Staff Software Engineer
Moonshot AI
Location
New York City
Employment Type
Full time
Location Type
On-site
Department
Engineering
Compensation
- $190K – $260K • Offers Equity
Why Moonshot AI?
Imagine websites that rebuild themselves on autopilot to sell more, convert better, and grow faster.
At Moonshot AI, we’re making that happen — merging generative AI, large-scale data pipelines, and experimentation into a self-evolving web.
We’re a well-funded, very early-stage startup with a massive vision. Joining now means you’re not just an employee — you’re helping set the technical and cultural DNA of the company. If you’ve ever wanted the autonomy of a founder with the backing of top-tier investors, this is it.
What You’ll Build & Lead
As our Staff Software Engineer, you’ll be the technical backbone behind Moonshot’s evolution engine - designing scalable systems, guiding engineering strategy, and mentoring the builders around you.
You’ll balance hands-on depth with architectural altitude, turning vision into technical reality.
You will:
Work at the forefront of generative AI and agentic flows - build systems that let AI autonomously reason, experiment, and deploy real changes to the web.
Architect the next generation of Moonshot’s experiment engine - scalable, observable, fault-tolerant, built for millions of daily events.
Design and evolve our backend infrastructure across Python (Flask-RestX), serverless AWS, and data pipelines (ClickHouse, Postgres, Kinesis, Firehose, S3).
Drive technical strategy - define our engineering principles, evolve architecture across microservices, ingestion, and LLM-driven systems.
Mentor and multiply - uplevel senior and mid-level engineers through code reviews, pairing, and design docs.
Collaborate cross-functionally - work with AI, product, and data science to translate business needs into resilient systems.
Prototype and push boundaries - bring ideas from concept to production fast, balancing experimentation and rigor.
Raise the bar on performance, security, and reliability as we scale toward SOC 2 and enterprise clients.
This isn’t a people-management role - it’s technical leadership at its purest form: deep design, high leverage, and full ownership.
Who We’re Looking For
8+ years of experience designing and shipping production systems at scale (bonus: 0→1 or startup environment).
Strong expertise in Python, AWS, and JavaScript - you’re comfortable owning both backend and frontend architecture.
Proven ability to design distributed systems (event-driven, microservices, or data-heavy architectures).
You’ve been a technical lead or staff engineer - mentoring peers, reviewing designs, and setting engineering standards.
Bias toward action and clarity - you simplify, document, and deliver.
Deep curiosity about AI and experimentation - you love systems that learn and adapt.
Bonus: experience with ClickHouse, LLMs in production, or ecommerce/analytics infrastructure.
At Moonshot, culture isn’t fluff — it’s how we win
Curiosity & Growth → We challenge assumptions, ask big questions, and push for mastery.
Low Ego → No ivory towers — everyone gets their hands dirty.
Ownership → You own outcomes, not just outputs. Shipping is step one; impact is the goal.
Trust → Radical transparency and accountability, even when it’s hard.
Agility → We move fast, test faster, and aren’t afraid to pivot.
This Is Your Company → Ideas fuel breakthroughs. We’re all builders here.
Enjoy the Ride → Startups are a rollercoaster — we create good vibes and celebrate wins together.
What We Offer
Competitive salary
Meaningful equity — real ownership in Moonshot AI’s success.
Full health coverage (medical, dental, vision) for you + your family.
Unlimited PTO — we trust you to take the time you need.
Office-first culture (4 days/week) — Midtown Manhattan, in the middle of it all.
Work directly with the founding team — your impact is immediate, visible, and career-defining.
Backed by top investors in NYC, SF, and TLV.
Compensation Range: $190K - $260K