Software Engineer, Core Platform

Pairwise • Full-time • Irvine, CA, US • 2d ago

About the job

Pairwise is reinventing technical staffing from the ground up, building an AI-powered platform to handle the entire employment lifecycle - from recruiting to offboarding.

We're a small, experienced, and relentlessly driven team that ships fast and holds a high bar for quality. We're looking for a backend engineer who thrives in high-ownership environments, takes pride in clean architecture and well-designed systems, and wants to be part of an early team building critical infrastructure from scratch.

This is a rare opportunity to join early, influence both product and technical direction, and build the foundation of a company solving real problems at scale.

We're looking for someone who:

Is a builder at their core- you come alive when you're creating, iterating, and shipping.
Owns problems end to end - you don't wait for direction. You identify what needs to be built, figure it out, and make it happen.
Obsesses over details - you can't rest with flaky code or unresolved bugs. You care about performance, reliability, and clean design - and you make time to get it right.
Learns fast and thrives under pressure - you jump into unfamiliar territory without hesitation. You want to wear multiple hats, move fast, and be pushed to grow every day.

Responsibilities:

Design, build, and maintain scalable backend systems and APIs (Python/Django)
Translate product requirements into backend architecture and clean, maintainable code
Optimize performance across the stack - databases, queries, APIs
Support cloud infrastructure (Azure), ML model deployment, and devops workflows as needed
Help uphold high engineering standards through reviews, documentation, and technical planning

Requirements:

3+ years of backend experience with strong Python skills and production Django or similar framework experience, preferably in a fast-paced or startup environment
Deep understanding of databases, schema design, SQL, and performance tuning (PostgreSQL preferred)
Experience with cloud environments (Azure preferred; AWS/GCP also relevant) and infrastructure tooling
Bonus: Familiarity with ML infrastructure (e.g. model serving, GPU clusters), parallel processing, or frontend work (React/JS)
Degree in Computer Science or equivalent experience; MS/PhD a plus

Why join us:

Ownership and responsibility - real impact from day one on product and company direction
Fast learning and growth - work closely with experienced founders on hard technical and product problems
Competitive compensation and benefits - including premium healthcare, dental, vision, FSA, life/disability, 401(k), and generous PTO

We are proud to work with engineers and professionals who want to make an impact through their craft. If you're looking to be part of a team that values technical excellence, autonomy, and practical problem solving - we'd love to hear from you!

Pairwise is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse team and fostering an inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.