Senior Backend Engineer @ OpenPhone

For millions of teams working in dozens of industries, day-to-day business gets done on the phone. So why — despite the huge leaps we’ve taken in design and usability — does most business phone software still look, feel, and act like it was born in the 90s? OpenPhone is changing that.

We’re a new type of business phone with a mission to help people communicate better and be more productive.

We’re backed by Y Combinator and some of the best venture firms around including Tiger Global, Craft Ventures, Slow Ventures, and others. We take pride in providing an exceptional customer experience and a product people love, which is why we’re excited that our customers have rated us the #1 VoIP Provider on G2.

OpenPhone is the modern, sophisticated answer to the clunky, outdated phone systems that have been slowing down businesses for years. With thousands of happy customers and several rounds of funding in just five years, it’s safe to say we’re onto something big.

What you’ll do

Design and integrate LLM-based solutions, focusing on RAG implementations and optimal architecture patterns
Lead rapid experimentation and prototyping of AI features, conducting proof of concepts to validate solutions
Drive cost optimization for AI implementations through efficient architecture design
Work closely with product, engineering, and customer experience teams to develop AI solutions
Build and optimize prompt engineering workflows to enhance user experiences
Implement robust error handling and monitoring for AI systems
Guide technical discussions around AI architecture decisions
Mentor team members and champion innovation in AI development

Required skills

5+ years of backend engineering experience with TypeScript/Node.js or Python
Experience with LLM integrations (OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure OpenAI) and familiarity with orchestration frameworks like LangChain or LlamaIndex
Experience/familiarity with real-time event-driven and streaming systems
Working knowledge of prompt engineering, RAG, and vector databases
Experience with API design and microservices architecture
Track record of rapid prototyping and experimentation
Strong cross-functional collaboration and communication skills

About you

You thrive in a fast-paced environment with evolving requirements
You balance quick experimentation with production-ready code
You’re skilled at navigating ambiguity and driving projects to completion
You collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders
You make thoughtful architectural decisions, balancing innovation with constraints
You focus on business impact and user experience
You enjoy mentoring others and fostering engineering excellence

Nice to have

Experience with conversational AI and voice agent development
Knowledge of autonomous agent architectures and workflows
Background in data pipeline design and ETL processes
Experience building low-latency, real-time AI systems
Familiarity with AI agent orchestration frameworks
Understanding of multi-agent systems and communication patterns
Knowledge of AI system cost optimization

Compensation

The annual base salary range for this position is as follows, plus equity and benefits:
Canada: $196,000 - $218,000 CAD

The ranges displayed reflect the target for new hire salaries, and within each range, individual pay is determined by your skills and experience, as well as relevant education. Your recruiter can share more and answer questions about the specific salary range during the hiring process.

Salary is just one component of OpenPhone’s total compensation package. Your total rewards package will include equity, extensive medical coverage, a monthly lifestyle stipend, and a flexible PTO policy.

Who we are

As a fully remote company, we thrive asynchronously as a team. We are curious, ambitious, and dedicated to our work. We value trust above all else, and have a strong bias for action. If you’re looking for a place to do your life’s work, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.

And remember, there’s no such thing as a ’perfect’ candidate. We’re looking for optimists with grit and determination, who are excited to face the challenges of a growing startup. OpenPhone is the type of company where you can grow, and we encourage you to apply for this role even if you don’t think you meet all the requirements.

We are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse work environment. It is important that you are able to bring your authentic self to work every day. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. #LI-Remote

Senior Backend Engineer

AI & Productivity

OpenPhone

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