Back-end Engineer

About Woolf

Woolf is redefining higher education by increasing access to world-class, globally recognized, and transferable degrees. We enable institutions, educators, and entrepreneurs to launch accredited degree programs at speed and scale, ensuring that high-quality education is more accessible than ever.

As a category-defining company, Woolf is accelerating innovation in higher education, creating new opportunities for learning without borders. Backed by leading Silicon Valley investors, we are a globally distributed, remote-first team building the future of education. Learn more at Woolf University.

About the Role

We’re looking for a Backend Engineer who loves using AI to unlock insights and speed things up - but knows that great systems aren’t built with prompts alone. We see AI as a tool, not the whole job. You’ll use it to speed things up and surface insights, but most of the work is still solid, practical engineering.

If you're excited by the idea that people today can accomplish significantly more while spending less time and effort, and you're eager to boost your efficiency with cutting-edge technology, join our team. All of our coworkers are exceptional, and we want a few more exceptional people to join us in building the future of education.

What You’ll Do

• Design, build, and maintain reliable, scalable backend services using Node.js and tRPC.
• Optimize APIs and databases for performance, scalability, and security.
• Evaluate and implement solutions that align with technical and product goals.
• Participate in code reviews and uphold engineering best practices.
• Collaborate closely with product and engineering teams to shape roadmap priorities.
• Proactively troubleshoot and resolve production issues in a cloud-native environment.

Tech Stack You’ll Use:

• AI: Gemini, Vertex AI
• Server: Node.js with tRPC
• Infrastructure: GCP, Cloud Run, Cloud Tasks, Kubernetes, Redis
• Databases: Spanner, PostgreSQL, AlloyDB, BigQuery

Requirements

What You Bring

• Experience developing and scaling backend systems, preferably in AI or data-heavy environments.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (ideally GCP) and containerized environments.
• Strong skills in debugging and optimizing distributed systems and APIs.
• Solid understanding of database design and performance tuning.
• Effective communication skills and fluency in English (written and spoken).
• A proactive, self-starting mindset with the ability to take full ownership of projects.
• Openness to learning new technologies and adapting quickly to changing priorities.
• A focus on clean, maintainable code and delivering high-impact features.

Benefits

• Contract Structure & Compensation
• Contract Type: Independent Contractor (Global)
• Please note: contractors are responsible for their own taxes and benefits in compliance with their local regulations.

Why Woolf

• Global Impact: Work with education leaders worldwide to shape the future of learning.
• Remote Flexibility: Work from anywhere with a schedule that fits your lifestyle.
• Growth Potential: Join a fast-growing company with opportunities to expand your role.
• Innovative Culture: Be part of a mission-driven team backed by top investors.