Sr. Backend Engineer, Data Platform
About Tonic.ai
Tonic.ai is a fast-growing Series B company operating at the intersection of data privacy and AI, making it an essential component of the modern AI stack. Our platform combines advanced data synthesis, de-identification, and privacy-preserving techniques to enable the safe use of enterprise data for software development, testing, and model training — accelerating innovation while protecting what matters most.
As AI adoption accelerates, access to high-quality, secure data is becoming one of the defining challenges for modern engineering teams. Tonic sits directly in that critical path.
About the Role
Tonic.ai is seeking a Sr. Backend Engineer to join our Structural Data team — a tenured, deeply technical group responsible for building and supporting the database foundations of our platform.
This is a position for an engineer who enjoys solving complex infrastructure problems and operating as a technical decision-maker within a mature engineering culture. You will help raise the technical bar of the team while working on systems that require strong fundamentals, sound engineering judgment, and the persistence to untangle complex systems.
What You’ll Do
Own Meaningful Technical Work
Design, build, and evolve database-centric components within Tonic’s structural data platform
Make pragmatic architectural decisions that balance durability, performance, and maintainability
Develop and maintain database connectors for the Structural platform
Improve performance and maintainability of the product
Diagnose the Hard Problems
Troubleshoot complex production issues across multiple database technologies
Investigate edge cases and system behaviors that require both patience and precision
Drive Technical Clarity
Author thoughtful technical designs and documentation
Help the team reason through tradeoffs and long-term implications
Collaborate with Intention
Partner with Product to translate requirements into scalable solutions
Work closely with Support and Solutions Architects to deeply understand issues before implementing fixes
Contribute to Engineering Excellence
Raise the bar through code quality, technical judgment, and strong engineering habits
Bring informed perspectives on modern tooling, including AI-assisted development
Who You Are
A Serious Technologist: You bring strong computer science fundamentals and have built or supported enterprise-grade software systems.
A Technical Decision Maker: You operate with autonomy, make sound architectural calls, and elevate the engineers around you.
Motivated by Hard Problems: Ambiguity energizes you more than it intimidates you. You enjoy digging into systems that require patience and precision.
Committed: Our domain requires ramp time. The engineers who thrive here are those looking to invest in a problem space and grow with it.
Low Ego, High Ownership: You collaborate well with experienced teammates and care more about building the right solution than being the loudest voice in the room.
What We’re Looking For
Senior-level engineering capability, with the judgment to operate autonomously
Deep experience in one or more of the following areas:
.NET / C#
Database internals or distributed data systems
Enterprise infrastructure software
Alternatively, strong Java engineers willing to learn .NET are encouraged to apply
Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex technical systems
Experience in smaller or growth-stage companies where adaptability is essential
Familiarity with AI coding tools and openness to modern development practices
Why Tonic.ai?
Work on Problems That Matter: Secure data is becoming foundational to the future of AI. The systems you help build will directly enable that future.
Stability Meets Momentum: A strong leadership team, meaningful traction, and high engineering retention create an environment where engineers can do sustained, impactful work.
Autonomy & Trust: We hire experienced engineers and give them the space to operate.