Senior Software Engineer

Senior Software Engineer - GCP Developer- Equity Partner -Location: Remote (United States/Canada)Commitment: Minimum 20 hrs/weekAnime Universe is an early stage startup in the building and fundraising phase. Compensation:No upfront cash"Sweat Equity": Equity (shares) + future token-based rewards (pending legal clearance)Salary unlocked by revenue milestonesRemote-first, async-native, autonomy-rich teamWhat You Put In Is What You Get OutAt Anime Universe, infrastructure is not a support function—it's a core enabler of the product itself. As a Senior Software Engineer (GCP-focused), you will design and build the applications, systems, and services that power an intelligent, scalable creative platform.Why This Role MattersThis is a software engineering role at its core.You'll architect and implement cloud-native services, data-driven features, and scalable backend systems that bring our creative universe to life.You will:Build application logic, APIs, and services that run on GCP.Shape the foundational architecture that supports real-time creativity, analytics, and future AI systems.Partner closely with product, data, and AI teams to turn ideas into production-ready software.Your work is the backbone of how we deliver magic to users.What You'll DoBuild Cloud-Native ApplicationsDevelop microservices, APIs, backend components, and data-intensive features using GCP-native compute options like Cloud Run, GKE, and Cloud Functions.Write clean, scalable software using Python (or another backend language), with strong emphasis on modularity, maintainability, and performance.Design & Implement GCP-Based ArchitecturesArchitect services using Cloud Storage, BigQuery, Pub/Sub, Firestore, Cloud SQL, and VPC networking.Make key decisions around system design, data modeling, and service boundaries.Develop Data-Driven FeaturesBuild application logic that consumes real-time and batch data pipelines.Integrate with BigQuery, Dataflow, and Pub/Sub to power analytics, personalization, and content systems.Build for Scale, Reliability & Developer VelocityUse CI/CD and IaC (Cloud Build, Terraform) to support the software you write—without being a dedicated DevOps engineer.Prioritize automation that supports fast iteration and high service quality.Collaborate Across the ProductWork with architects, designers, and AI engineers to ship product features end-to-end.Help define best practices for cloud-native software development internally.(Bonus) AI/ML EnablementIntegrate applications with Vertex AI components or internal ML systems.Experience with LangChain or generative AI is helpful but not required.What You BringSoftware Engineering First4+ years of professional software development experienceStrong expertise with Python (or equivalent backend languages), distributed systems, and API developmentExperience developing production services on Google Cloud PlatformDeep GCP Knowledge (but applied through software engineering)Proficiency with:Cloud Run / GKEBigQuery, Dataflow, Pub/SubCloud SQL / FirestoreIAM, VPC networkingExperience designing scalable cloud architecturesStrong familiarity with containerization and CI/CD workflows (Docker, Cloud Build, GitHub Actions)Other StrengthsSolid understanding of cloud security, monitoring, and performance tuningTerraform experience (for managing the resources your services rely on)Cloud certifications (Professional Cloud Architect/Developer/Data Engineer) are a plusA builder's mindset—practical, iterative, and product-focusedSuccess MetricsProduction-ready services delivered quickly and reliablyWell-architected systems that scale with usageFast deployment cycles and high engineering throughputEfficient, cost-conscious use of GCP resourcesNew features (data-driven or AI-driven) enabled through your architecturesCompensation & CultureEquity: Role-based equity packageToken Rewards: Potential based on contribution and compliance clearanceSalary: Equity-first; salary unlocks via company revenue milestonesCulture: Remote-first, async-native, and high-trust engineering environment