Senior Software Engineer (Productivity)

About Phaidra

Phaidra is building the future of industrial automation.

The world today is filled with static, monolithic infrastructure. Factories, power plants, buildings, etc. operate the same they’ve operated for decades — because the controls programming is hard-coded. Thousands of lines of rules and heuristics that define how the machines interact with each other. The result of all this hard-coding is that facilities are frozen in time, unable to adapt to their environment while their performance slowly degrades.

Phaidra creates AI-powered control systems for the industrial sector, enabling industrial facilities to automatically learn and improve over time. Specifically:

• We use reinforcement learning algorithms to provide this intelligence, converting raw sensor data into high-value actions and decisions.
• We focus on industrial applications, which tend to be well-sensorized with measurable KPIs — perfect for reinforcement learning.
• We enable domain experts (our users) to configure the AI control systems (i.e. agents) without writing code. They define what they want their AI agents to do, and we do it for them.

Our team has a track record of applying AI to some of the toughest problems. From achieving superhuman performance with DeepMind’s AlphaGo, to reducing the energy required to cool Google’s Data Centers by 40%, we deeply understand AI and how to apply it in production for massive impact.

Phaidra is based in the USA but 100% remote; we do not have a physical office. We hire employees internationally with the help of our partner, OysterHR. Our team is currently located throughout the USA, Canada, UK, Norway, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Japan, Singapore, and India.

**Please only apply to one opening. If you are a better fit for another opening, our team will move your application. Candidates who apply to multiple openings will not be considered.**

*We are seeking a team member located within one of the following areas: United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Italy, or Portugal. 

In the United States, we accept applicants located in the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington. 

In Canada, we accept applicants located in the following provinces: Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta.

Responsibilities

As a Senior Software Engineer in the Productivity Engineering team, you will play a critical role in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of our engineering processes. You will lead initiatives to optimize workflows, automate routine tasks, and improve the overall quality and speed of our software development lifecycle. Your work will ensure that our engineering team can deliver high-quality software efficiently, contributing directly to the success of our AI-powered solutions.

1. Process and Strategy Development:
   • Collaborate with engineering leadership to develop and implement strategies for enhancing engineering productivity.
   • Define and refine testing and release processes, ensuring they align with industry best practices and Phaidra’s goals.
   • Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and excellence within the engineering team.
2. Automation and Tool Development:
   • Design, develop, and maintain automated testing frameworks, integrating tools like Cypress for reliable software validation.
   • Develop tools and scripts to automate routine tasks, enabling the engineering team to focus on high-value activities.
3. Release Process Optimization:
   • Streamline release processes to enhance deployment efficiency and software quality.
   • Work closely with development and infra teams to improve continuous integration and delivery pipelines.
4. Monitoring and Metrics:
   • Utilize monitoring tools like Grafana for real-time insights into system performance, leveraging data to drive improvements.
   • Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure and improve engineering productivity and software quality.
5. Mentorship and Collaboration:
   • Mentor and guide engineers on best practices in testing, automation, and productivity enhancement.
   • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align productivity initiatives with broader organizational objectives.

Key Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• 6+ years of experience in software engineering, with a strong focus on test automation and engineering productivity.
• Proficiency in scripting and automation using languages such as Python, Bash, or similar, to enhance testing and productivity workflows.
• Experience with monitoring and real-time data analytics tools like Grafana to support proactive system management.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to identifying and addressing inefficiencies in both testing and engineering processes.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in a remote and distributed team environment.
• Passion for developing productivity tooling to simplify the development and testing of multi-service application.

Bonus

• Experience with AI/ML systems and understanding of testing methodologies specific to AI/ML applications.
• Experience with container orchestration tools like Kubernetes.
• Experience with cloud environments.

Our Stack

• Languages – (Backend) Python, Go; (Frontend) JavaScript/TypeScript, React; Customer SDK & Clients – C# .NET
• PyTorch
• Cypress
• Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform & Kapitan
• Custom Kubernetes Operators (with kopf)
• Gitlab CI, ArgoCD, Atlantis, Vercel
• GCP – GKE, PubSub, CloudSQL, BigTable, Postgres, etc.
• Ray.io
• REST & gRPC micro-services
• Pantsbuild

General Interview Process

All of our interviews are held via Google Meet, and an active camera connection is required.

1. Initial screening interview with a People Operations team member (30 minutes)
2. Meeting with the Hiring Manager (30 minutes)
3. Data Structures and Algorithms Technical Interview (75 minutes)
4. Automation, Tools Development, and Productivity Technical Interview (75 Minutes)
5. Meeting with the VP of Engineering (30 minutes)
6. Culture fit interview with Phaidra’s co-founders (30 minutes)

Base Salary

• United States Residents: $114,400 – $206,400/year
• Canadian Residents: CA$140,000 – CA$210,000/year
• UK Residents: £93,600 – £144,000/year

Salary ranges for other countries (Italy, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Ireland) will vary based on the market rate for the location.

This position will also include equity.

These are best faith estimates of the base salary range for this position. Multiple factors such as experience, education, level, and location are taken into account when determining compensation.

 

Benefits & Perks

• Fast-paced and team-oriented environment where you will be instrumental in the direction of the company.
• Phaidra is a 100% remote company with a digital nomad policy.
• Competitive compensation & equity.
• Outsized responsibilities & professional development.
• Training is foundational; functional, customer immersion, and development training.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance (exact benefits vary by region).
• Unlimited paid time off, with a minimum of 20 days off per year requirement.
• Paid parental leave (exact benefits vary by region).
• Home office setup allowance, coworking space stipend, and company MacBook.

*Please note that Phaidra’s benefits and perks listed above do not apply to temporary employees such as interns.

On being Remote

We are thoughtful about remote collaboration. We look to the pioneers – like Gitlab – for inspiration and best practices to create a stellar remote work environment. We have a documentation-first culture and actively practice asynchronous communication in everything we do. Our team stays connected through tools like Slack and video chat. Most teams meet daily, and we have dedicated all-hands meetings weekly to build strong relationships. We hold virtual team building events once per quarter – and even hold virtual socials to watch rocket launches! We have had all-company summits in locations like Seattle, Athens, Goa, and Barcelona.

Equal Opportunity Employment

Phaidra is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Phaidra is governed on the basis of merit, competence, and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status. We welcome diversity and strive to maintain an inclusive environment for all employees. If you need assistance with completing the application process, please contact us at hiring@phaidra.ai.

E-Verify Notice

Phaidra participates in E-Verify, an employment authorization database provided through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA). As required by law, we will provide the SSA and, if necessary, the DHS, with information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization for those residing in the United States.

Additional information about E-Verify can be found here.

#LI-Remote

WE DO NOT ACCEPT APPLICATIONS FROM RECRUITERS.