Senior Backend Application Engineer - Manifest

About Manifest

Manifest is on a mission to secure the global software and AI supply chain. Our platform automates the discovery and analysis of risks across internally built and third-party software and AI systems, giving security, product, and engineering teams complete visibility into the components and dependencies that make up their technology stack. From product security and AI risk to supplier risk and compliance, we help teams trust the software and AI they build and buy.

Founded by alumni from the Department of Defense, CISA, and Palantir, Manifest is backed by leading investors including Ensemble VC, First Round Capital, Homebrew, BoxGroup, XYZ Venture Capital, AE Ventures, Leap435, and Overmatch VC. The company partners with the US Air Force, DHS, Global 2000 companies, and critical infrastructure organizations across defense, automotive, and financial services to bring transparency, resilience, and trust to modern digital systems.

About the Role

Manifest is hiring a Senior+ backend software engineer responsible for designing and scaling web services and ETL architecture to support hundreds of thousands of transactions per second. This role will drive high-performance, resilient system designs in a fast-paced, data-intensive environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect and implement scalable, fault-tolerant web services and ETL pipelines capable of handling tens of thousands of transactions per second.
• Identify and implement improvements in system performance and engineering processes.
• Design and build new features for the Manifest platform used by critical organizations worldwide.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to optimize existing systems and integrate new technologies.
• Develop robust monitoring, testing, and deployment strategies for mission-critical services.
• Help define and maintain engineering culture standards, including recruiting and onboarding colleagues.
• Work closely with product management, designers, and engineering peers to solve problems collaboratively.
• Communicate technical concepts clearly across teams and external stakeholders.

Requirements

• Experience: 8+ years in software engineering, focused on web services and ETL systems.
• High-Volume Systems: Proven track record scaling high-volume, data-intensive applications.
• Architecture: Expertise in distributed systems, microservices, and cloud architectures.
• DevOps/Infrastructure: Familiarity with containerization, orchestration, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Tech Stack: Ability to quickly ramp up on our primary stack (TypeScript, MongoDB, Go, Python).
• Product Experience: Previous experience building commercial software products (SaaS and on-prem) for external customers.
• Startup Background: Experience working in early-stage B2B SaaS startups.
• Communication: Strong communication skills and collaborative approach.

Bonus Points

• Hands-on experience with MongoDB and other data stores.
• General familiarity or experience with AI/ML, LLMs, and model tuning.
• Background in infosec, red teaming, or broader cybersecurity concepts.
• Experience with FOSS and commercial SDLC security and DevSecOps tools (SCA, DAST, SAST, etc.).

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $150,000 – $210,000 / year + meaningful stock options
• Work Flexibility: Fully remote work (with potential for hybrid co-working)
• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage paid at 100% for you and your dependents
• Time Off: Unlimited PTO
• Retirement: 401(k) and retirement options