Backend Software Engineer

About the role

Seesaw is expanding its engineering team in Jordan and is in search of a Backend Software Engineer to become part of the International Growth unit. This role will concentrate on developing backend systems that enhance Arabic language functionality across various AI-driven features, text processing pipelines, and future collaborations with governmental Student Information Systems (SIS) and Learning Management Systems (LMS). The position provides an opportunity to influence product direction from the outset, engage directly with user feedback, and implement ideas into production in a matter of weeks.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Develop backend services and systems that enable Arabic-focused features, including AI-driven activity generation, resource conversion, and tools like Reading Fluency and Read With Me tailored for Arabic.
• Collaborate with product managers, designers, and engineering teams to ensure seamless integration of AI and machine learning models with appropriate Arabic input/output processing and right-to-left (RTL) support.
• Design and implement APIs, data models, and asynchronous job workflows that cater to the needs of international expansion and support bilingual classroom environments.
• Work alongside the Support team to address rostering and integration challenges, ensuring consistent reliability for educational institutions.
• Contribute to architectural decisions, technical planning, and the establishment of engineering standards for the newly formed team in Jordan.
• Engage in code reviews and provide constructive feedback to ensure high-quality code and adherence to best practices.
• Monitor and optimize backend performance, ensuring scalability and reliability as user demands grow.
• Participate in sprint planning and agile development processes to help prioritize tasks and deliver features effectively.

Requirements

• A minimum of 3 years of experience in backend engineering, with a strong preference for expertise in Python and AWS.
• A solid understanding of Computer Science principles, supported by a degree in the field or equivalent experience through bootcamps and other non-traditional educational paths.
• Demonstrated experience in designing, developing, and maintaining scalable backend services, with a good understanding of data models, queuing systems, API boundaries, and production limitations.
• Familiarity with contemporary web technologies and service architectures, including RESTful APIs, RPC frameworks, and asynchronous job processing.
• Proficiency in navigating distributed systems, particularly in relation to text-processing pipelines, encoding issues, and language-specific challenges such as RTL and bidirectional text.
• Capability to write clean, maintainable, and self-documenting code while devising straightforward solutions to complex backend challenges.
• Experience in integrating or utilizing machine learning and AI models via APIs, SDKs, or custom services, with a focus on technologies like OCR, ASR, NLP, and TTS being advantageous.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with frameworks and technologies such as Flask, DynamoDB, Postgres, Redis, and various message queuing systems or backend storage solutions.
• Background in working with AI/ML pipelines related to text processing, OCR, speech recognition, or TTS, particularly for Arabic language features.
• Understanding of localization and internationalization, including adaptations for RTL, Arabic text shaping, and regional educational processes.
• Knowledge of SAML/OIDC, SIS/LMS integrations, or data interoperability standards like OneRoster and CSV/XLSX/XML export formats.
• Skills in troubleshooting language formatting issues, including encoding, RTL rendering, and handling Unicode bidirectional text.
• A strong sense of product development and empathy for educators and students in bilingual or Arabic-medium educational settings.
• Experience with cloud service platforms such as AWS, GCP, or similar, especially with components like S3, Lambda, queuing systems, or event-driven architectures.

Skills & tools

• Proficient in Python
• Experienced with AWS (S3, Lambda)
• Knowledgeable in Flask
• Familiar with DynamoDB
• Skilled in Postgres
• Competent in Redis
• Experienced with message queuing systems
• Proficient in REST APIs
• Familiar with RPC frameworks
• Knowledge of AI/ML model integration (OCR, ASR, NLP, TTS)

Practical notes

• The company participates in E-Verify.
• Seesaw serves a global community of 25 million educators, students, and families.
• The organization emphasizes work-life balance, ensuring clear boundaries are maintained outside of working hours.