Founding Systems Engineer

Ionworks
Pittsburgh, PA
Category Engineering
Job Description
Ionworks is building next-generation battery simulation and optimization tools, powered by PyBaMM and modern cloud infrastructure. The founding systems engineer will own the architectural backbone of the platform, working closely with founders and a small engineering team to build reliable APIs, optimize performance, and design robust data systems for numerical simulation workflows.

Requirements

  • 4+ years of experience building production backend systems in Python (FastAPI, Flask, or similar frameworks)
  • Strong SQL and Postgres experience, including schema design, query optimization, and migrations
  • Experience debugging complex systems: async concurrency, database connection pools, distributed or multi-service flows
  • Familiarity with cloud environments (for example AWS, GCP, Porter), Docker, and CI/CD pipelines
  • Comfortable owning systems that serve real users: you care about correctness, performance, observability, and security
  • Experience using LLM tools in a serious way: as helpers and agents that you supervise, not as one-click generators
  • Clear communication and the ability to work autonomously in an early-stage, fast-moving environment

Benefits

  • Unlimited PTO
  • 401(k) plan with employer match
  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage
  • Remote-first work environment
  • Paid parental leave
  • Home office and hardware budget
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