Runway

Sr. Software Engineer

Runway$160K — $230K *
Information Technology
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5+ years of software engineering experience in production systems.
  • Expertise in system design and cloud-native architectures.
  • Proficient in programming languages like Go, Python, Rust, Java, or C++.
  • Familiar with AI-driven workflows and tools (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.).
  • Knowledge of LLM integration and RAG concepts is desirable.
  • Experience with relational and NoSQL databases and scalable storage solutions.
  • Solid grasp of CI/CD pipelines and modern DevOps practices.

Responsibilities

  • Own complex features from architecture to observability and deployment.
  • Design AI-native services with LLM embedding into workflows.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance user experience with AI intelligence.
  • Lead architectural decisions balancing experimentation and scalability.
  • Write maintainable, high-performance code using AI-assisted tools.
  • Define and evolve the AI-first tech stack for effective development.
  • Build foundational distributed systems and data pipelines for automation.
  • Conduct code reviews and mentor on AI coding tools for improved quality.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to build systems for an AI-native enterprise platform.
  • Take ownership of systems scaling for millions of users.
  • Emphasis on craftsmanship, autonomy, and technical excellence.
  • Comprehensive benefits package including compensation and equity.
  • Work collaboratively in a Midtown Manhattan office with easy transport access.
Full Job Description
About the Role

We're looking for a Senior Software Engineer who thrives in an AI-native environment-someone who's excited to build scalable, intelligent systems that blend automation, reasoning, and modern infrastructure.

You'll play a key role in architecting and implementing the systems that power our AI-driven platform, helping define how we integrate large language models (LLMs), knowledge graphs, and intelligent workflows into enterprise-scale software.

This is a hands-on role for someone who codes deeply, thinks systemically, and wants to shape the future of AI-augmented engineering.

Responsibilities

AI-Driven Technical Ownership
  • Take end-to-end ownership of complex features and systems-from architecture and implementation to deployment and observability.
  • Design and evolve AI-native services that embed LLMs and reasoning capabilities directly into product workflows.
  • Work cross-functionally with product, design, and data teams to infuse AI-powered intelligence into the user and developer experience.
  • Drive architectural decisions that balance rapid experimentation with long-term scalability and reliability.

Hands-On Engineering
  • Backend First: Lead design, implementation, testing, and deployment of backend services, APIs (REST/GraphQL), and core data infrastructure that power scalable enterprise workflows.
  • Full Stack Delivery: Build user-facing features where needed, connecting frontend UI with backend systems - you'll own the full path from browser to database.
  • Shape the Stack: Help define and evolve our architecture - from backend systems and databases to the UI frameworks and client integrations that consume them.
  • AI and Workflow Innovation: Integrate AI/LLM capabilities into backend pipelines and product logic that make ITSM smarter and easier to use.
  • Performance & Scale: Architect highly performant, secure, and scalable services for enterprise environments, with monitoring and observability in place.
  • Collaboration: Partner with designers, frontend engineers, and infrastructure teams to translate product thinking into real, high-impact solutions.
  • Developer Experience: Improve internal tooling, deployment pipelines, and best practices around CI/CD and automated testing.
  • Security & Compliance: Build with enterprise-grade security and compliance in mind from the start (SOC 2, ISO 27001).

Qualifications
  • Experience: Strong background in backend systems and API design with real SaaS production experience; comfortable contributing across the stack.
  • Backend Languages: Proficiency in one or more modern backend languages (Python, Go, Rust, C++, etc.) and designing distributed systems.
  • Frontend Fluency: Familiar with modern frontend frameworks (React, Vue, Angular) and comfortable building or iterating on UI components that interface with your backend.
  • Databases & Storage: Strong hands-on experience with NoSQL and (ideally) graph or databases.
  • Cloud & DevOps: Experience with cloud platforms (AWS/GCP/Azure), containerization (Docker/Kubernetes), and infrastructure as code (Terraform).
  • Problem Solving Mindset: Pragmatic, product-driven engineer who thrives in high-velocity startup environments and can balance backend complexity with UI quality.
  • Bonus: Experience integrating AI/LLM features or working with enterprise workflow systems.

Nice to Have
  • Experience building microservices or event-driven architectures.
  • Prior experience with high-throughput or low-latency systems.
  • Contributions to open-source projects or a strong portfolio of technical work.

Why You'll Love This Role
  • Build core systems for an AI-native enterprise platform-where AI isn't an add-on, it's the foundation.
  • Work in a team that uses AI as a development accelerator-pairing human expertise with machine intelligence to move fast and build better.
  • Help define modern best practices for AI-augmented software engineering.
  • Join a focused, collaborative team in Midtown Manhattan-moving quickly, experimenting boldly, and building together.

What We Offer
  • Build foundational product features for an AI-first enterprise platform
  • The opportunity to take ownership of critical systems that scale to millions of users
  • A culture that values craftsmanship, autonomy, and technical excellence
  • Competitive compensation, equity, and benefits package
  • Work from our Flatiron District, Manhattan office, where you'll be side-by-side with the founding team in a supportive, collaborative setting. Our team works on-site five days a week, growing and building together, and the location is easy to reach with plenty of public transportation options.


The reasonably estimated yearly salary for this role at is: $160,000-$230,000 USD.

About Runway

Runway is a fashion brand that specializes in women's clothing and accessories. The company offers a range of products, including dresses, tops, skirts, and handbags, that are designed to be both stylish and affordable. Runway's products are sold online and in select retail stores across the United States. The company was founded in 2015 and is based in New York, New York.
Learn more about Runway
Size
50 employees
Industry
Net Income
-$10,000
Founded
2015
5 Year Trend
+10%
Revenue
$50,000
NASDAQ

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