The mission of Speechify is to make sure that reading is never a barrier to learning.

Over 50 million people use Speechify’s text-to-speech products to turn whatever they’re reading – PDFs, books, Google Docs, news articles, websites – into audio, so they can read faster, read more, and remember more. Speechify’s text-to-speech reading products include its iOS app, Android App, Mac App, Chrome Extension, and Web App. Google recently named Speechify the Chrome Extension of the Year and Apple named Speechify its 2025 Design Award winner for Inclusivity.  

Today, nearly 200 people around the globe work on Speechify in a 100% distributed setting – Speechify has no office. These include frontend and backend engineers, AI research scientists, and others from Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, leading PhD programs like Stanford, high growth startups like Stripe, Vercel, Bolt, and many founders of their own companies.

Overview

The responsibilities of our Platform team include building and maintaining all backend services, including, but not limited to, payments, analytics, subscriptions, new products, text to speech, and external APIs.

This is a key role and ideal for someone who thinks strategically, enjoys fast-paced environments, is passionate about making product decisions, and has experience building great user experiences that delight users.

We are a flat organization that allows anyone to become a leader by showing excellent technical skills and delivering results consistently and fast. Work ethic, solid communication skills, and obsession with winning are paramount. 

Our interview process involves several technical interviews and we aim to complete them within 1 week. 

What You’ll Do

• Design, develop, and maintain robust APIs including public TTS API, internal APIs like Payment, Subscription, Auth and Consumption Tracking, ensuring they meet business and scalability requirements
• Oversee the full backend API landscape, enhancing and optimizing for performance and maintainability
• Collaborate on B2B solutions, focusing on customization and integration needs for enterprise clients
• Work closely with cross-functional teams to align backend architecture with overall product strategy and user experience

An Ideal Candidate Should Have

• Proven experience in backend development: TS/Node (required)
• Direct experience with GCP and knowledge of AWS, Azure, or other cloud providers
• Efficiency in ideation and implementation, prioritizing tasks based on urgency and impact
• Preferred: Experience with Docker and containerized deployments
• Preferred: Proficiency in deploying high availability applications on Kubernetes

What We Offer

• A dynamic environment where your contributions shape the company and its products
• A team that values innovation, intuition, and drive
• Autonomy, fostering focus and creativity
• The opportunity to have a significant impact in a revolutionary industry
• Competitive compensation, a welcoming atmosphere, and a commitment to an exceptional asynchronous work culture
• The privilege of working on a product that changes lives, particularly for those with learning differences like dyslexia, ADD, and more
• An active role at the intersection of artificial intelligence and audio – a rapidly evolving tech domain

Think you’re a good fit for this job? 

Tell us more about yourself and why you're interested in the role when you apply.
And don’t forget to include links to your portfolio and LinkedIn.

Not looking but know someone who would make a great fit? 

Refer them! 

Speechify is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. 

Speechify does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.

Our Engineering team ensures Code and Theory delivers scalable, high-performance, web applications that delight users. We always strive to balance the demanding nature of working on cutting-edge technologies with the real-world demands of high-performance web applications. Working in collaboration with our multi-disciplinary engineering, design, and quality assurance teams, you will build software that solves real-world problems for incredible clients.

Our Back-end Engineers partner with our cross-functional teams to identify and implement innovative technologies that ensure server-side applications are robust, secure, efficient, and drive business growth.

As a Lead Back-End Engineer, you will combine hands-on execution with technical leadership and system-level thinking, partnering closely with cross-functional teams.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Design and implement scalable, high-performance backend services and APIs, with an emphasis on reliability, security, and long-term maintainability
• Build and maintain backend services using appropriate technology stacks, with an emphasis on clean architecture and API-driven design
• Design, build, and maintain REST and GraphQL APIs to support headless, decoupled frontends and system integrations
• Optimize database schemas, queries, and caching strategies for performance, scalability, and high-traffic content sites.
• Apply backend security best practices including authentication, authorization, data protection, and vulnerability mitigation
• Support DevOps workflows including CI/CD pipelines, deployments, monitoring, and performance tuning in cloud environments
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to ensure clean contracts between systems
• Lead and participate in code reviews, architectural discussions, and technical decision-making
• Actively uphold and strengthen Agile delivery practices, including sprint planning, estimation, and retrospectives
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex backend and integration issues
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical guidance across backend-related work
• Contribute to technical documentation, playbooks, and standards to support maintainability and team scalability

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience)
• 7+ years of backend engineering experience across production systems
• Strong fundamentals in backend engineering concepts: APIs, data modeling, performance, security, and system design
• Experience working with modern CMS platforms (preferably in headless or decoupled setups)
• Experience with headless integration, including decoupled architecture and RESTful APIs
• Experience with Google APIs (Calendar) and Google SSO
• Experience integrating transactional email services (e.g., Mandrill or similar email delivery platforms)
• Knowledge and experience working with AWS (EC2, RDS, ElastiCache, S3, Route53, ELB).
• Understanding of web security best practices and ability to implement security measures for websites
• Familiarity with modern front-end technologies (JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, CSS)
• Knowledge of version control systems (Git)
• Able to work with Docker and Docker compose
• Good understanding of hosting environments, server administration, and optimization techniques
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to debug complex issues
• Experience with Agile software development methodologies and project management tools
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, able to work with cross-functional teams
• Experience in JIRA or at least other ticket tracking tools

NICE TO HAVE

• Exposure to system modernization or migration projects (legacy to modern stacks)
• Experience with frontend frameworks (React, Next.js, Vue) to improve backend–frontend collaboration
• Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code, observability, and production monitoring tools
• Exposure to additional backend languages or paradigms (e.g., Go, Python, event-driven systems)
• Exposure to AI-related integrations or services (e.g., AI APIs, automation, or data-driven features)
• Familiarity with legacy frontend libraries and tooling (e.g., jQuery and related plugins, Bootstrap, Handlebars, Moment.js)

ABOUT US

Born in 2001, Code and Theory is a digital-first creative agency that sits at the center of creativity and technology. We pride ourselves on not only solving consumer and business problems, but also helping to establish new capabilities for our clients. With a global client roster of Fortune 100s and start-ups alike, we crave the hardest problems to solve. We have teams distributed across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. The Code and Theory global network of agencies is growing and includes Kettle, Instrument, Left Field Labs, Create Group, Current, and TrueLogic.

Striving never to be pigeonholed, we work across every major category: from tech to CPG, financial services to travel & hospitality, government and education to media and publishing. We value the collaboration with our client partners, including but not limited to Adidas, Amazon, Con Edison, Diageo, EY, J.P. Morgan Chase, Lenovo, Marriott, Mars, Microsoft, Thomson Reuters, and TikTok.

The Code and Theory network is comprised of nearly 2,000 people with 50% engineers and 50% creative talent. We’re always on the lookout for smart, driven, and forward-thinking people to join our team.

Values

Here are our Company Values and we’d love to have individuals who can be a culture add to our team!

What We Offer

• Permanently Remote
• Pay wired directly to your bank account
• $50 Monthly Stipend
• Annual Bonus
• Flexible PTO
• Enjoy company time off during some of the major US Holidays
• Career fast track for performers and internal mobility
• Learn from a team of Stanford, MIT, Google and Harvard alumni

• Architect and build robust API integrations between our platform and client HR, payroll, and POS systems
• Develop and maintain reusable integration frameworks and shared libraries that accelerate delivery across the team
• Own the full software lifecycle — from design and development through testing, deployment, and production support
• Build data migration pipelines and CSV transformation solutions for enterprise onboarding
• Develop two-way payroll integrations with complex business logic and error handling
• Build and deploy custom internal tools that improve team efficiency, integration observability, and customer operations
• Own infrastructure-as-code and deployment pipelines using Terraform, GitHub Actions, and related CI/CD tooling — you ship to production, not just to staging
• Apply AI-native development practices: using LLMs and AI tooling to accelerate development cycles, generate smarter automation, and build more intelligent solutions for clients and internal teams

• Review code and provide technical guidance to junior and mid-level engineers on the PS team
• Establish and document engineering best practices, integration patterns, and internal tooling standards
• Champion AI best practices across the team — helping others understand when and how to use AI tooling effectively and responsibly
• Collaborate with Product and Engineering to surface recurring customer pain points and influence the platform roadmap

• Lead technical discovery sessions with enterprise clients to define integration scope and requirements
• Translate complex business and compliance requirements into clear technical specifications
• Serve as the senior technical voice in client conversations — able to communicate architecture decisions confidently to both technical and non-technical audiences

• Build custom reporting tools, enterprise-grade career site implementations, and AI-assisted automation for customers
• Develop internal tooling and dashboards to improve team efficiency, reduce manual work, and scale PS delivery

• Engineering Depth: You write clean, production-quality code and take ownership of what you ship. You think in systems, not just scripts.
• AI-Native: You don't just know AI exists — you actively use it. You're fluent with LLM APIs, prompt engineering, and AI-assisted development workflows, and you have strong instincts around where AI adds genuine value vs. where it introduces risk
• Backend-First, Full Stack Capable: Strong proficiency in Python and TypeScript/JavaScript; comfortable owning backend services while being capable across the stack
• Integration Expertise: Hands-on experience with REST APIs, webhooks, OAuth, and workflow automation platforms (Workato or similar)
• DevOps Fluency: You're comfortable with Terraform, GitHub Actions, and CI/CD pipelines — shipping and maintaining production infrastructure is part of your normal workflow, not an afterthought
• Technical Leadership: You've mentored engineers, led code reviews, and contributed to engineering standards — not just executed tickets
• Problem Solving: You enjoy ambiguous problems and bring structured thinking to novel technical challenges
• Communication: You can hold your own in a technical architecture conversation and turn around and explain the same concept clearly to a non-technical customer

• 5+ years of software engineering experience, with meaningful full-stack or backend depth
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field (or equivalent practical experience)
• Strong proficiency in Python and TypeScript or JavaScript
• Experience designing and consuming REST APIs at scale
• Proficiency with infrastructure-as-code (Terraform) and CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions or equivalent)
• Demonstrated AI-native development practices — active use of LLM APIs, AI tooling, or AI-assisted workflows in prior roles
• Familiarity with version control and collaborative development workflows (GitHub)
• Experience with workflow automation platforms (Workato, Zapier, or similar)
• Must be willing to work during US business hours

• Prior experience in SaaS implementation, professional services, or a customer-facing engineering role
• Exposure to HRIS, payroll, or POS system integrations
• Experience building and maintaining shared internal developer tooling or libraries
• Familiarity with MCP (Model Context Protocol) or agentic AI frameworks

The Role: Building the Engine for AI Transformation

Smartly’s Operations culture is evolving. We are building an intelligent, automated ecosystem that powers our entire global organization. As a Senior Solutions Engineer, you will be the primary technical partner for our AI Transformation team. While they identify strategic AI opportunities, you are responsible for the execution—building the connectors, agents, and interfaces that allow our internal teams to leverage AI in their daily work.

You will serve as a bridge between technical solutions and operational excellence. Your core responsibility involves identifying areas of inefficiency and disjointed processes ("silos") and resolving them by developing intelligent workflows, scalable internal tools, and effective code to ensure smooth, integrated operations. We are looking for a "builder" who thrives on independence and is obsessed with the "How can we do this better?" mindset.

As a Senior Solutions Engineer at Smartly, you will...

• Partner with AI Transformation team: Collaborate with the AI Transformation team to productize AI and automation prototypes, ensuring that new tools and agentic capabilities are successfully integrated into internal business processes.
• Orchestrate Internal Automations: Build and maintain a wide variety of internal tools and workflows for most teams across the company; these solutions range from traditional API-based automations to complex AI agentic workflows.
• Modernize Internal Systems: Develop and scale the internal tools and processes that enable teams to move faster, utilizing a blend of AI-driven agents and standard programmatic automations to solve operational needs.
• Own the Backend: Maintain and expand our internal microservices architecture, primarily running on TypeScript and NodeJS.
• Cloud Infrastructure Management: Independently manage and optimize our cloud infrastructure (we primarily use Google Cloud Platform), ensuring our internal tools and AI services are performant, secure, and scalable.
• Build Service Integrations: Act as the master of APIs, integrating disparate internal and external services (Salesforce, Slack, Big Query, data warehouse etc.) to create seamless data flows for both users and AI agents.

We’re definitely looking for you if you have...

• Innovative & Experimental Mindset: You are naturally curious and enjoy experimenting with new technologies. Our work involves frequent exploration of emerging tech stacks and AI libraries, so you should be comfortable navigating ambiguity and testing new tools.
• A Builder’s Background: A versatile technical background with exposure in Software Engineering, Data Engineering, or Artificial Intelligence—with a strong track record of building diverse technical solutions, internal automations, and scalable data pipelines.
• TypeScript/NodeJS Mastery: Strong proficiency in TypeScript and NodeJS (Koa/Express experience is a major plus).
• AI Implementation Experience: Proven experience building and maintaining AI agentic workflows or MCPs. You know how to leverage LLM APIs (Vertex AI/OpenAI) to build practical, task-oriented agents.
• Prompt Engineering: You have a deep understanding of prompt engineering techniques to produce high-quality, structured, and reliable outputs from LLMs. You can design, test, and iterate on prompts for complex agentic tasks.
• API Expertise: High familiarity with REST APIs and complex service-to-service integrations.
• Self-Driven Learning: The ability to dive into microservices, understand its logic, and implement modern solutions without constant supervision.
• Collaborative Mindset: The ability to translate needs from most internal teams into technical requirements that solve real-world problems for non-technical stakeholders.

Bonus Points for:

• Automation Platforms: Experience with workflow automation tools like Zapier, n8n, or similar platforms used to build and orchestrate agentic workflows.
• React Skills: Ability to build or tweak frontend admin dashboards to make your automations accessible to internal users.
• AdTech Background: Familiarity with Meta GraphAPI, TikTok Ads, or Google Ads APIs.