Stellar Creative Lab

Senior Backend Engineer

Welcome to Stellar Code Lab, the new software innovation startup incubated inside Stellar Creative Lab. We are taking the battle-tested tools that powered hits for Marvel, Amazon, and Netflix and turning them into commercial-grade solutions for the entire industry. We are building the future of animation tech, starting with Slingshot, bridging GenAI with production pipelines. Join us on the ground floor as we scale from an internal secret weapon to a global industry standard.

The Opportunity:

We are looking for a Senior Backend Engineer to architect and build the robust backend platform that transforms Slingshot GenAI software from an internal prototype into a professional, commercial-grade solution for the global animation and VFX industry. You will not just be writing code; you will be the bridge between high-performance AI workflows and a secure, artist-centric user experience. Your work ensures that the software delivers the reliability, auditability, and scalability required by our customers.

The Requirements

Skills:

• Docker and container orchestration (ECS or Fargate; Kubernetes is a plus).
• Infrastructure as Code (CloudFormation, AWS SAM, or Terraform).
• Experience designing scalable distributed systems.
• Experience with asynchronous processing, queues, and event-driven architectures.
• Identity and access management (AWS Cognito, OAuth2, JWT).
• Experience with monitoring and observability (CloudWatch, logging, metrics).
• Design and integrate payment and billing systems (e.g., Stripe), including subscriptions, usage metering, credits, invoicing, and webhooks.

Must-haves:

• Experience: 5 plus years in Backend Engineering or Platform Engineering.
• Core Languages: Expert proficiency in Python (essential for AI and ComfyUI integration).
• API: Proven ability to design and optimize RESTful APIs for high-load environments.
• Eligibility: You must be legally entitled to work in Canada.

Nice-to-haves:

• Familiarity with image generation or generative AI workflows.
• Experience building ML and AI infrastructure, model training pipelines, or inference services.
• Experience with PyTorch, Hugging Face, LoRA training, or GPU-based workloads.
• Knowledge of immutable ledgers or databases specifically for chain of title tracking.
• A background in VFX, Animation, or handling exceptionally large media assets.

In this role, success looks like:

Platform Architecture and Containerization

• From Prototype to Product: Lead the migration of our current local prototype into a robust, scalable, containerized cloud environment.
• Deployment: Work closely with the Product Manager to deploy application code and manage data storage strategies utilizing Infrastructure as Code to ensure we scale smoothly as our user base grows.
• Documentation: Maintain clear documentation for API and backend components so the system remains maintainable as our engineering team expands.

AI Infrastructure and GPU Optimization

• Worker Nodes: Configure and optimize GPU-accelerated worker nodes to handle high-performance GenAI workloads without latency.
• Monitoring: Set up comprehensive system monitoring and observability to track worker health, GPU usage, and system performance in real time.

Security, Identity, and Billing

• Multi-Tenancy and Access: Build the security layer using identity and access management tools to handle user login and ensure strict data separation between clients.
• Billing Integration: Design and integrate payment and billing systems, managing everything from subscriptions and usage metering to credits, invoicing, and webhooks.
• Asset Security: Implement secure, high-speed storage solutions for 2D image sequences and metadata.

Auditability and Integration

• Chain of Title: Enable full auditability by implementing an immutable database. You will ensure every generated image has a traceable history for legal and copyright compliance.
• DCC Integration: Collaborate with our software engineers to optimize REST API performance, ensuring seamless communication between our backend and creative tools like Maya and Blender.

Why Join Stellar?

• Hybrid Work: We offer a flexible schedule with 2-3 days in our Vancouver office.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Extended health benefits.
• Growth: Professional development support to help you stay ahead of tech trends.
• Culture: A collaborative, ego-free environment where technical expertise fuels creative magic.
• Compensation: The salary range for this position is between $130,000 and $150,000 CAD, based on your level of experience.

At Stellar Creative Lab, we believe diversity and inclusion are key to creativity and collaboration. We’re committed to building a supportive, open, and diverse community where everyone can thrive. We're always looking for ways to improve accessibility, so feel free to share any feedback or suggestions with us.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, though priority will be given to BC Residents, Canadians and Canadian Permanent Residents.

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