Software Engineer - Backend

Why Achira

• Join a world-class team of scientists, ML researchers, and engineers working together to reshape the future of drug discovery.

• Work on cutting edge ML infrastructure at frontier scale: massive compute, massive data, and massive ambition.

• Own impactful work end-to-end — from ideation to architecture to deployment on large-scale infrastructure.

• Work in an environment that rewards rigor, speed, and a builder’s mindset.

About the Role

Achira is building best-in-class foundation models to solve the most challenging problems in simulation for drug discovery and beyond. Atomistic Foundation simulation models (FSMs) as world models of the physical microcosm span machine learning interaction potentials (MLIPs), neural network potentials (NNPs), and diverse classes of generative models.

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Backend Software Engineer to join our growing team. You will be instrumental in designing, building, and maintaining the scalable backend systems that power our ML infrastructure. This role demands a high degree of ownership, a deep understanding of software design principles, and a commitment to building robust, maintainable, and high-performance services. You will play a key role in shaping our technical roadmap and driving technical excellence within a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

What You’ll Do

• Design and Architect:

  • Design and implement scalable, high-performance APIs and services that support our product's features and integrations.

  • Develop and optimize data models to ensure efficiency, consistency, and scalability for our PostgreSQL databases.

• Champion Ownership:

  • Take ownership of the entire software development lifecycle for key backend components, from initial design and development through deployment, monitoring, and maintenance.

  • Proactively identify and address technical challenges, ensuring system reliability, performance, and security.

• Promote Technical Rigor:

  • Utilize design diagrams and advocate for standards in code quality, scalability, maintainability, and API backward compatibility within the team.

• Collaboration:

  • Work closely with other software engineers and ML scientists to tackle complex, novel challenges at the intersection of computational biology, machine learning, and scalable infrastructure

About You

• Experience:

  • You have rich experience in backend software engineering, with a proven track record of building and deploying scalable production systems.

  • You have demonstrated experience designing complex workflows and APIs, including RESTful and event-driven architectures.

• Technical Skills:

  • You have proficiency in at least one modern backend programming language (e.g., Python, Go, Java, Node.js) and its associated frameworks.

  • You have extensive experience with PostgreSQL, including database design, query optimization, and performance tuning.

  • You have strong understanding of design diagrams like UML to model software systems.

• System Design and Ownership:

  • You understand data modeling, schema design, and API backward compatibility.

  • You can take ownership of codebases and drive projects from concept to production.

  • You have experience designing scalable backend architectures that prioritize performance, reliability, and security.

• Mindset:

  • You have strong problem-solving skills with a proactive approach to challenges.

  • You communicate effectively and can explain technical concepts to diverse audiences.

  • You have a sense of relentless urgency and are a natural collaborator who values team success.

  • You want to work within a well-funded, bold, talent-dense organization to do your best work and focus on transformational impact against some of the world’s hardest technical problems.