Backend Software Engineer, Descript
Platform
$160-240k
Collaborative audio and video editor
Be an early applicant
Collaborative audio and video editor
101-200 employees
Be an early applicant
$160-240k
101-200 employees
Company mission
To make video a staple of every communicator's toolkit, alongside docs and slides.
Role
Who you are
- 5+ years of professional backend software engineering experience
- Experience with cloud infrastructure (GCP, AWS), modern data storage systems (S3, GCS, PostgreSQL, Dynamo/Bigtable), Linux, and data infrastructure (Airflow, Beam, Spark)
- Expertise in modern backend languages and technologies, such as Python, Typescript/Node.js, Go, or similar
- Deep understanding of system design principles, performance optimization, and infrastructure automation (e.g., Temporal, Kubernetes, Docker)
- Solid CS fundamentals, including data structures, algorithms, databases (Postgres, BigQuery), and familiarity with monitoring and observability tools (metrics and distributed tracing)
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, along with good judgment in technical decision-making
Desirable
- Experience in AI and ML technologies (Pytorch, CUDA, distributed training)
- Expertise in digital media processing, codecs, and streaming technologies (ffmpeg, WebRTC, HLS, MPEG-DASH)
- Familiarity with GPU profiling, performance tuning, and optimization techniques
- Experience contributing to or engaging with open-source communities
What the job involves
- We are looking for an experienced software engineer to build a best-in-class video editing and streaming platform to power the core editing and AI functionality of the app
- Design, build, and optimize scalable backend infrastructure to process, store, and serve real-time media processing pipelines and AI inference workloads efficiently
- Collaborate closely with Product, AI Research, and Engineering teams to ensure our platform meets the evolving needs of advanced audio and video workflows
- Build cutting edge model training and evaluation infrastructure
- Evaluate, integrate, and optimize third-party AI vendor solutions, collaborating closely with Product Engineering and AI Research teams to enhance our AI capabilities and accelerate feature delivery
- Make high-impact architectural decisions that balance short-term goals with long-term scalability, while mentoring teammates and championing engineering best practices
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Insights
30% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Company benefits
- Generous healthcare package
- Unlimited vacation time
- Catered lunches
- Whether you love WFH or can’t wait to get back to being in person, we're interested in offering an environment that works for you
Funding (last 2 of 4 rounds)
Oct 2022
$50m
SERIES C
Jan 2021
$30m
SERIES B
Total funding: $100m
Our take
Descript offers podcasters, YouTubers and other content creators a series of modern tools for editing and transcribing audio and video files. It stands out from more traditional editing platforms by using modern tools like natural language processing and AI generated transcriptions.
One of its most newsworthy features is its transcription to audio editing software. Users can edit the AI generated transcription in text format, which is then reflected in the audio itself, and in the speaker's “natural" voice. Founded by Groupon founder and former CEO Andrew Mason in 2017, the company has experienced fast growth, and has already been used across the industry by outlets like the BBC, NPR, VICE, The Washington Post and The New York Times.
The company’s early success and future potential have been underlined in the form of substantial funding. The podcasting industry alone (which encompasses both video and audio) accounted for $22 billion. Descript, which continues to add intelligent and quality-shifting features, is well-positioned to capture this lucrative and growing market.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle