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Backend Software Engineer

Inception Labs

Inception Labs

Software Engineering
San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted on Aug 7, 2025
Backend Software Engineer
Bay Area
Engineering
In office
Full-time
About Us
Inception is a generative AI startup. Leveraging breakthrough AI research, we are training next-generation large language models (LLM) powered by diffusion. Unlike existing auto-regressive models, which only output one token at a time, diffusion LLMs can output many tokens in parallel. This means that they are several times faster and can leverage their additional test-time compute to improve quality. They also enable fine-grained control over their outputs to adhere to specific schema and semantic constraints, and they provide a unified paradigm for combining language with other data modalities, including audio, images, and videos.
Our team is led by Stefano Ermon (co-inventor of diffusion models, flash attention, and DPO; faculty at Stanford), Aditya Grover (co-inventor of node2vec and decision transformers; faculty at UCLA), and Volodymyr Kuleshov (prev. co-founder and CTO at Afresh Technologies; faculty at Cornell), and includes engineers from Google Deepmind, Meta AI, Microsoft AI, and OpenAI. We are currently deploying large-scale diffusion LLMs at Fortune 500 companies.
Role Overview
We seek experienced Backend Software Engineers to build the core infrastructure and services that power our cutting-edge AI. In this role, you will design and develop scalable backend systems that enable seamless integration of our diffusion LLMs with enterprise applications and that support our training efforts. You'll architect high-performance systems capable of handling millions of requests while ensuring reliability, security, and optimal response times. Working closely with our ML engineers, you'll build the bridge between state-of-the-art AI models and production-ready services.
Key Responsibilities
  • Design and implement scalable backend services for model serving, request routing, and load balancing
  • Develop robust data pipelines and event-driven systems for monitoring of the entire tech stack
  • Create backend infrastructure for experiment tracking, model versioning, and performance monitoring
  • Establish authentication, authorization, rate limiting, and other security measures for enterprise-grade deployments
  • Design and maintain database schemas, caching strategies, and data storage solutions
  • Implement infrastructure as code, deployment automation, and CI/CD pipelines
  • Collaborate with ML engineers to optimize model serving infrastructure and inference pipelines
Qualifications
  • BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or related field (or equivalent experience)
  • 5+ years of experience building production backend systems
  • Strong proficiency in at least one backend language (Python, Go, Java, Rust, or similar)
  • Deep understanding of distributed systems, microservices architecture, and API design principles
  • Familiarity with Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, and cloud infra (AWS/GCP/Azure).
  • Experience with both SQL and NoSQL databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis, Cassandra)
  • Strong understanding of system design, scalability patterns, and performance optimization
  • Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work in a fast-paced startup environment
Preferred Skills
  • Experience building backends for AI/ML systems
  • Experience with monitoring and observability tools (Prometheus, Grafana, ELK stack)
  • Understanding of ML concepts and experience with ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow)
  • Experience with infrastructure as code tools (Terraform, Pulumi)
  • Experience with testing frameworks and test-driven development
  • Experience with high-scale systems handling millions of requests per day
  • Knowledge of async programming and concurrent systems
Why Join Us
  • Impact: Deploy LLMs that transform how millions of users work, create, and solve real-world problems.
  • Innovation: Pioneer novel backend systems for serving diffusion LLMs.
  • Growth: Enjoy a fast-paced, collaborative environment where your contributions will directly shape the future of generative AI.
Perks & Benefits
  • Competitive salary and equity in a rapidly growing startup.
  • Flexible vacation and paid time off (PTO).
  • Health, dental, and vision insurance.
  • Professional development opportunities (conferences, courses, etc.).
This is an exciting opportunity to join a startup at the forefront of AI development! If you’re ready to make a tangible impact in the world of generative AI, apply today.
We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply.
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Req ID: R14