Senior Software Engineer, Backend

Build a safer world with us, one incident at a time.

Ambient.ai is the category creator and leader in Agentic Physical Security. Powered by Ambient Pulsar, the first reasoning Vision-Language Model purpose-built for physical security, our platform seamlessly integrates with existing security cameras and physical access control systems to unify monitoring, access control, threat assessment, response, and investigations through an always-on reasoning layer that augments security operators with superhuman capabilities. The results: 95% fewer false alarms, investigations 20x faster, and 10x faster response.

The momentum speaks for itself: we doubled new ARR in FY26, and have delivered results for world-class customers including Cisco, ServiceNow, SentinelOne, TikTok, Bayer, and MoMA. That kind of momentum creates an environment where great people thrive, and it shows: we recently ranked #71 out of 500 on the Forbes best startup employers list.

Founded in 2017 and backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Y Combinator, and Allegion Ventures, Ambient.ai is on a fast-paced journey to fulfill our mission: prevent every security incident possible.

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About the role

We’re looking for a Senior Software Engineer, Backend who will play a key role in designing, developing, and scaling our data stores and caching systems to petabyte scale. You will be responsible for ensuring the availability, reliability, and performance of our data stores, contributing to the success of our mission-critical applications. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to work with retrieval-augmented generation systems.

What you’ll do

• You will lead the design, development, and scaling of our data storage and caching systems to petabyte scale while also spearheading the development of advanced retrieval-augmented generation systems.
• Develop highly efficient caching systems that obliterate latency, ensuring lightning-fast data access.
• Tackle data infrastructure challenges head-on, swiftly troubleshooting and resolving issues to minimize downtime.
• Lead groundbreaking efforts in retrieval-augmented generation systems, pushing the boundaries of what's possible

What you’ll bring

• At least 5+ years of experience building scalable web services.
• A robust background in software engineering with a demonstrated specialization in architecting and optimizing data infrastructure at scale.
• A track record of successfully architecting and scaling data stores to accommodate petabyte-level data volumes
• Profound competence in designing and implementing caching systems to optimize data access latency.
• Hands-on proficiency in scaling, managing, and fine-tuning database systems, encompassing MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis, and OpenSearch
• Expertise in programming languages, especially Python/C++, and sound knowledge of software development best practices.
• Experience with distributed data processing frameworks and a profound comprehension of diverse database management systems.
• Familiarity with retrieval-augmented generation systems and their application in data workflows.
• Exceptional problem-solving abilities and a proven aptitude for collaborative problem resolution in a team environment.

Why join us

• We are creating an entirely new category within a 120+ billion-dollar physical security industry and looking for team members who are also passionate about our mission to prevent every security incident possible
• We have an impressive customer roster of F500 companies, including Adobe, SentinelOne, and TikTok
• Regular Full-time employees receive stock options for the opportunity to share ownership in the success of our company
• We provide a comprehensive health package.
• We offer flexible time off to rest and recharge, including Winter Break (time off between Christmas and New Year’s for most roles, depending on customer demand)
• You’ll receive everything you need to hit the ground running, including cutting-edge equipment and branded gear
• Enjoy a full range of opportunities to connect with your awesome co-workers
• We love to hike, are foodies, and love music! Check out our most recent Ambient Spotify Playlist

Ambient.ai is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Ambient does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, legally protected medical condition, family care status, military or veteran status, marital status, registered domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws. Ambient is an E-Verify participant.