Senior Software Engineer - Backend
HappyRobot
Listing collected from HappyRobot's career site. NextChapter is independent of HappyRobot.
San Francisco, CA · $220k–$250k a year · Posted October 20, 2026
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Where San Francisco, CA ranks
Where San Francisco, CA placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #1Best cities for security jobs316 openings · of 20
- #1Best cities for technology jobs7,178 openings · of 100
- #1Best cities for financial services pay after cost of living$173k · of 33
- #1Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills35% · of 100
- #1Best cities for entry-level jobs that want AI skills in the West Coast35% · of 54
- #1Cities with the most jobs that do not need a four-year degree in the West Coast902 jobs · of 47
Rankings about engineering jobs
- Best cities for software and engineering jobs #1 San Francisco (3,412 openings)
- Best cities for engineering pay after cost of living #1 San Mateo ($216k)
- Most requested AI skills in engineering jobs #1 AI tools in daily work (6.1%)
- AI tools named most often in engineering jobs #1 Claude (1.7%)
- Employers with the most engineering jobs #1 Amazon (2,992 roles)
Pay compared with the market
This listing pays about $235,000 a year. Across 615 open senior software engineer listings that state pay, the middle half runs $170,500 to $222,000 and the median is $199,000. That is 18% above the median, above the middle half of those listings.
Listed pay is what employers advertise, not what people are paid.
Senior Software Engineer salaries by state · Check your own pay
How AI is used in this kind of work
Among software developers, AI is already used for some of the tasks. Measured exposure for software developers: 29% (some).
Share of this job’s tasks that AI is already used for at work, from real usage. It is not a forecast of job loss, and a low number means no use seen yet. Source: Anthropic Economic Index.
Skills this job asks for
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About the job
ABOUT HAPPYROBOT
HappyRobot is the infrastructure for enterprises to build and orchestrate AI workforces. Our AI workers don't just communicate through voice and email - they make decisions, take action, and run operations autonomously across entire enterprise systems. Born in Y Combinator (S23) and backed by a16z, Base10, Prysm Capital and Eurazeo with over $150M raised, we power critical operations for global enterprises worldwide.
Our platform is battle-tested in the most demanding environments, where AI has real consequences. We started in logistics, built our own voice stack, models, and orchestration layer from the ground up, and are now bringing that infrastructure to every enterprise that runs the real economy. Learn more about our vision in our manifesto. https://www.happyrobot.ai/blog/manifesto
Role Overview
We are looking for a versatile and highly skilled Senior Backend Software Engineer to join our team. This person will own meaningful parts of the product and infrastructure end-to-end. We’re looking for builders who thrive in ambiguity, care deeply about craft, and want real ownership over what they create.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
- 5+ years of professional experience
- Strong backend engineering experience, with a focus on building scalable systems
- Experience with Go or a strong willingness to work in Go in production
- Solid understanding of system design, APIs, data modeling, and service reliability
- Product-oriented mindset and comfort making tradeoffs in a fast-moving environment
- Experience operating and maintaining production services
WHAT YOU’LL DO
- Design, build, and operate backend services that support our core product
- Improve system reliability, performance, and observability
- Work on real-time infrastructure that powers voice-based AI workflows
- Collaborate closely with frontend engineers, product, and founders
- Ship to production frequently and iterate based on customer needs and system behavior
WHY JOIN US?
- Join a world-class team of engineers and builders.
- Backed by top investors including a16z, Y Combinator, Base10, Prysm Capital and Eurazeo.
- Have ownership and autonomy of projects and are encouraged to ship.
- Comprehensive Benefits including healthcare, dental, vision coverage.
- Competitive salary + equity in a high-growth startup.
Our Operating Principles
Extreme Ownership
We take full responsibility for our work, outcomes, and team success. No excuses, no blame-shifting — if something needs fixing, we own it and make it better. This means stepping up, even when it’s not “your job.” If a ball is dropped, we pick it up. If a customer is unhappy, we fix it. If a process is broken, we redesign it. We don’t wait for someone else to solve it — we lead with accountability and expect the same from those around us.
Craftsmanship
Putting care and intention into every task, striving for excellence, and taking deep ownership of the quality and outcome of your work. Craftsmanship means never settling for “just fine.” We sweat the details because details compound. Whether it’s a product feature, an internal doc, or a sales call — we treat it as a reflection of our standards. We aim to deliver jaw-dropping customer experiences by being curious, meticulous, and proud of what we build — even when nobody’s watching.
We are “majos” Be friendly & have fun with your coworkers. Always be genuine & honest, but kind. “Majo” is our way of saying: be a good human. Be approachable, helpful, and warm. We’re building something ambitious, and it’s easier (and more fun) when we enjoy the ride together. We give feedback with kindness, challenge each other with respect, and celebrate wins together without ego.
Urgency with Focus Create the highest impact in the shortest amount of time. Move fast, but in the right direction. We operate with speed because time is our most limited resource. But speed without focus is chaos. We prioritize ruthlessly, act decisively, and stay aligned. We aim for high leverage: the biggest results from the simplest, smartest actions. We’re running a high-speed marathon — not a sprint with no strategy.
Talent Density and Meritocracy Hire only people who can raise the average; ‘exceptional performance is the passing grade.’ Ability trumps seniority. We believe the best teams are built on talent density — every hire should raise the bar. We reward contribution, not titles or tenure. We give ownership to those who earn it, and we all hold each other to a high standard. A-players want to work with other A-players — that’s how we win.
First-Principles Thinking Strip a problem to physics-level facts, ignore industry dogma, rebuild the solution from scratch. We don’t copy-paste solutions. We go back to basics, ask why things are the way they are, and rebuild from the ground up if needed. This mindset pushes us to innovate, challenge stale assumptions, and move faster than incumbents. It’s how we build what others think is impossible.
The personal data provided in your application and during the selection process will be processed by Happyrobot, Inc., acting as Data Controller.
By sending us your CV, you consent to the processing of your personal data for the purpose of evaluating and selecting you as a candidate for the position. Your personal data will be treated confidentially and will only be used for the recruitment process of the selected job offer.
In relation to the period of conservation of your personal data, these will be eliminated after three months of inactivity in compliance with the GDPR and legislation on the protection of personal data.
If you wish to exercise your rights of access, rectification, deletion, portability or opposition in relation to your personal data, you can do so through security@happyrobot.ai subject to the GDPR.
For more information, visit https://www.happyrobot.ai/privacy-policy https://www.happyrobot.ai/privacy-policy
By submitting your request, you confirm that you have read and understood this clause and that you agree to the processing of your personal data as described.