[Hiring] Staff Backend Engineer REMOTE USA
Position: Staff Backend Engineer
Date Posted: 23 January 2026
Industry: Software Engineering / Technology / SaaS
Employment Type: Full Time
Experience: 10+ years of backend engineering experience
Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
Salary: $245,000 – $260,000 (base pay, excluding equity and benefits)
Location: United States – REMOTE
Company: Cortex
Description:
Cortex is hiring a highly experienced Staff Backend Engineer to join its growing engineering organization. Cortex is an AI-powered Internal Developer Portal that enables engineering teams to ship reliable software faster by automatically enforcing reliability standards across teams. Trusted by companies such as Canva, Grammarly, and Skyscanner, Cortex helps organizations significantly reduce incidents and improve system performance at scale.
In this senior-level role, you will be responsible for shaping the architectural foundation of major product areas. You will collaborate closely with engineering leadership, product managers, and designers to build scalable backend systems that support long-term growth while maintaining strong technical standards.
Key Responsibilities:
• Define system architecture and engineering best practices for critical areas of the product
• Lead and actively contribute to the design and implementation of scalable backend services
• Build and maintain core backend technologies that support platform growth and performance
• Drive clarity and alignment around technical vision and long-term direction
• Partner with product and engineering leaders to deliver impactful features
• Create a supportive yet challenging environment where engineers can grow and learn
• Set and uphold a high standard for code quality, system design, and reliability
• Promote best practices related to performance optimization, testing, and system scalability
• Continuously improve existing backend systems to enhance reliability and efficiency
Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related discipline, or equivalent experience
• 10+ years of experience building and scaling high-performance backend systems
• Strong problem-solving skills with a focus on high-quality software delivery
• Deep understanding of core computer science principles, system design, and design patterns
• Hands-on experience with NoSQL databases and backend data technologies
• Excellent communication and cross-team collaboration skills
• Proven ability to mentor and coach engineers
• Prior startup experience is a plus
Perks & Benefits:
• Competitive salary plus equity
• 100% employer-covered medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Fully covered life insurance
• $400 monthly perks stipend
• $1,000 annual Learning & Development budget
• 401(k) plan
• Pet insurance
• Unlimited paid time off
• Fully remote role with flexible working hours
• Gender-neutral parental leave
• Company-wide retreats in locations such as San Diego and New York
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