Platform Engineer

As a Platform Engineer at Cartesia, your primary responsibilities will include designing and building a scalable and reliable model inference stack, collaborating with teams to convert cutting-edge research into market-ready products, and developing robust data processing infrastructure for training our foundational models. Your work is critical in advancing real-time multimodal intelligence, shaping how AI operates across various applications.

To excel in the Platform Engineer position at Cartesia, strong engineering skills are a must, especially in navigating complex codebases. Familiarity with Go and Python for backend development, Next.js for the frontend is essential. Experience in building large-scale distributed systems, technical leadership, and an understanding of machine learning and generative models will also set you apart as a candidate. Though we value these qualifications, we encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply even if they don’t meet all the listed criteria.

At Cartesia, we have a vibrant and inclusive work culture that emphasizes teamwork and learning. Our in-person team in San Francisco fosters collaboration and fast execution, ensuring that quality and design are never compromised. You'll find a supportive environment where employees are encouraged to share ideas and resources needed to succeed, making it an excellent place for professional growth as a Platform Engineer.

As a Platform Engineer at Cartesia, you will primarily work with technologies like Go and Python for backend development and Next.js for frontend applications. You're expected to adapt quickly to our tech stack and dive into new technologies as required, which is crucial for designing scalable AI models and systems in our innovative environment.

Cartesia offers an array of perks for its employees, including fully covered medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as 401(k) support. You will enjoy free lunches, dinners, and snacks at the office, ensuring you stay fueled throughout your workday. For those relocating, we also provide relocation and immigration support, making the transition to our San Francisco office smoother.

In your response, detail the specific systems you've built or worked with, emphasizing your understanding of performance, reliability, and observability. Mention any challenges you faced and how you resolved them to showcase your problem-solving capabilities.

Here, focus on explaining the basics of State Space Models and their importance in AI, particularly in handling multimodal inputs. Highlight any relevant experiences or projects you've worked on related to SSM to demonstrate your understanding.

Discuss your coding practices, such as code reviews, writing unit tests, and following best practices for documentation. Mention specific tools or methodologies you've used in past projects to maintain high-quality standards.

Emphasize the importance of communication and understanding the goals of different teams. Provide examples of how you've successfully collaborated in your previous roles to turn research into a viable product or feature.

Share a specific instance where ambiguity challenged your project. Discuss your thought process in breaking down the problem, how you sought information or clarity, and the successful outcome achieved through your efforts.

Discuss the principles and practices you've employed in past projects, such as optimizing algorithms, using caching, or selecting the right architecture. Illustrate with examples where you successfully reduced latency in a system.

Talk about the resources you utilize to stay informed, such as industry publications, webinars, or community discussions. Mention participation in events, online courses, or contributions to open-source projects that enhance your knowledge.

Stress the value of documentation as part of the development process. Discuss how it aids in onboarding, troubleshooting, and maintaining code quality while sharing specific tools or practices you value for effective documentation.

Explain your method of evaluating the system's current performance, gathering team input, and identifying areas for improvement. Include how you would prioritize changes based on impact and feasibility.

Describe a project where you took the lead, outlining your role, the challenges faced, and how you facilitated the team's direction towards successful completion. Focus on the strategies you employed to keep the team aligned and motivated.