Foundational Backend Engineer

The mission

At Awasi, we are building complex, data-intensive intelligent systems. We are looking for a Foundational Backend Engineer to drive our core platform, build robust agentic workflows, and ground our AI capabilities in rigorous software engineering practices.

• You will be a foundational member of the engineering team, working directly with the founders and our customers daily to turn ambiguous asks and product goals into highly scalable, production-ready features and systems.

What you will do

• Architect the core engineDesign and deliver the primary backend systems using robust Python frameworks and event-driven architectures to handle high-throughput, distributed processing.
• Model complex knowledgeBuild and scale the Awasi platform's foundational knowledge representation layer, using graph databases to map complex relationships and power the decision engine our agents, workflows and harnesses rely on for critical actions.
• Build and deploy agentic workflowsDevelop and deploy resilient agentic harnesses and durable workflows, integrating LLMs and managing state and tool execution via emerging standards like the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and the Agent2Agent Protocol (A2A).
• Lead spec-driven developmentTranslate raw product requirements into rigorous technical specifications. You will write the architecture spec, debate the edge cases, and establish the engineering standards before writing the code.
• Instrument everythingImplement comprehensive observability and telemetry pipelines. You won't just monitor infrastructure; you will build the tracing required to monitor non-deterministic, multi-step agent actions.
• Navigate brownfield environmentsSeamlessly integrate net-new intelligent features into existing, complex data structures and legacy logic without compromising system stability.

What we are looking for

• Deep backend expertise5+ years of shipping production software. Deep fluency in Python ecosystems, including robust frameworks (e.g., Django) and distributed task queues (e.g., Celery).
• Data modeling masteryProven experience with highly relational, messy data. Hands-on experience with graph databases (Neo4j or similar) is highly preferred.
• Applied AI engineeringYou have moved past writing simple API wrappers. You have practical experience with frameworks like LangGraph and understand the complexities of context management, tool calling, and structured outputs.
• Telemetry fluencyStrong background in observability stacks and understanding how to instrument distributed systems and agent tracing.
• System design rigorA track record of making pragmatic architectural trade-offs. You care more about shipping reliable, resilient systems than using the newest unproven framework.

Bonus points

• A background in complex data orchestration, identity verification, or building security or reconnaissance toolchains.
• Experience building and deploying on high-velocity, scalable cloud platforms like AWS and GCP.
• Experience with graph databases and building data models for large datasets.

Who will thrive here

• The pragmatic builderYou have a high bias for action, seek agency and thrive in zero-to-one environments, but you never sacrifice engineering rigor to get there.
• The spec-writerYou believe that strong documentation and planning clarifies thought and drives execution. You prefer to debate over a written technical specification rather than a broken pull request.
• The systems thinkerYou don't just solve the immediate bug; you think about the blast radius, the failure states, and how the system degrades under load.

About Awasi

Awasi is a venture-backed startup building a different kind of security company — one that gives high-growth teams the freedom to build with AI and the security to put it to work.

• We are a small, high-intensity team based in San Francisco and backed by some of the best builders in the valley.