Staff Backend Software Engineer

Summary

Join Red Cell Partners, an incubation firm building technology companies, as a Backend Engineer at LightBox, a healthcare care enablement platform. You will architect, design, build, and maintain data platforms and APIs. Responsibilities include building data pipelines, refining the technical stack, developing machine learning infrastructure, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. The ideal candidate possesses 8+ years of backend development experience, proficiency in Python, Go, or Typescript, and expertise in AWS, GCP, or Azure. LightBox offers a competitive salary, comprehensive health care, paid parental leave, unlimited PTO, professional development opportunities, and more.

Requirements

• BS, MS, in computer science, software engineering, or a related field
• 8+ years of experience in backend development, with a proven track record of building scalable, production-grade systems to solve complex problems
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, Go, or Typescript, with a strong ability to write clean, maintainable code
• Expert in developing and optimizing systems for data processing and providing REST APIs for both inter-service communication and user-facing, latency-sensitive frontend applications
• Hands-on experience with asynchronous task queues (Celery, RabbitMQ, Redis) or event-driven architectures (Kafka, AWS SNS/SQS)
• Hands-on experience designing and debugging Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and/or Microsoft Azure, with a focus on scalability, security, and cost efficiency
• Strong knowledge of DevOps practices, including CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure as code (Terraform, AWS CloudFormation) and container orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Proficiency in relational and NoSQL databases (e.g. PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, Redis)
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Strong desire to build impactful products

Responsibilities

• Architect, design, build, maintain, and enhance robust data platform, backend infrastructure, and APIs used by us and our customers
• Build and maintain data pipelines to process structured and unstructured data from diverse sources, including healthcare data systems and internal databases
• Continually refine and suggest modifications and additions to our technical stack
• Develop, scale, and optimize our machine learning infrastructure
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, partners, and customers to understand needs, offer insights, and tailor systems to meet business goals
• Support and contribute to code reviews, ensuring adherence to coding standards and best practices
• Mentor the engineering team as the company grows, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with modern search and retrieval technologies, such as ElasticSearch, OpenSearch, vector databases (Pinecone, ChromaDB, PGVector), or graph databases
• Knowledge of healthcare data standards and formats, including FHIR, SOC2
• Familiarity with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems and deploying LLMs in production environments and building or integrating APIs to expose endpoints for chat, retrieval, or hybrid workflows that combine LLM reasoning with external data sources
• Authoritative in ETL optimization, designing, coding, and tuning big data processes
• Prior experience in startups or fast-paced teams, with a demonstrated ability to manage ambiguity and balance multiple priorities
• Previous experience in leading an engineering team

Benefits

• 100% employer paid, comprehensive health care including medical, dental, and vision for you and your family
• Paid maternity and paternity for 14 weeks at employees' normal pay
• Unlimited PTO, with management approval with all Federal holidays observed
• Opportunities for professional development and continued learning
• Occasional travel to our offices in Washington D.C or alternative locations to collaborate with your team in person
• Optional 401K and FSA available