Senior Software Engineer (AI Infrastructure)

About The Role

What if your engineering skills could directly shape the platforms and systems behind the AI revolution? We're looking for Senior Software Engineers in Lisbon and across Portugal to design, build, and scale the infrastructure that powers cutting-edge AI products used by millions of people worldwide. This is high-impact, technically challenging work — the kind that keeps great engineers engaged.

You'll tackle real architectural problems, write code that matters, and collaborate with some of the sharpest minds in AI research and engineering. This is a fully remote, flexible contract role. If you're an experienced engineer who thrives on autonomy, writes clean and scalable code, and wants to work at the frontier of technology — we want to hear from you. Organization: AlignerrType: Hourly ContractLocation: RemoteCommitment: 20–40 hours/week

What You'll Do

Design, develop, and maintain production-grade software systems that support AI training, evaluation, and deployment pipelinesWrite clean, well-tested, and performant code in Python, TypeScript, or other modern languagesBuild and optimize APIs, data pipelines, and backend services that operate reliably at scaleArchitect solutions that balance speed of delivery with long-term maintainabilityTroubleshoot complex technical issues across distributed systems and cloud infrastructureCollaborate asynchronously with cross-functional teams — including ML engineers, researchers, and product managersParticipate in code reviews and contribute to engineering best practices across the teamWork independently on well-scoped projects with meaningful ownership and autonomy Who You Are 5+ years of professional software engineering experienceStrong proficiency in at least one modern programming language — Python, TypeScript/JavaScript, Go, Java, or similarSolid understanding of software architecture, design patterns, and system design principlesExperience building and deploying backend services, APIs, or data-intensive applicationsComfortable working with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and containerized environmentsFamiliar with version control (Git), CI/CD workflows, and modern development toolingStrong debugging and problem-solving skills — you can navigate ambiguity and find root causes efficientlyExcellent written communication skills — you can document decisions, explain tradeoffs, and collaborate effectively in an async-first environmentSelf-directed and reliable — you manage your own time and deliver consistently without close supervision

Nice to Have

• Experience with ML/AI infrastructure — training pipelines, model serving, data annotation platforms, or evaluation frameworksFamiliarity with large-scale data processing tools (Spark, Kafka, Airflow, or similar)Background in distributed systems, microservices architecture, or event-driven designExperience with infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, Pulumi) or KubernetesContributions to open-source projects or a public portfolio of technical workPrevious experience in a remote-first or async-heavy engineering culture

Why Join Us

Work on cutting-edge AI infrastructure alongside world-class research labs and engineering teamsFully remote and flexible — set your own schedule and work from anywhereTackle genuinely hard technical problems with real-world impact at scaleHigh autonomy and ownership — no micromanagement, just meaningful engineering workCollaborate with a global community of top-tier engineers and researchersPotential for ongoing work, expanded scope, and long-term contract extension as projects grow