Senior Backend / Cloud Engineer

Company Description Cloudseed Inc is dedicated to solving the problem of global food and water security through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies. Our mission is to develop tools for consumers and the food industry to accelerate adaptation of land and water practices for a changing climate. Cloudseed Inc is a bootstrapped company. Co-Founders are unpaid during this growth phase. We do this because we think we have a compelling product and we want to help the planet. THIS IS AN EQUITY COMPENSATION ROLE on a Contract Basis. You would be joining the co-founders and the initial founding engineering team of Cloudseed Inc. The position is un-salaried while Cloudseed Inc is raising capital and establishing revenue. Equity is negotiable based on experience and fit. Ideally you are an engineer with extra time minimum 15 hours / week ideally 20 - 40 to devote to a startup in the beginning with the expectation that you'll join full time when the company is funded - equity package will be structured accordingly. We offer an accelerated vesting schedule and a % of company ownership. Role Description This is a contract remote role for a Senior Backend/Cloud Engineer at Cloudseed Inc. This role is focused on building and scaling the technical backbone of our platform. You will develop Python backends for processing weather and climate data, design and optimize PostgreSQL/PostGIS databases for geospatial datasets, and implement mobile payment integrations across major platforms. The position requires deploying and managing AWS infrastructure with Terraform,  optimizing MVP systems into scaling production-ready applications, and establishing monitoring and observability practices. You will also build conversational AI interfaces for users, support automated data-driven recommendations, and collaborate closely on crop modeling and geospatial analytics. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in Python, scientific computing, cloud infrastructure, and DevOps, with hands-on experience integrating LLMs and geospatial pipelines. This is a high-impact opportunity where you’ll contribute directly to scaling a mission-driven startup, while gaining expertise in agricultural modeling, AI/ML applications, and production-grade scientific computing. Key Responsibilities • Develop Python backends processing weather/climate data using xarray, numpy, pandas with Zarr format • Build and optimize PostgreSQL/PostGIS databases for geospatial agricultural data • Implement mobile payment integration (Google Play Billing, Apple In-App Purchases, Stripe) • Build chat interfaces and automated summary generation for farm data and recommendations • Deploy and manage AWS infrastructure using Terraform (Lambda, EC2, S3, API Gateway) • Collaborate on agricultural modeling for crop suitability analysis Required Skills • Python: 4+ years backend development with FastAPI, SQLAlchemy, async programming • AWS: Production experience with Lambda, EC2, S3, ECR, CloudFront, networking fundamentals • Database: PostgreSQL administration and PostGIS spatial operations • Scientific Computing: Experience with xarray, numpy, pandas for data processing • LLM Integration: Experience with OpenAI API, RAG systems, and conversational AI applications • Mobile Payments: Server-side payment validation and subscription management • DevOps: Docker, GitHub Actions, Terraform infrastructure deployment • Startup Experience: Comfortable with rapid iteration and technical debt management Preferred Qualifications • Experience with weather/climate data or agricultural technology • Background in geospatial data processing and GIS concepts • Experience building RAG pipelines with vector databases and embedding models • Knowledge of prompt engineering and LLM fine-tuning techniques • AWS certifications or equivalent cloud architecture knowledge • Experience scaling systems from prototype to production • Familiarity with Zarr format and chunked array storage What You'll Learn • Agricultural domain expertise and crop modeling algorithms • Large-scale geospatial data processing techniques • AI/ML applications in agriculture and conversational interfaces • Production scientific computing and optimization strategies • Startup culture and growth strategy and emphasis navigating an environment of pivots with an emphasis on cash flow and technical leadership opportunities Level: Senior (4-7 years experience) - High impact role with growth potential as we scale our platform and team. Cloudseed is an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal state or local laws. Cloudseed is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Privacy is a top priority for Cloudseed. We build it into our products and view it as an essential part of our business.