Staff Software Engineer – AI Copilot, Backend

Zendesk

. Drive the technical vision and architecture for the Admin Copilot Conversational backend, including LLM orchestration, intent detection, context retrieval, and tool execution .

Posted 11/9/2026full-timeLisbon • PortugalLeadWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates expertise in backend systems architecture, LLM integration, and distributed systems design, with a strong focus on collaboration and technical leadership. Proven ability to mentor engineers and drive technical direction while ensuring system reliability and scalability.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Backend Systems ArchitectureLLM IntegrationDistributed Systems DesignTechnical LeadershipMentoring Engineers

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Software EngineeringAPIsService ArchitecturesData PipelinesPrompt EngineeringSQLEvent-Driven ArchitecturesTechnical RoadmapsCross-Team AlignmentPerformance Bottlenecks

Soft Skills

CollaborationCommunicationTechnical GuidanceProblem-SolvingAdaptability

Tools & Technologies

AWSDockerKubernetesCI/CDMetaflowMLflowKafkaSnowflakeDbt

Industry Keywords

Conversational AIChat-Based SystemsML InfrastructureEvaluation FrameworksGuardrails

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

AWSDistributed SystemsDockerKafkaKubernetesPythonRubySnowflakeSQLGo

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Drive the technical vision and architecture for the Admin Copilot Conversational backend, including LLM orchestration, intent detection, context retrieval, and tool execution
Own end-to-end delivery of complex, cross-cutting features from technical design through implementation, release, and production operation
Set engineering standards, make key architecture decisions, and ensure reliable, scalable systems
Collaborate with ML Scientists, Product Management, Design, and partner engineering teams to shape the product roadmap
Influence technical direction across the Copilot organisation and adjacent teams
Design and improve evaluation frameworks, guardrails, and safety mechanisms for LLM-powered production features
Mentor and grow engineers through technical guidance, code review, and pairing
Identify and address systemic technical risks, performance bottlenecks, and reliability gaps

Requirements

What you’ll need

8+ years of experience in software engineering, with demonstrated technical leadership in backend systems
Strong experience designing and building distributed systems at scale, including APIs, service architectures, and data pipelines
Experience with LLM integration in production systems, including orchestration, prompt engineering, evaluation, guardrails, or multi-provider setups
Fluent in at least one backend language (Ruby, Python, Go, or similar); working proficiency across multiple languages
Deep understanding of AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD practices
Track record of driving technical direction for a team or project, including architecture decisions, technical roadmaps, and cross-team alignment
Ability to operate effectively with ambiguity and make pragmatic tradeoffs
Strong collaboration and communication skills
Experience building conversational AI or chat-based systems preferred
Experience with ML infrastructure preferred, including model serving, inference pipelines, or evaluation frameworks
Familiarity with Metaflow and MLflow preferred
Experience with event-driven architectures such as Kafka preferred
Experience with SQL and data infrastructure such as Snowflake and dbt preferred
Experience mentoring or technically leading a team of 3+ engineers preferred

Benefits

Comp & perks

Hybrid way of working, with flexibility to work remotely for part of the week
Inclusive workplace experience
Equal opportunity employment
Reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities and disabled veterans