Lead Backend Engineer - AI Tooling

Lead Backend Engineer — AI Tooling
About The Role
What if your Python expertise could directly shape the infrastructure powering next-generation AI? We're looking for a senior backend engineer to build the data pipelines, annotation tooling, and evaluation systems that leading AI labs depend on to train and improve their models.
This is a fully remote, flexible contract role for an experienced engineer who wants meaningful, high-impact work — not just another maintenance ticket queue.
Organization: Alignerr
Type: Hourly Contract
Location: Remote
Commitment: 20–40 hours/week
What You'll Do
Design, build, and optimize high-performance Python systems supporting AI data pipelines and evaluation workflows
Develop backend services and full-stack tooling for large-scale data annotation, validation, and quality control
Architect robust APIs (REST/GraphQL), design database schemas, and implement authentication and authorization flows
Improve reliability, performance, and safety across existing Python codebases
Collaborate with data, research, and engineering teams to support model training and evaluation workflows
Identify bottlenecks and edge cases in data and system behavior, then implement scalable, production-ready fixes
Lead synchronous code reviews and system design sessions with cross-functional teams
Who You Are
Native or fluent English speaker with clear written and verbal communication skills
5+ years of professional experience writing production Python backend services
Full-stack developer with a strong systems programming background
Deep familiarity with modern web frameworks and strict type enforcement patterns
Experienced architecting APIs, designing schemas, and building secure auth systems
Able to commit 20–40 hours per week reliably
Self-directed and comfortable operating with autonomy in a remote environment
Nice to Have
Prior experience with data annotation platforms, data quality systems, or evaluation pipelines
Familiarity with AI/ML workflows, model training, or benchmarking infrastructure
Experience with distributed systems or developer tooling
Background working with or alongside AI research teams
Why Join Us
Work on real production systems at the frontier of AI development alongside leading research labs
Fully remote and flexible — structure your hours around your life
Freelance autonomy with the substance of genuinely impactful engineering work
Collaborate with sharp, mission-driven teams working on problems that actually matter
Potential for ongoing work and expanded engagement as projects grow

Work arrangement
Yes