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Software Engineer, Platform

cartesia

OnSite *HQ - San Francisco, CA
Development

Job Score

80 pts
On-site model (+70) Development (+10)

About Cartesia

Our mission is to architect AI that learns from and interacts with the world like humans do.

We're pioneering the model architectures that will make this possible. Our founding team met as PhDs at the Stanford AI Lab, where we invented State Space Models or SSMs, a new primitive for training efficient, large-scale foundation models. Our team combines deep expertise in model innovation and systems engineering paired with a design-minded product engineering team to build and ship cutting edge models and experiences.

We're funded by leading investors at Index Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners, along with Factory, Conviction, A Star, General Catalyst, SV Angel, Databricks and others. We're fortunate to have the support of many amazing advisors, and 90+ angels across many industries, including the world's foremost experts in AI.

About the Role

We're hiring a Software Engineer, Platform to advance our mission of building real-time multimodal intelligence.

Your Impact

  • Design and build low latency, scalable, and reliable model inference and serving stack for our cutting edge SSM foundation models

  • Work closely with our research team and product engineers to translate cutting edge research into incredible products

  • Build highly parallel, high quality data processing and evaluation infrastructure for foundation model training

  • You'll have significant autonomy to shape our products and directly impact how cutting-edge AI is applied across various devices and applications.

What You Bring

Given the scale and difficulty of problems we work on, we value strong engineering skills at Cartesia.

  • Strong engineering skills, comfortable navigating complex codebases and monorepos.

  • An eye for craft and writing clean and maintainable code.

  • You're comfortable diving into new technologies and can quickly adapt your skills to our tech stack (Go and Python on the backend, Next.js for the frontend).

  • Experience building large-scale distributed systems with high demands on performance, reliability, and observability.

  • Technical leadership with the ability to execute and deliver zero-to-one results amidst ambiguity.

  • [bonus] Background in or experience working with machine learning and generative models.

Even if you donโ€™t meet every requirement above, we'd encourage you to apply.

Note: Cartesia participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with Form I-9 information to confirm employment eligibility after hire.

More Details

๐Ÿข In-office policy: Weโ€™re an in-person team based out of offices in ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ San Francisco, ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง London and ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ Bangalore. We love being in the office, hanging out together, and learning from each other every day.

๐ŸŒŽ Visa sponsorship: We provide visa sponsorship support and assess each circumstance on a case-by-case basis. However, visa sponsorship is dependent on many factors, including the role you are applying for, and the location you are going to be based, and so we can't always guarantee success. Your Recruiter will work with you to understand your visa sponsorship needs from the first call.

๐Ÿšข We ship fast. All of our work is novel and cutting edge, and execution speed is paramount. We have a high bar, and we donโ€™t sacrifice quality or design along the way.

๐Ÿค We support each other. We have an open & inclusive culture thatโ€™s focused on giving everyone the resources they need to succeed.

Our Benefits (US Employees Only)

๐Ÿ’ฐ Compensation Competitive base salary alongside attractive equity package.

๐Ÿฉบ Health Insurance Fully covered medical insurance along with dental and vision for you and your family.

๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿง’โ€๐Ÿง’ Parental Leave 9 weeks paternity & 12 weeks maternity leave

๐Ÿฆ 401(k)

๐Ÿš† Commuter Allowance A monthly stipend to help you get to and from the office.

๐Ÿ–๏ธ Flexible PTO Take as much time as you need to recharge your batteries.

๐Ÿฒ Meals & Snacks Lunch, dinner and plenty of snacks, provided daily.

๐Ÿฆ– Your own personal Yoshi

Our Commitment to Equal Opportunity

Cartesia is an equal opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status.

About Software Development

Software Development is one of the most dynamic and constantly evolving fields in the job market. Professionals in this area are responsible for creating, maintaining, and optimizing web, mobile, and desktop applications that impact millions of users daily.

Key languages and frameworks include JavaScript (React, Node.js, Vue.js), Python (Django, Flask), Java (Spring), PHP (Laravel), and TypeScript. Demand for full-stack developers continues to grow, especially in tech companies and startups.

Salaries range from entry-level to senior positions, with growing opportunities for remote work and international freelancing.

Discover Other Areas

Understand the scope of work, key skills, and tools used in different career areas.

About UX Design

The User Experience (UX) Design area focuses on optimizing the overall user experience when interacting with a product or service. UX professionals conduct user research (UX Research), map journeys, create wireframes, perform usability tests, and define navigation flows to ensure the product is intuitive, useful, and meets users' real needs.

About Content Writer

The Content Writer is the professional responsible for creating quality written content for websites, blogs, social media, and other digital platforms. They combine writing skills with content strategy and SEO to attract, engage, and convert audiences.

Key skills include blog content creation, landing pages, newsletters, social media content, keyword research, content strategy, editorial calendar, and SEO writing. Knowledge of WordPress, Surfer SEO, Ahrefs, and analytics tools is a differentiator.

Content Writers in technology companies are highly valued, especially those who can create accessible technical content, evergreen content, and content that generates organic traffic. The field offers opportunities from junior content writer to head of content, with a focus on quality, strategy, and content performance.

About Blockchain

The Blockchain area involves the development and implementation of secure and distributed transaction ledgers. Professionals in this field work with smart contract development, cryptography, consensus algorithms, and platforms such as Ethereum, Hyperledger, and Solana, ensuring security and decentralization for various types of applications.

About Human Resources

The Human Resources area is responsible for all people management in organizations, from attracting and selecting talent to developing, retaining, and ensuring employee well-being. HR professionals are fundamental to building strong organizational cultures and engagement.

Key skills include recruitment and selection, compensation and benefits management, learning and development (L&D), organizational climate, employee engagement, labor law, labor relations, and HR tools (Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, Bamboo HR). Knowledge of people analytics and data-driven HR is a differentiator.

HR professionals in technology companies are highly valued, especially those who master employer branding, people analytics, and talent retention strategies. The field offers opportunities from HR analyst to Chief People Officer, with a focus on culture, engagement, and people growth.

About Scrum Master

The Scrum Master is the professional responsible for facilitating the adoption of Scrum and agile practices within development teams. They act as servant leaders, removing impediments, promoting continuous improvement, and ensuring Scrum events and ceremonies happen in the best possible way.

Key skills include event facilitation (sprint planning, daily, review, retrospective), backlog management, team coaching, conflict resolution, and agile metrics (velocity, burndown, cycle time). Knowledge of Jira, Trello, Azure DevOps, and frameworks like Kanban, XP, and SAFe is a differentiator.

Scrum Masters in technology companies are highly valued, especially those who can promote team autonomy, create psychologically safe environments, and lead agile transformations at scale. The field offers opportunities from junior scrum master to agile coach, head of agile, and director of agile transformation.

Career Guides

Technology Career Guide

Planning, skills, interviews, and professional growth in IT, Data Science, DevOps, and Product.

Read full guide →

Design Career Guide

UX/UI, Graphic Design, Product Design. Portfolio, tools, interviews, and growth in the Design field.

Read full guide →

Marketing Career Guide

SEO, Paid Media, Growth, Content Marketing. Certifications, tools, and strategies to grow in Digital Marketing.

Read full guide →

Finance Career Guide

Financial market, investments, corporate finance, certifications, and strategies to grow in the financial field.

Read full guide →

Communication Career Guide

Journalism, PR, Corporate Communication, Content Marketing, and Multimedia Production.

Read full guide →

Administration Career Guide

Business Management, HR, Logistics, Consulting, Project Management, and Entrepreneurship.

Read full guide →

Data Career Guide

Data Science, Data Engineering, BI, Machine Learning, and AI. From training to the job market.

Read full guide →

Product Career Guide

Product Management, Product Ownership, Agile, Scrum, and OKRs. From strategy to execution.

Read full guide →

Tech & Remote Glossary

Stop getting lost in interviews and job descriptions

The job market, especially within tech and global companies, has developed its own dialect. Not understanding these acronyms can make you lose valuable opportunities or poorly negotiate your contract. To end this problem, we created the Definitive Glossary for the Remote Professional.

๐Ÿข Work Models & Routine

Async (Asynchronous Work)
A communication model where responses don't need to be immediate. Instead of back-to-back meetings, the team relies on well-structured documents, threads, and messages. It's the gold standard for global companies spanning multiple time zones.
Sync (Synchronous Work)
The opposite of Async. It requires the team to be online and available at the same time for meetings, live chats, and real-time collaboration.
Daily / Stand-up
A quick daily meeting (usually 15 minutes) common in Agile (Scrum) methodologies. The team answers three questions: What did I do yesterday? What will I do today? Are there any blockers?
All-Hands / Town Hall
A company-wide meeting involving all employees. Usually led by the founders (C-Levels) to present results, new goals, and answer team questions.
1:1 (One-on-One)
A recurring individual meeting between a professional and their direct manager. It is used for career alignment, feedback, and problem-solving, not just for project status updates.

๐Ÿ’ฐ Contracts, Benefits & Compensation

PTO (Paid Time Off)
Instead of strict, categorized leave policies, modern US companies usually offer a flexible pool of days (e.g., 20 days of PTO, or even "Unlimited PTO") that you can use for vacations, sick days, or personal matters, while receiving your regular compensation.
Equity / Stock Options
Company ownership. The startup offers you the right to buy shares at a heavily discounted strike price in the future. If the company grows, goes public, or is acquired, these shares can be highly lucrative.
Vesting (Vesting Schedule)
The rule that controls your Equity. It usually lasts 4 years. You don't get all the shares on day one; you "earn" them gradually as you stay with the company. A "1-year Cliff" means you must stay for at least one year to receive your first batch of shares.
RSUs (Restricted Stock Units)
Unlike Stock Options (where you have the right to buy the stock), RSUs are actual shares the company grants you as a bonus or part of your compensation package, following a strict Vesting schedule.
Independent Contractor (1099 / B2B)
The most common international hiring model for global talent working for US companies. You act as a service provider (business-to-business), receiving the gross salary (often six-figure compensation) without standard local payroll tax deductions at the source.

๐Ÿค– Recruitment & Hiring Process

ATS (Applicant Tracking System)
The "robot" that reads your resume. Software like Greenhouse, Ashby, and Workday are used to filter candidates by keywords before a human even looks at the document. (Pro tip: this is why your resume must be clean, semantic, and have the right keywords).
JD (Job Description)
The document that lists the responsibilities, technical requirements, and benefits of the open position.
Cultural Fit
The interview stage that evaluates if your core values, communication style, and worldview align with the company's culture. This is the ultimate test of your Soft Skills.
Onboarding
The integration process. It's the period of your first few weeks at the company, where you get your access credentials, learn about the culture, study the internal documentation, and understand how the product works.

๐Ÿš€ How to use this to your advantage?

The secret isn't just knowing what these acronyms mean, but using them actively. If during an interview for a premium tech role you ask, "How does your PTO policy and Vesting schedule work?", the recruiter will immediately perceive you as a high-level professional, familiar with the global market standards.

The remote job market requires preparation. And having the right vocabulary is the first big step to securing six-figure proposals and standing out among thousands of applicants.

Expert Tip

How n8n and Automation Open Doors to Premium Jobs

The Paradigm Shift in Web Development

The web development market has matured. A few years ago, mastering a traditional stack (like MERN or LAMP) was enough to secure a highly sought-after role. Today, the corporate landscape โ€” especially in US startups hiring globally and offering six-figure compensation โ€” demands speed and operational efficiency. It's no longer just about building from scratch, but knowing how to integrate complex ecosystems rapidly.

According to Gartner, hyperautomation is one of the top strategic technology trends of the decade. The modern developer must be an integration architect, capable of connecting CRMs, databases, AI APIs, and payment gateways in a matter of hours, not weeks. This is exactly where n8n becomes an indispensable tool in your portfolio.

Why n8n? The Power of "Fair-Code"

n8n is a node-based workflow automation tool. Unlike competitors aimed at non-technical users (such as Zapier or Make), n8n was designed with the developer in mind first. It allows raw JavaScript injection for complex data manipulation, custom HTTP requests, and, most importantly, features a fair-code licensing model that allows it to be self-hosted on a company's own infrastructure.

For technical recruiters and CTOs, a candidate who masters n8n demonstrates maturity. It proves that you understand SaaS cost reduction and value the security and sovereignty of the company's data.

Practical Tips to Land Your Next Role

If you want your resume to pass rigorous ATS (Applicant Tracking System) screening โ€” like Greenhouse or Ashby โ€” and reach the hands of Tech Leads, here are the core skills you should highlight when associating Web Development with n8n:

  • Mastery of Webhooks and RESTful APIs: The foundation of automation is system communication. Demonstrate your ability to create n8n workflows that listen to native Webhooks from your application (e.g., a checkout event in a Next.js e-commerce app) and trigger subsequent actions with low latency.
  • Hosting and Docker: n8n's biggest differentiator is self-hosting. In your resume, mention your ability to package and orchestrate n8n instances using Docker and Docker Compose. Familiarity with Cloud providers (AWS, GCP, or DigitalOcean) to deploy these instances is a massive bonus.
  • Advanced JSON and JavaScript Manipulation: Show that you don't rely solely on pre-built integrations. Using the "Code" node in n8n to transform large JSON payloads using raw JavaScript or TypeScript is what separates a regular user from an automation engineer.
  • Error Handling and Resilience: Systems fail. APIs go down. An amateur automation will break a company's process. In your portfolio, document how you use Error Trigger nodes to build automated retries and send alerts to Slack/Discord when an integration fails.

Your Portfolio is the Ultimate Proof

Just listing "n8n" in the skills section of your resume isn't enough. Create a repository on GitHub containing a real-world use case. For example: export the JSON file of an n8n workflow that reads new leads from a PostgreSQL database, enriches the data using the OpenAI API, and sends them to a CRM. Add a detailed README.md explaining the architecture. This is the ultimate bait for Senior roles.

References and Further Reading