About the Role
Kalepa is redefining the $7 trillion global insurance industry by engineering the next generation of professional-grade AI systems. We are building the AI operating system for decision-making, creating software that reads, reasons, and acts within complex workflows to drive measurable outcomes for leading insurers. As a Staff Backend Engineer for our Core Product, you will play a foundational role in architecting the systems that capture decision traces and automate high-stakes professional labor at scale. We are seeking a technical visionary who thrives on hard problems, values correctness and trust, and wants to work on AI that delivers tangible real-world impact.
At Kalepa, our culture is built on hustle, determination, and an unwavering focus on customer success. We are backed by premier investors like IA Ventures and Inspired Capital, and our team hails from world-class organizations such as Facebook, Google, and Palantir. This is an opportunity to lead technical strategy in a meritocratic environment where excellence is rewarded with rapid growth and significant ownership. You will not just be writing code; you will be building the infrastructure that allows AI to successfully automate the most complex functions of the insurance lifecycle.
Key Responsibilities- Lead the architectural design and implementation of highly scalable backend systems that power our core AI-driven insurance products.
- Develop robust APIs and microservices that enable seamless data processing, reasoning, and decision-making across long-time horizons.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate complex insurance workflows into efficient, high-performance software solutions.
- Drive technical excellence across the engineering organization by establishing best practices for code quality, system reliability, and performance.
- Mentor and guide senior engineers, fostering a culture of technical rigor, continuous learning, and rapid delivery.
- Partner with product and AI research teams to integrate cutting-edge machine learning models into production-grade environments.
- Identify and resolve complex performance bottlenecks and architectural challenges to ensure the stability of mission-critical systems.
- Own the end-to-end lifecycle of core features, from initial conceptualization and design to deployment and ongoing optimization.
- Extensive experience in backend software engineering, with a proven track record of delivering complex, distributed systems in a production environment.
- Deep expertise in modern backend languages and frameworks, with a strong focus on building scalable and maintainable architectures.
- Previous experience in a Staff, Principal, or Lead Engineer role within a high-growth technology company or a premier tech firm.
- Demonstrated ability to design systems that handle massive datasets and require high levels of correctness and security.
- Strong understanding of AI/ML integration patterns and the challenges associated with deploying AI into real-world professional workflows.
- Exceptional problem-solving skills and a hustle and determination mindset, with a willingness to tackle the most difficult technical hurdles.
- A degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience at the highest levels of software development.
- A customer-obsessed mindset with the ability to balance technical perfection with the need to deliver measurable business impact.
- Opportunity to work at the forefront of AI innovation in a sector where your contributions have a massive real-world impact.
- A highly meritocratic environment where excellence is recognized and rewarded with rapid career progression and equity ownership.
- Collaborative culture working alongside elite engineers and professionals from top-tier global technology and consulting firms.
- Remote-first work environment, offering flexibility and the ability to work with the best talent regardless of location.
- Comprehensive compensation package including competitive salary and premium benefits in a high-growth, venture-backed company.
- The chance to solve hard problems that define the future of an entire $7 trillion industry.