Software engineer (API)

About WriterWriter is the full-stack generative AI platform delivering transformative ROI for the world’s leading enterprises. Named one of the top 50 companies in AI by Forbes and one of the best places to work by Inc. Magazine, Writer empowers hundreds of customers like Accenture, Intuit, L’Oreal, Mars, Salesforce, and Vanguard to transform the way they work. Writer’s fully integrated solution makes it easy to deploy secure and reliable AI applications and agents that solve mission-critical business challenges.  Our suite of development tools is powered by Palmyra – Writer’s state-of-the-art family of LLMs — alongside our industry-leading graph-based RAG and customizable AI guardrails. Founded in 2020 with office hubs in San Francisco, New York City, Austin, Chicago, and London, our team of over 250 employees thinks big and moves fast, and we’re looking for smart, hardworking builders and scalers to join us on our journey to create a better future of work.  About this role As the founding API Software Engineer, you'll play a pivotal role in developing cutting-edge backend services and API solutions. Harnessing your expertise with API gateways, your API development will be at the forefront of our AI Studio applications. You’ll build APIs from end to end where performance and code quality will be your guiding principles and your contributions will be crucial in shaping the future of our groundbreaking technology in the enterprise generative AI space. ‍️ Your responsibilitiesOwn the API Lifecycle:Manage the full lifecycle of APIs, from design and development to deployment and maintenance, focusing on high-performance, scalable solutions.Design and Build APIs: Create and maintain good APIs that support our products and services. We make sure they work well, are safe, and are reliable by testing, monitoring, and improving them.API Gateway Management: Work with API gateways to manage deployments, including security, access control, and infrastructure provisioning using Terraform.Collaboration: collaborate with backend engineers, SDK developers, and other stakeholders to define API requirements and specifications, and delivery timelines.Best Practices Implementation: Implement standards for API design, including versioning, backward-compatibility, error handling, and documentation standards.Troubleshooting and Issue Resolution: Troubleshoot, monitor, and resolve issues related to API performance, availability, and integrations.SDK Development: Develop and publish Software Development Kits (SDKs) in Python and TypeScript for external developers.Streaming APIs: Implement and manage Server-Sent Event (SSE) Streaming APIs.Security and Rate Limiting: Ensure robust API security measures and efficient rate limiting.End-to-End API Flows: Design and build end-to-end API flows and public API pipelines.Documentation: Maintain internal and external documentation processes ensuring clarity and accessibility. Is This You?API Development: Proven track record o at least 5+ years in designing, building, and testing RESTful APIs, with a strong emphasis on scalability, performance, and security.API Gateway Management: Demonstrated deep expertise in managing and implementing API gateway tools to handle traffic, secure APIs, and monitor performance.Programming Languages: Proficient coding skills in Python or TypeScript, with a focus on writing clean, efficient, and maintainable code.Streaming APIs: Experience with Server-Sent Events (SSE) Streaming API or other custom protocol streaming APIs, such as gRPC streaming or custom protocols over WebSockets.API Security: Knowledge of best practices for securing APIs in a publicly consumed environment, including authentication, authorization, and encryption.Automated API Testing: Familiarity with automated testing frameworks and tools to ensure API functionality, reliability, and performance.Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Experience with IaC tools, preferably Terraform, to provision and manage infrastructure in a declarative and version-controlled manner.Container Orchestration: Working knowledge of cluster management tools, specifically Kubernetes, to deploy, scale, and manage containerized applications.Problem-Solving: Excellent analytical and troubleshooting skills, with a proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills, enabling effective articulation of complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.Bonus skills and experienceTechnical leadershipGenerative AI and/ or SaaS experienceAPI Gateway tools like Kong Konnect, AWS API Gateway, and ApigeeSystem Reliability Engineering (SRE) like experience, focusing on development tooling, test automation, and engineering productivity (Playwright and Postman)Curious to learn more about who we are and how we operate? Visit us here Benefits & perksGenerous PTO, plus company holidaysMedical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your familyPaid parental leave for all parents (12 weeks)Fertility and family planning supportEarly-detection cancer testing through GalleriFlexible spending account and dependent FSA optionsHealth savings account for eligible plans with company contributionAnnual work-life stipends for:Home office setup, cell phone, internetWellness stipend for gym, massage/chiropractor, personal training, etc.Learning and development stipendCompany-wide off-sites and team off-sitesCompetitive compensation, company stock options and 401kWriter is an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to diversity. We don't make hiring or employment decisions based on race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other basis protected by applicable local, state or federal law. Under the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.By submitting your application on the application page, you acknowledge and agree to Writer's Global Candidate Privacy Notice.LocationSan Francisco, CA (hybrid)TypeFull timeDepartmentEngineering, product, and design