Backend Engineer

Raya is a private, membership-based community that connects people online to enrich their lives offline. Our mission is to help people discover and experience the world around them, using technology that prioritizes authenticity, curiosity, and quality real-world interactions.

We’re looking for a new member of the Places Team — a small, fast-moving group that operates like a startup within Raya. The team is building the next generation of location-based and discovery experiences, shaping how our members explore, connect, and engage with the world around them. You’ll be working with cutting-edge technologies like Large Language Models (LLMs) — developing an AI chatbot, integrating LLMs into production workflows, and experimenting with AI-driven discovery and personalization.

At Raya, we value productivity, ownership, and execution. This is a role for someone who thrives in high-growth, startup-like environments, with a strong bias toward action and a proven ability to deliver without heavy management. You should be ready to contribute from day one, take initiative, and continuously push forward ambitious ideas that shape real-world experiences at scale.

• Own and Deliver: Take full ownership of key features within Raya’s Places Team, shaping how members discover and experience the world around them.
• Build with AI: Work hands-on with LLMs to develop intelligent systems — from chatbots to personalized discovery — and bring them into production at scale.
• Drive from Start to Finish: Architect, implement, launch, and iterate. You’ll be accountable for performance, reliability, continuous improvement, and overcoming every obstacle that gets between you and shipping
• Collaborate Across Disciplines: Work closely with design, product, and data to turn bold ideas into seamless, user-facing experiences.
• Operate Like a Founder: You’ll have autonomy, make quick decisions, and move fast to deliver measurable impact.

• We’re looking for someone who’s driven by impact, thrives in ambiguity, and owns outcomes from day one. You work fast, think deeply, and care about delivering real results.
• High Throughput: You’re efficient, focused, and consistently deliver high-quality work at startup speed.
• Adaptive & AI-Native: You learn fast, embrace new technologies, and already use AI tools as a core part of how you think and build.
• Startup Energy: You’re comfortable in unstructured, high-growth environments where priorities shift and decisions happen quickly.
• Collaborative: You value clear communication and teamwork, and you make everyone around you more effective.
• Ownership Mentality: You take initiative and hold yourself accountable for outcomes — not just tasks.

• Experience building or scaling Node.js and TypeScript systems in production
• Familiarity with LLMs, AI frameworks, or AI-driven personalization
• Experience with OpenSearch or Elasticsearch in production environments or experience developing search engines
• Exposure to location-based apps, maps, or discovery experiences
• Prior experience at an early-stage startup or small, high-impact engineering team
• Passion for AI, exploration, or social products that bring people closer to the world around them