Job Title: Founding Backend Engineer, Velma

Location: Remote (US only)

Type: Full-Time

About Us:

We’re a venture-backed, early-stage startup on a mission to improve dementia care for families and caregivers through innovative technology. Our work combines cutting-edge AI with human-centered design to help people age with dignity and stay connected. As part of our team, you’ll tackle complex engineering challenges building scalable, secure systems that power life-changing solutions.

The Role:

We’re seeking a Lead Backend Engineer to own the design and development of our systems—from architecture and APIs to deployment and scalability. You’ll lead end-to-end development with full autonomy, supported by our founding team and an expert advisor in AI architecture, strategy, and security.

This high-ownership role is perfect for someone eager to build core systems from scratch, make key architectural decisions, and move quickly with purpose.

Responsibilities:

• Rapidly prototype and test new product features
• Collaborate with founders on customer feedback to translate product needs into sound technical solutions
• Integrate with large language models (LLMs) and voice APIs (e.g., OpenAI, ElevenLabs, etc.)
• Design, build, and maintain scalable, secure backend systems and APIs. Proactively identify and solve backend and infrastructure bottlenecks.
• Design and build systems on AWS with scalability and cost-efficiency in mind
• Ensure systems are robust, observable, and compliant with relevant privacy and security standards.

What We're Looking For: