Speak
Senior Backend Engineer
Speak, San Francisco, California, United States, 94199
About UsOur mission is to reinvent the way people learn, starting with language. We begin by teaching the next billion people English, Spanish, and French.English is the global language of business, culture, and communication, and over 1.5 billion people around the world are actively trying to learn right now. Others dream of communicating with the half-billion native Spanish speakers across the globe. The problem is that it's nearly impossible to learn to
speak
a language without constant access to a speaking partner. Grammar and vocab apps don't really help – you need to actually
converse
with someone.Speak is on a journey to fix this. We're creating an AI-powered experience that replicates the flow of a conversation,
without
needing a human on the other end. The goal is to make it radically more accessible to be able to have conversations in a foreign language and eventually help hundreds of millions of people gain fluency who otherwise wouldn't be able to.We started on this journey over five years ago and we've still got a long way to go. We're thoughtfully adding new team members only when we think they can truly play a big role in our mission.Speak launched first in South Korea where we have quickly grown to become the top grossing education app in the country. We have now delivered this winning product to more than 30 countries globally and are continuing to expand to more markets in the coming months. The company is well funded, raising a recent Series B backed by investors like OpenAI, Founders Fund, Y Combinator, Khosla Ventures, Lachy Groom, Josh Buckley, and others. We’re a team of 75 based primarily in SF, Seoul, Tokyo, and Ljubljana.About This RoleWe are looking for a senior backend focused but full-stack capable engineer to work on building novel AI-powered product experiences. The ideal candidate will have experience working in close coordination with product, design, and machine learning teams, as well as have a background in building polished consumer applications. This role sits at the center of developing our newest products focused on programmatic, conversationally-driven language learning and will be an instrumental contributor to the future of our company.What you'll be doingBuilding novel AI-driven product experiences and user interfaces on the webFull-stack engineering, but focused on creating scalable backend systemsDebugging complex streaming issuesOwning the entire development cycle of features, from conception to productionWriting code quickly, shipping frequently, and making a huge impact on our business by helping us scale our contentWhat we're looking for5+ years of industry experience working as a Backend Engineer, preferably in a fast-paced startup environmentBonus: worked on an app that has been used by 1M usersExcellent problem-solving and communication skills, and the ability to work independently or as part of a teamCoach and mentor other engineersStrong product sense: ability to think broadly/cross-functionally about product experiencesWhy work at SpeakJoin a fantastic, tight-knit team at the right time: we're growing very quickly, we've raised our Series B and an additional extension from some of the top investors in the valley, and we've achieved product-market fit in our initial markets. You'd join at a magical time when a single person could significantly change the course of the company.Do your life's work with people you’ll love working with: we care strongly about our craft and want every person at Speak to feel like they're growing every day. We believe in the idea that working with people you both enjoy and have respect for makes everything better. We hire thoughtfully and only work with people we admire deeply.Global in nature: We're live in over 40 countries and launching in a number of new markets soon. We have dedicated offices in San Francisco, Ljubljana, Seoul, and Tokyo, and you’ll have the opportunity to talk to users in each of these regions on a regular basis as well as travel.Impact people's lives in a major way: Learning a language is one of the single most life-changing skills one can learn, and right now 99% of people never achieve their goal because the process is broken. We’re helping millions of people achieve their goals and improve their lives.Speak does not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.
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speak
a language without constant access to a speaking partner. Grammar and vocab apps don't really help – you need to actually
converse
with someone.Speak is on a journey to fix this. We're creating an AI-powered experience that replicates the flow of a conversation,
without
needing a human on the other end. The goal is to make it radically more accessible to be able to have conversations in a foreign language and eventually help hundreds of millions of people gain fluency who otherwise wouldn't be able to.We started on this journey over five years ago and we've still got a long way to go. We're thoughtfully adding new team members only when we think they can truly play a big role in our mission.Speak launched first in South Korea where we have quickly grown to become the top grossing education app in the country. We have now delivered this winning product to more than 30 countries globally and are continuing to expand to more markets in the coming months. The company is well funded, raising a recent Series B backed by investors like OpenAI, Founders Fund, Y Combinator, Khosla Ventures, Lachy Groom, Josh Buckley, and others. We’re a team of 75 based primarily in SF, Seoul, Tokyo, and Ljubljana.About This RoleWe are looking for a senior backend focused but full-stack capable engineer to work on building novel AI-powered product experiences. The ideal candidate will have experience working in close coordination with product, design, and machine learning teams, as well as have a background in building polished consumer applications. This role sits at the center of developing our newest products focused on programmatic, conversationally-driven language learning and will be an instrumental contributor to the future of our company.What you'll be doingBuilding novel AI-driven product experiences and user interfaces on the webFull-stack engineering, but focused on creating scalable backend systemsDebugging complex streaming issuesOwning the entire development cycle of features, from conception to productionWriting code quickly, shipping frequently, and making a huge impact on our business by helping us scale our contentWhat we're looking for5+ years of industry experience working as a Backend Engineer, preferably in a fast-paced startup environmentBonus: worked on an app that has been used by 1M usersExcellent problem-solving and communication skills, and the ability to work independently or as part of a teamCoach and mentor other engineersStrong product sense: ability to think broadly/cross-functionally about product experiencesWhy work at SpeakJoin a fantastic, tight-knit team at the right time: we're growing very quickly, we've raised our Series B and an additional extension from some of the top investors in the valley, and we've achieved product-market fit in our initial markets. You'd join at a magical time when a single person could significantly change the course of the company.Do your life's work with people you’ll love working with: we care strongly about our craft and want every person at Speak to feel like they're growing every day. We believe in the idea that working with people you both enjoy and have respect for makes everything better. We hire thoughtfully and only work with people we admire deeply.Global in nature: We're live in over 40 countries and launching in a number of new markets soon. We have dedicated offices in San Francisco, Ljubljana, Seoul, and Tokyo, and you’ll have the opportunity to talk to users in each of these regions on a regular basis as well as travel.Impact people's lives in a major way: Learning a language is one of the single most life-changing skills one can learn, and right now 99% of people never achieve their goal because the process is broken. We’re helping millions of people achieve their goals and improve their lives.Speak does not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.
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