Staff Backend Engineer, Data Platform

Who we are at Osmo: Osmo is a digital olfaction company, on a mission to give computers a sense of smell to improve the health and wellbeing of human life. Why? Our sense of smell both enriches and saves lives, and has a deep and direct connection to our emotions and memory. Olfactory Intelligence has applications across industries including fragrance, manufacturing, security, medicine, and more. We believe in the power of automation and thoughtfully applied AI/ML to solve problems beyond the reach of human intuition alone. We're headquartered in Elizabeth, NJ, with an additional office in Somerville, MA. We provide complimentary shuttle service from Brooklyn and Newark, NJ. ABOUT THE ROLE Osmo's engineering team is currently junior, and we're looking for the senior backend voice to help it grow up. This is a backend-forward seat with a data component on the side, not a database architecture role: you'll own systems up through the API layer, bringing production judgment, on-call experience, and structured problem solving the team doesn't have yet. You'll have the trust to question whether a big, ambiguous problem is even worth solving, and the autonomy to scope the right first chunk of it rather than diving straight into code. This isn't a scale or performance role at this stage. It's about laying a robust foundation, handling long-running requests and calls to systems that can fail, and building real recovery paths, not just happy-path code. WHAT YOU'LL DO:

• Own Backend Systems Through the API Layer — Handle the complexity underneath the API contract, not just define it.
• Bring Production Judgment — Take on monitoring and on-call responsibility, knowing what should be watched and why.
• Build for Failure, Not Just the Happy Path — Handle long-running requests and calls to other systems that might fail or crash, with real recovery paths.
• Lay the Foundation for Scale Later — Focus on robustness and foundational reliability now, not premature scale or performance optimization.
• Work With Data the Way a Backend Engineer Does — User-oriented data work, not database architecture.
• Be the Senior Backend Voice — Bring structured problem solving and production experience to a team that doesn't have it yet. WHO YOU ARE:
• 6-15 Years of Non-Internship Experience — Staff-level backend engineer; internships, co-ops, and student roles don't count toward this.
• A Designer, Not Just an Implementer — Real system or workflow design ownership, not just "built X, shipped Y" without design-level involvement.
• Real Production Ownership — Has run services in production, including on-call and monitoring responsibility.
• Staff-Level Problem Solver — Can take a large, ambiguous problem, question whether it's the right one to solve at all, and scope a sensible first chunk instead of diving straight in.
• Comfortable Building the Foundation — Not chasing scale for its own sake; ready to do foundational reliability and robustness work first.
• Python and SQL baseline expected; TypeScript, Go, or Scala experience is a plus, not a requirement.
• NYC/NJ based. WAYS TO STAND OUT:
• Mentorship Mindset — Experience leveling up a team, valuable given how junior Osmo's engineering team is today.
• Full-Stack Exposure — React/TypeScript experience, even though this isn't a full-stack role.
• Broader Systems Experience — Go or Scala exposure, as a signal of real distributed-systems depth. What We Offer:
• Catered Lunch — Mon/Wed/Fri; Newark, NJ and Brooklyn shuttles
• 401(k) savings plan and employer match
• Competitive salary and meaningful equity in a high-growth company
• Flexible PTO and paid family leave
• Commuter benefits (pre-tax transit and parking) If this role inspires you we’d encourage you to apply. We are committed to recruiting, developing, and retaining an incredible team optimized for a diversity of thought, background, and approaches. For all Full-Time Employees, compensation is just one component of Osmo’s total rewards approach, which is designed to support the well-being, growth, and long-term success of our team members. Depending on the role, this may include base salary or contract-based pay, along with access to health, dental, and vision coverage; a 401(k) retirement savings plan with company match; flexible paid time off and company holidays; and equity or incentive compensation for eligible roles. Actual compensation will vary based on factors such as experience, skills, location, internal equity, and other relevant business considerations. Osmo regularly reviews pay ranges and compensation structures to ensure they remain competitive, equitable, and aligned with current market data. All employment decisions and responsibilities are determined based on current ability and your ability to grow, without regard to race, color, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, marital status, physical, mental, or sensory disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Recruitment & Staffing Agencies: Osmo does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to Osmo or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by the Osmo Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of Osmo and Osmo will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire

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