Founding Engineer

We’re building Rumor, a data-rich, AI-enhanced platform powering culture’s most important events. Our focus now is on real-time intelligence: profile enrichment, discovery, recommendations, and network graph. We’re looking for a Senior Founding Engineer to design and own the backend systems that make this possible.

What You’ll Lead

• Core backend architecture: evolve our microservices, data models, API layer, and system reliability.
• Data & intelligence layer: build enrichment pipelines, scoring engines, and recommendation logic.
• Cross-product execution: ship features across Host Portal, Member App, and Admin tools in tight partnership with product + design.
• Technical decisions: set patterns, improve tooling, drive performance, and shape the engineering culture.

What You Bring

• 6–10+ years engineering experience, ideally across startups and system design.
• Strength in backend architecture, distributed systems, and microservices.
• Experience with Node.js/NestJS, TypeScript, Postgres, Redis, AWS, queues, and event-driven architectures.
• Strong grasp of data modeling, search, rankings, and real-time systems.
• Ability to move fast without breaking quality - pragmatic, not academic.
• Comfortable owning large scopes and collaborating closely with product/design.

Engagement Structure

• Contract with the intention to convert to full-time
• NYC preferred (hybrid)
• High ownership, high impact, high visibility role