Distinguished engineer (individual contributor) — platform / backend / systems

Distinguished Engineer (Individual Contributor) — Platform / Backend / Systems The Opportunity This is a high-impact role at a defining stage of Solomei AI. As a Distinguished Engineer, you will help shape the technical foundations of an AI-native platform that operates at the intersection of backend systems, infrastructure, and real production AI workloads. You won't just build features — you'll influence architecture, set technical direction through code, and help ensure the system remains scalable, reliable, and adaptable as complexity and usage grow. You'll work closely with the founders and a small senior team, taking real ownership of core systems and decisions that will matter for years. About the Role Let's get this out of the way first: This is not a backdoor management role. This is not a "future CTO" placeholder. This is not about titles. This role exists because we want to work with people who have already been there — led teams, shipped big systems, made hard calls — and now want to build again, close to the code and close to the product. We are intentionally trying to build a talent-dense engineering team, where senior individual contributors have real influence through execution, taste, and judgment. If you've ever thought "I just want to ship great systems without the overhead", this role is for you. What You'll Do

Design and build core backend and platform systems that power Solomei AI Make architectural decisions through code, not committees Work on scalability, performance, and reliability across real production workloads Help shape infrastructure, data flows, and developer-facing APIs Push AI-driven systems to their practical limits, not just demos Raise the technical bar simply by how you work

This is a deeply hands-on IC role. You'll spend most of your time writing, reviewing, and shipping production code. You Might Be a Great Fit If You...

Have previously led teams, founded companies, or owned large systems — and now want to focus on building Are comfortable operating with high autonomy and little process Enjoy the pressure and excitement of fast, focused execution Have a strong instinct against over-engineering and unnecessary abstraction Care more about impact than titles Are opinionated, but low-ego Take pride in shipping things that last

Why Solomei AI

Real problems, not toy AI demos A product that requires serious engineering across backend, infra, and AI systems A very small team with very high ownership Direct influence on product and technical direction Space to do your best work without layers of management Autonomy that feels closer to running your own company than having a job

Team, Values & Benefits You'll join a small, highly collaborative core team where engineering quality and ownership matter. Based in our Milan office, you'll work closely with the founders and have a direct influence on both product and technical direction. This is a role for someone who wants real responsibility, real impact, and the space to build things properly.