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San Francisco, United States

Software Engineer - Backend

Serval · San Francisco · United States

Full timeSoftware Engineer

Posted: 8/12/2025 · Last checked: 10/14/2026

Job description

Quoted in full from Serval's job posting. Gavroche does not edit it.

Who We Are

Serval is an AI-native automation platform transforming how enterprises operate. We build intelligent agents that understand real-world workflows and execute them end-to-end — replacing manual processes and rigid legacy systems with adaptive, learning software. Founded in early 2024, Serval is already trusted by companies like Fox, Notion, Perplexity, Vercel, and Brex to automate high-volume, high-friction operational work across their organizations.

At the core of Serval is an agentic AI platform that turns natural language into production-grade workflows. Our agents don’t just respond to requests — they reason, take action across systems, and continuously improve with usage. What began with operational use cases has quickly evolved into a horizontal AI automation layer used across IT, HR, Finance, Security, Legal, and Engineering.

Our mission is to eliminate repetitive, manual work across the enterprise and give teams leverage through intelligent automation. Long term, we’re building the universal AI operations layer — a system of agents that sits across business functions and runs the workflows that keep modern companies moving.

We’re backed by leading investors including Sequoia Capital, Redpoint Ventures, Meritech, First Round, General Catalyst, Elad Gil, and others.

Role Overview

As a Senior Software Engineer, Backend at Serval, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our platform. You will be responsible for building the foundational components of our technology, with your contributions being crucial to the success of our product.

What You'll Do
  • Work closely with our CTO to build new product capabilities from the ground up.

  • Be a champion for user experience, incorporating a deep understanding of our users to guide design decisions alongside the founding team.

  • Set the foundational system architecture and select key technologies for the codebase.

  • Help us ship V1 of Serval and deliver on our technical and product roadmap.

  • Help establish engineering best practices and standards within the team. Mentor junior engineers and contribute to a culture of technical excellence.

What You'll Need
  • 4+ years of experience as a backend focused software engineer.

  • Experience with zero-to-one development: You should have built new products or systems from the ground up.

  • Deep appreciation for and commitment to delivering outstanding user experiences.

  • Exceptional communication skills and a proven ability to work cross-functionally.

  • Comfortable with the pace and ambiguity of a fast-growing startup environment.

  • Degree in Computer Science or a related engineering field.

Nice to Have
  • Experience with some of the technologies in our stack: Go, GRPC, Kubernetes, React, Typescript, AWS and Terraform.

  • Early-stage experience at a startup.

  • Experience building applied AI products.

What We Offer

  • Impact: Be a key player in shaping the success of our product and company.

  • Growth: Build a fundamentally new AI product offering with the support of our experienced team and investors. Grow rapidly with the company.

  • Culture: Join a culture that values innovation, ownership, accountability, and fun.

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Middle half: 182,500 – 227,862 USD a year; median 205,000 USD.

From 218 adverts by 53 employers that state a salary, annualised.

How software engineer roles in the United States are worked

3% fully remote · 1% hybrid · 96% do not say

Of 444 adverts. An advert that does not state a work mode is counted as not saying, not as on-site.

New openings in San Francisco, by week

  1. 7/20/2026 105
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  3. 8/3/2026 132
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2,924 openings over 12 weeks, by the week they were published.

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49 open, including roles outside the United States.