Senior Backend Software Engineer (Video Engineering)

Role Overview

Join Twelve Labs as a Senior Backend Software Engineer (Video Engineering). You will build and operate server-side infrastructure for video processing workflows, integrate and serve computer vision/ML models, and collaborate with frontend engineers to deliver real-time and async experiences.

Key Missions

• Design and build backend services for video processing workflows, including:
  • ingestion
  • transcoding
  • metadata extraction
• Architect scalable, high-availability systems for enterprise-grade video workloads on cloud-native infrastructure (AWS, GCP).
• Collaborate on API design, data models, and streaming strategies with frontend engineers.
• Optimize APIs for real-time and async workflows.
• Integrate, deploy, and run inference on computer vision models in production.
• Build pipelines bridging foundation models with third-party CV models.

Requirements

• Cloud-native backend experience on AWS or GCP, including:
  • containerization (Docker)
  • orchestration (Kubernetes)
  • serverless patterns
• Strong Python proficiency for backend services and model integration.
• Production inference / CV model engineering (engineering models into reliable services, not just research).
• Experience with video tooling/frameworks, including FFmpeg and/or AWS Media Services.
• Deep knowledge of service-oriented architecture, microservices, and distributed systems.
• Strong API design skills, including REST, streaming, and async patterns.
• Familiarity with model serving platforms, such as TorchServe, Triton, or SageMaker endpoints.
• Background in media/entertainment/video streaming platforms.
• MLOps practices: model deployment, monitoring, and versioning.
• CI/CD and observability experience (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana).
• Experience with AI-powered product features or agentic application architectures.
• 5+ years building production backend systems with scalable web services and APIs.

Nice to Have / Encouraged

• Experience across the stack and ability to make pragmatic tradeoffs in a fast-moving product environment.
• Even if not every checkbox is met, Twelve Labs encourages applying.

Location / Timezone

• Must be based in Pacific Time Zone
• Full remote