Staff Backend Engineer, AI Systems
Mural4 days ago
Location
United States Remote
Workplace
Remote
Type
Full Time
Salary
USD 181,000 – 226,000
Level
Staff
Role
Backend Engineer
Posted
Jul 21, 2026
Full TimeRemoteStaff
The role
Summary
Staff Backend Engineer role at Mural's AI Innovation Team, pioneering generative AI systems for visual collaboration. Design and build core backend platforms powering agent orchestration, durable execution, contextual memory, and tool integration. Requires 7+ years of software engineering expertise in distributed systems, production reliability, and strong AI/LLM systems knowledge.
What you'll do
Design and Build Core AI Backend Systems: Architect and implement the foundational backend systems powering Mural's agent platform, including agent orchestration, durable execution, tool execution, memory layers, observability infrastructure, and evaluation systems that enable reliable agentic AI at scale.
Develop Scalable APIs and Services: Design and deploy scalable backend services and APIs enabling AI agents to retrieve contextual information, coordinate multi-step workflows, interact with Mural platform data, and execute actions reliably on behalf of users with high availability and performance.
Build Advanced Memory and Context Systems: Engineer sophisticated agent memory layers including conversation context management, product context storage, semantic retrieval mechanisms, context summarization, memory compaction strategies, and long-term context preservation for persistent agent intelligence.
Implement Observability and Debugging Infrastructure: Create comprehensive monitoring, debugging, and improvement infrastructure for agent behavior including distributed tracing, metrics collection, feedback loop systems, and offline evaluation frameworks to ensure production quality and continuous optimization.
Translate Requirements into Technical Architectures: Convert complex, ambiguous product requirements into clear backend architectures, well-defined service boundaries, robust data models, and detailed implementation plans that align technical capabilities with user value and business objectives.
Define Technical Strategy for Agentic AI: Contribute to and help establish the long-term technical direction, architecture patterns, and strategic vision for implementing agentic AI systems at Mural, ensuring scalability and maintainability across the platform.
Champion Engineering Excellence and Mentorship: Lead by example in establishing best practices for building reliable AI systems, mentoring junior and mid-level engineers, conducting code reviews, and fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous improvement across the team.
Drive Team Growth and Culture: Contribute to team expansion through hiring and interview participation, implement process improvements, and foster an inclusive engineering culture emphasizing collaboration, curiosity, and knowledge sharing within the AI Innovation Team.
What we look for
Technical
Distributed Systems ArchitectureExpert-level experience designing and operating distributed systems handling complex workflows including orchestration patterns, asynchronous processing, job execution engines, retry mechanisms, event-driven architectures, long-running process management, and sophisticated failure recovery strategies.
Production System ReliabilityDeep expertise in building and operating production-grade systems with strong focus on observability, reliability engineering, comprehensive testing strategies, security practices, maintainability patterns, and incident response protocols.
Backend API and Service DesignStrong capability in designing scalable RESTful APIs, microservices architectures, service boundaries, and data models that support high-performance, reliable backend systems serving diverse client applications.
LLM and AI Systems KnowledgePractical familiarity with large language models, agentic AI systems, and related concepts including tool use patterns, context retrieval mechanisms, model evaluation techniques, and multi-model orchestration strategies.
Node.js Backend DevelopmentProfessional proficiency with Node.js for building scalable backend services, understanding async patterns, event-driven architecture, and integrating with modern cloud platforms and third-party AI services.
Database and Data ModelingStrong experience with MongoDB and NoSQL databases, designing flexible schemas, managing large-scale data, implementing efficient queries, and understanding trade-offs between schema flexibility and data integrity.
Cloud Services IntegrationExperience integrating with Azure cloud services, Azure OpenAI APIs, and managing cloud-based infrastructure for AI applications including API rate limiting, cost optimization, and multi-service orchestration.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or Related FieldFormal education in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent technical discipline providing foundational knowledge in data structures, algorithms, distributed systems, and software architecture principles.
Experience
Senior Software EngineeringMinimum 7+ years of progressive software engineering experience designing, building, and operating reliable production systems with demonstrated impact on scalable services, complex system architectures, and cross-functional collaboration.
Distributed Systems at ScaleProven experience architecting and maintaining distributed systems handling significant complexity, including workflow orchestration, asynchronous job processing, event-driven systems, and comprehensive failure handling across multiple services.
Production System OperationsHands-on experience building and maintaining production systems with emphasis on observability, incident response, security hardening, performance optimization, and long-term system reliability and maintenance.
AI/LLM Systems ImplementationDirect experience working with AI systems, LLMs, or agentic platforms, understanding concepts such as tool use, context retrieval, model evaluation, and working effectively with AI-powered features in production.
Cross-Functional CollaborationExperience collaborating with frontend engineers, product managers, and designers, preferably with full-stack exposure or deep involvement in product-facing experiences to understand end-to-end system implications.
Skills
Required skills
Distributed Systems DesignArchitecture and implementation of distributed systems including service orchestration, event-driven processing, and failure recovery mechanisms.
Node.js and Backend DevelopmentProduction-grade backend development using Node.js with expertise in async patterns, scalable APIs, and integration with third-party services.
MongoDB NoSQL DatabaseDesign and optimization of MongoDB schemas, indexing strategies, and handling large-scale document data with focus on performance and scalability.
System Architecture and DesignAbility to design well-defined service architectures, clear service boundaries, robust data models, and scalable system implementations addressing complex requirements.
Production Observability and MonitoringImplementation of comprehensive monitoring, logging, tracing, and metrics collection to ensure system reliability and enable rapid incident diagnosis and resolution.
LLM and AI Systems KnowledgeUnderstanding of large language models, agent-based systems, tool use, context retrieval, evaluation frameworks, and practical experience integrating AI into production systems.
Technical Communication and DocumentationStrong ability to articulate complex technical concepts, produce clear documentation, and communicate architectural decisions across technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Software Engineering Best PracticesExpertise in testing strategies, code quality, performance optimization, security hardening, and establishing engineering excellence standards across teams.
Nice to have
LLM Evaluation and ExperimentationAdvanced experience with LLM evaluation methodologies, A/B testing frameworks, experimentation platforms, and data-driven approaches to model optimization and selection.
Embeddings and Semantic SearchPractical experience implementing semantic search, vector databases, embedding-based retrieval systems, and similarity-based ranking for AI-powered features.
Knowledge Graphs and Graph DatabasesExperience designing and implementing knowledge graphs, relationship-aware data structures, entity resolution systems, and graph-based retrieval mechanisms for complex data relationships.
Agentic AI FrameworksFamiliarity with agent frameworks, orchestration patterns, tool calling mechanisms, and building autonomous systems that can reason and act in complex environments.
Azure Cloud PlatformDeep experience with Azure services, Azure OpenAI APIs, cloud architecture patterns, and building cloud-native applications with strong security and cost optimization.
React Frontend IntegrationUnderstanding of React-based frontend development to effectively collaborate with frontend engineers and design APIs that serve modern web applications efficiently.
AI Systems Reliability and SafetyExperience implementing reliability patterns, safety checks, bias detection, and guardrails for AI systems operating at scale with focus on user trust and ethical considerations.
Performance Optimization and ProfilingExpertise in identifying performance bottlenecks, profiling distributed systems, optimizing database queries, and implementing caching strategies for high-performance systems.
Compensation & benefits
Salary
USD 181,000 – 226,000 (annual)
Stock options
Available
Benefits
Remote-First Collaboration
Work with a globally distributed team using asynchronous communication and collaboration tools, maintaining flexibility in work location while being part of a cohesive engineering culture.
Comprehensive Health and Wellness
Medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage with company contributions supporting employee health and well-being across physical and mental health needs.
Retirement and Financial Planning
Competitive 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions and financial planning resources to support long-term wealth building.
Professional Development
Learning and development budget for conferences, courses, certifications, and technical skill development to stay current with emerging technologies and industry practices.
Generous Time Off
Unlimited paid time off (PTO) or competitive vacation allowance, plus paid holidays, enabling work-life balance and personal wellness throughout the year.
Stock Options and Equity
Equity participation in Mural as a growing company, aligning employee interests with long-term company success and providing wealth-building opportunities.
Flexible Work Environment
Supportive remote-first culture with flexibility in work arrangements, recognizing productivity and outcomes rather than rigid schedules or location requirements.
Parental Leave
Paid parental leave supporting employees during important life transitions and family-building decisions.
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Mural
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Mural is a digital workspace for visual collaboration, enabling innovation and teamwork through diagrams, sticky notes, and facilitation tools for distributed teams.
San Francisco, CA, USAFounded 2010mural.co
Tech Stack
Languages
TypeScript/JavaScriptPythonSQL
Frameworks
Node.jsExpress.js or SimilarReact
Databases
MongoDBVector Database or Embeddings Storage
Tools
Azure OpenAI APIDistributed Tracing and ObservabilityAsync Task QueuesGit and Version ControlCI/CD and Deployment PlatformsContainerization and Orchestration
Other
Agent Orchestration PatternsRetrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)Event-Driven ArchitectureMemory Management for LLMsEvaluation Frameworks for AI Systems