythonExpert-level Python programming for scalable backend systems

SQL/NoSQLAdvanced database design and query optimization skills

Distributed SystemsDeep understanding of distributed systems patterns and trade-offs

GCP ServicesProficiency with Google Cloud Platform services and architecture

API DesignExperience designing and implementing RESTful APIs and microservices

SecurityKnowledge of security best practices for financial systems

Nice to have

FastAPIExperience with FastAPI framework for high-performance APIs

PydanticKnowledge of Pydantic for data validation and serialization

Event-driven ArchitectureExperience with event sourcing and CQRS patterns

AI/ML IntegrationExperience building systems that incorporate machine learning models

Financial DomainUnderstanding of financial operations, accounting, and compliance requirements

Container TechnologiesExperience with Docker, Kubernetes, and container orchestration

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 150,000 – 299,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Equity Participation

Stock options in a company valued at $8 billion with world-class investors

Global Impact

Work on products used by 200,000+ businesses worldwide including major brands

Professional Growth

Accelerated learning opportunities in a fast-growing fintech unicorn

Cutting-edge Technology

Work with AI and machine learning technologies at the forefront of financial automation

Equal Opportunity

Inclusive workplace committed to diversity and equal opportunity employment

Interview process

1
Initial Screen — Phone or video call with recruiter to discuss background and role fit
2
Technical Assessment — Coding challenge focused on Python backend development and system design
3
System Design Interview — Whiteboard or virtual session on designing distributed financial systems
4
Behavioral Interview — Discussion of past experiences, leadership scenarios, and cultural fit
5
Final Round — On-site or virtual panel with team members and engineering leadership