Backend Engineer

Back to all rolesBackend EngineerApplyJob detailsDepartment / EngineeringAirbase HQ, NYCFull-time$125,000 USD - $225,000 USDJob OverviewAirbase builds the software platform for radio frequency spectrum licensing, coordination, and intelligence. Backed by a16z, we are a fast-moving, dual-use startup transforming wireless communication from a static, analog bottleneck into a dynamic, software-defined advantage.Today, the world’s most advanced hardware—from satellite mega-constellations to Army UAS swarms and Electronic Warfare systems—is grounded by 20th-century paperwork. Spectrum coordination relies on fragmented databases, missing systems of record, and decades of static PDFs. Airbase is fixing this. We’ve built novel AI pipelines to digitize this analog bureaucracy and translate it into a software-defined, machine-readable data layer. We are transforming the spectrum from a static bottleneck into a dynamic advantage, delivering machine-speed tactical deconfliction for the military and automated licensing for commercial innovators.What you’ll do:Architect core application logic and APIs - Design clean, extensible interfaces that encapsulate complex business logic rand maintain high-throughput performance.Build robust authentication and service orchestration - Implement secure identity management and ensure resilient communication across distributed services to maintain system integrity under heavy load.Optimize for performance and system health - Leverage a deep understanding of latency, throughput, and resource utilization to build highly responsive applications for high-stakes environments.Integrate and modernize disparate systems - Reconcile fragmented schemas and normalize inconsistent data formats from legacy sources into a coherent, high-performance application layer.You should have:Strong Python Experience – Deep proficiency in Python for backend development, including experience with asynchronous programming and understanding of web framework internals.Expertise in Event-Driven Architectures (EDA) - Experience building scalable, decoupled systems using Kafka or similar message brokers.Cloud Infrastructure - Familiarity with container orchestration (Kubernetes) and cloud-native design patterns.Nice to Haves:Experience with Rust - Practical knowledge of building memory-safe, high-performance services, with an emphasis on safe concurrency and low-latency execution.Benefits & PerksCompetitive salary with opportunities for growth and equity in an early stage startup.Comprehensive health insurance plans.Regular team-building events and company retreats.Airbase is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.Upload your resume to autofill the applicationUploadFirst name *Last name *Email *Dial codePhone numberLinkedIn profilePlease upload your resume (preferably as a PDF file) *Click or drag file to uploadSupported file format: .PDF; Maximum file size: 10.49 MB; Maximum file: 1;Specific This role requires working onsite from our NYC office 5 days per week. Are you willing and able to work onsite in NYC? *For certain roles, Washington DC is also an acceptable work location. YesNoHow many years of experience do you have working in 0→1 or early‑stage startup environments? *Your answerAre you legally authorized to work in the United States? *YesNoAI disclaimerThis application process may use AI-enabled systems to support candidate evaluation based on factors such as experience, technical skills, and qualifications. All processing is carried out in accordance with applicable data protection, AI governance, and labour laws. Human oversight is maintained at all stages, and final hiring decisions are made by people. Personal data submitted as part of this application is not used to train AI models.I have read and understood the privacy policy and acknowledge that my personal...