What we're looking for?
We need someone with 3+ years of backend experience, ideally building and scaling successful products reaching millions of users. Our back end systems run on Python, FastAPI, Postgres. You should be comfortable architecting and implementing scalable backend systems, and have a track record of owning complex projects end-to-end from architecture design to deployment. Bonus points if you have a solid understanding of, and experience with, AI/LLMs models (e.g., GPT, LLAMA, BERT), RAG, as well as basic exposure to classic ML models (e.g. CNNs, MLP classifiers).
What you'll do:
Architect and implement scalable backend systems that power our AI and recommendation engines.
Build and maintain data pipelines, APIs, and services used by educators and enterprise partners.
Optimize infrastructure to support low-latency AI interactions.
Collaborate closely with Full Stack Engineers, ML Engineers, and our Chief Product Officer to build personalized learning experiences at scale.
Help shape our engineering practices, architecture, and culture as an early team member.
Our Mission is to help 2.3B people unlock economic opportunities through English acquisition and workforce training.
We’re a team of product leaders, TEFL-certified teachers, and AI/ML researchers (Microsoft Research, Stanford, Cornell, MIT, Allen Institute) building Pace AI to fast-track working adult learners into careers and higher education.
Most AI tools target K-12 or assume advanced English. But our learners—parents, caregivers, multilinguals, aspiring graduates, and internationally trained professionals—are among the most resilient yet chronically underserved.
Pace AI is the only AI built for working adult learners. It adapts to learners’ English level and supports 250+ languages (including Haitian Creole), opening doors to career pathways, education, and high-quality jobs.
We do this because our learners inspire us—because we are those learners and the children of learners just like them.
Team size
5 employeesFounded
Website
www.paceapp.aiTotal funding
Company locations
We are a small, mission-driven team of 5, who believe deeply in unlocking economic opportunities through English language acquisition and training. Each of us resonates deeply with our mission, whether through personal experience or not.
Everyone in our team is highly technical, with experience from top research labs across the country like Microsoft Research, Stanford, Cornell, MIT, and the Paul Allen Institute for AI Research.
We set a high bar, but equally believe in flexibility and have 1 required day in the office together each week - in Palo Alto, out of the Start X community offices.