Who you are

• Significant experience designing and building complex backend systems in production environments
• Demonstrated ability to surface unarticulated risks, propose alternative approaches, and advocate for architectural improvements with sound technical reasoning
• Expertise in at least one production-grade backend language (e.g., Python, Java, Kotlin, Go, C#, etc.)
• Strong foundation in relational schema design, data modelling, and SQL
• Experience working with hierarchical, graph-like, or relationship-heavy data structures
• Familiarity with graph databases or graph-based modelling concepts is a strong plus
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• A track record of improving scalability, reliability, and observability in distributed or data-intensive systems
• A desire to influence architecture and product direction - not just implement tickets
• Thrive in a collaborative, detail-oriented environment across Engineering, Product, and Analytics
• Experience building SaaS products serving mid-market or enterprise customers
• Experience building rule-driven systems, validation workflows, or approval/governance platforms
• Familiarity with AWS-based infrastructure and Kubernetes
• Exposure to Sales Performance Management (SPM), RevOps, Incentive Compensation (ICM), or related domains
• We know that applying to a new role takes a lot of effort. You're encouraged to apply even if your experience doesn't precisely match the job description. There are many paths to a successful career and we’re looking forward to reading yours

What the job involves

• You will play a critical role in the continued evolution of our application stack. You will lead development efforts for complex backend capabilities and serve as a technical example in system design, code quality, and long-term maintainability. You’ll operate at the intersection of data modelling, business logic, and enterprise scale reliability
• As a Staff Engineer, you are expected to operate with a high degree of ownership and trust. This includes proactively identifying architectural risks, surfacing edge cases or constraints others may not see, and advocating for improvements that strengthen the long-term integrity of the system
• We value engineers who bring forward thoughtful perspectives - even when they challenge assumptions - and who help the team see around corners
• Design and evolve backend services that power product workflows
• Architect data models representing hierarchical & graph structures, relationships, and large-scale enterprise datasets
• Build deterministic, reliable systems that allow customers to reason clearly about their data
• Drive architectural decisions that balance extensibility, performance, and operational simplicity
• Improve observability, testing strategy, and production reliability across backend services
• Partner closely with Product to translate nuanced business requirements into clean, scalable designs
• Mentor engineers across levels and help raise the bar for backend engineering standards
• Use, and demonstrate using, AI tooling to improve implementation velocity while thoughtfully investing in technical and product specifications

The application process

• We thank all candidates for their interest however only qualified applicants will be shortlisted

Benefits

• Meaningful Compensation: In addition to being paid above the industry average, you'll join in Forma.ai's success with our employee equity plan
• Healthcare with Benefits: Enjoy a healthcare benefits package that includes extended medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and paid parental leave
• Unlimited + Min. Vacation: All Formadillos (cute, right?) are required to take a minimum of three weeks vacation. If you need more, just ask!
• Learning & Development: Access the resources you need to grow in your personal and professional life with a yearly training stipend
• Flexible Working: North American employees can work from where they are most productive, whether that's in our Toronto HQ, from home, or a combination of both
• Growth & Opportunity: Our rapid growth and novel approach is an opportunity to gain the kind of unique experience you can build a career on