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Senior Software Engineer, Distributed Systems

About Lanai

Lanai is building the Enterprise AI Navigation System to solve one of today's most critical challenges: Enterprises can't see, protect, or scale their AI usage. Unlike traditional tools that rely on static APIs or manual configurations, our AI Empowerment Platform dynamically discovers every human-AI interaction, protects sensitive data, and transforms scattered experiments into systematic success.

At Lanai, we're not just building software; we're crafting a culture of excellence and innovation. Our values shape our work:

  • Curiosity: We continuously learn, question, and share knowledge.

  • Community: We embrace diversity and unite in purpose.

  • Commitment: We maintain high standards and follow through on our promises.

  • Clarity: We communicate openly and make decisions efficiently.

We move fast, prioritize delivering true customer value, and strive to earn and maintain trust with the people we serve and each other. As part of Lanai’s founding team, you'll embody these values and help shape the future of work in the AI era.

About the Team

At Lanai, we are passionate builders, relentless customer champions, and lifelong learners who believe we do our best work when we have a team that represents the diversity of the customers we serve and everyone feels welcome, safe, valued and championed. We are harnessing the power of state-of-the-art AI tools to build our platform, and we are committed to taming the complexity needed to help others benefit from all that these tools have to offer.

We're a tight-knit group of curious engineers who love to solve complex problems with solutions that make a real difference for our users. We’re leveraging the most modern development tools and practices to ensure a productive and fun environment where everyone is inspired to do their best work. We don't just build 'good enough' – we obsess over the details that create genuinely delightful experiences. We’re building a thoughtful environment where curiosity thrives and bringing your authentic selves to everything is a given.

The Impact You’ll have

As a Senior Distributed Systems Engineer at Lanai, you'll play a pivotal role in delivering a modern, distributed, cloud-native service fabric. This fabric will ensure Lanai can scale arbitrarily to meet rapidly growing customer demand across multiple cloud providers. Our platform will manage and secure millions of AI-powered interactions and workflows for large companies globally. We provide comprehensive visibility, robust safety measures, and productivity-enhancing features to help enterprises harness the power of generative AI efficiently and safely.

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead the approach to scalability, reliability, service health, supportability, observability, and manageability of the product

  • Build scalable and performant multi-tenant data processing and storage systems that run in hybrid environments. 

  • Collaborate with ML engineers to build, deploy and interface with AI classification and recommendation models.

  • As a domain expert, understand the state of the art, analyze competitive product designs, and stay familiar with best practices in distributed services

  • Develop and champion new ideas and innovations

  • Make company-wide contributions with long-term impact

  • Serve as a key decision-maker on technical and business issues that significantly influence roles and responsibilities across the organization

  • Regularly venture into uncharted territory. Stay aware of business trends and emerging technologies—even outside our current focus—and determine how to leverage them for Lanai's advantage

What You Bring

  • 6+ years of experience building large scale distributed, fault-tolerant services using Kafka, Redis, Etcd or similar.

  • Strong experience with database fundamentals and cloud storage technologies, including working with relational data, semi-structured data, and unstructured data

  • Strong systems programming skills including multi-threading, concurrency, transactions, caching, batching, etc.

  • Fluency in Java and C++ or GoLang required

  • Deep understanding Kubernetes and containerization principles

  • Strong experience with service-oriented micro-service architectures

  • Track record of identifying and implementing creative solutions

  • Experience with cloud infrastructure - AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud

  • Masters or PhD in Computer Science or a related field

What We Offer

  • Founding equity options

  • Health, dental, and vision insurance

  • 401(k)

  • Unlimited PTO

  • Your choice of tech!

  • Commuter benefits

  • Team building events

Working Environment

Lanai is based in Palo Alto, where our team of enterprise leaders from Google, Meta, VMware, and Splunk is building the navigation system for the AI era. Backed by Juxtapose, Lux Capital, F7 Ventures, and BAG, we're seeing unprecedented demand from Fortune 1000 design partners who recognize the critical need for AI navigation.

Representative and Inclusive Employer

We're committed to providing equal treatment and opportunity to all applicants throughout the hiring process and their tenure at Lanai. We don't discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected status.

Note: Research shows that men often apply for jobs when they meet only about 60% of the qualifications, while women and other marginalized groups tend to hesitate unless they meet all criteria. If you don't match 100% of the job qualifications but believe you'd be a great fit, we strongly encourage you to apply!

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Average salary estimate

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What You Should Know About Senior Software Engineer, Distributed Systems, LANAI

As a Senior Software Engineer in Distributed Systems at Lanai, you'll become a vital part of a pioneering team crafting the future of enterprise AI navigation. Based in Palo Alto, our company is reshaping how organizations can see, protect, and scale their AI usage—no more static tools; we’re all about dynamic discovery! You’ll have the opportunity to tackle complex problems and innovate solutions that genuinely enhance user experiences. Your role will focus on delivering a modern, distributed, cloud-native service fabric that can seamlessly scale to meet the demands of our rapidly growing clientele. With a commitment to excellence, you’ll lead the effort in ensuring the reliability and performance of a hybrid environment while collaborating closely with machine learning engineers to deploy AI models. Your experience in building large-scale distributed systems will be invaluable as you champion new ideas and navigate the ever-evolving landscape of technology. At Lanai, we value curiosity, community, commitment, and clarity, creating a workplace where your unique perspective matters. We are not just looking for someone to fill a role; we wish to partner with someone passionate about using cutting-edge tech to make a difference in the enterprise landscape. With benefits including flexible PTO, health insurance, and equity options, joining our team means you’ll be a part of something innovative and meaningful. Ready to shape the AI revolution? Let’s build the future together!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Senior Software Engineer, Distributed Systems Role at LANAI
What are the key responsibilities of a Senior Software Engineer in Distributed Systems at Lanai?

As a Senior Software Engineer in Distributed Systems at Lanai, your key responsibilities include leading the scalability, reliability, and observability strategies for the distributed cloud-native service fabric. You will collaborate with machine learning engineers to build and deploy AI models, develop multi-tenant data processing systems, and contribute fresh ideas that shape the future of our technology. You’ll also engage with emerging technologies to explore how they can benefit Lanai’s mission.

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What qualifications do I need to apply for the Senior Software Engineer position at Lanai?

To apply as a Senior Software Engineer in Distributed Systems at Lanai, you should have 6+ years of experience in building distributed, fault-tolerant services, along with strong skills in database fundamentals and cloud storage technologies. Proficiency in Java, C++, or GoLang is required, as well as a strong grasp of Kubernetes and micro-service architectures. A Master's or PhD in Computer Science or a related field is preferred for this advanced role.

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What is the working environment like at Lanai for a Senior Software Engineer in Distributed Systems?

The working environment at Lanai for a Senior Software Engineer is vibrant and collaborative, set in Palo Alto among a tight-knit team of passionate engineers. With a focus on innovation, you’ll find yourself working on cutting-edge technology while fostering a culture that values diversity, community, and professional growth. Our open communication and commitment to excellence create a space where everyone can thrive and make significant contributions.

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How does Lanai support professional growth for Senior Software Engineers in Distributed Systems?

At Lanai, professional growth is highly encouraged for Senior Software Engineers in Distributed Systems. We prioritize continuous learning through opportunities for knowledge sharing, team collaborations, and engagement with industry trends. Our company culture emphasizes curiosity and innovation, allowing you to explore new ideas, gain insights, and stay ahead of technological advancements that can benefit both your career and the company.

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What kind of impact can a Senior Software Engineer expect to have at Lanai?

As a Senior Software Engineer in Distributed Systems at Lanai, you can expect to have a significant impact on crafting scalable AI-driven solutions for enterprises. Your expertise will directly contribute to managing millions of AI interactions, ensuring service reliability, and enhancing overall productivity for large organizations. By leading innovative projects and overcoming complex challenges, you’ll help position Lanai as a leader in the AI navigation space.

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Common Interview Questions for Senior Software Engineer, Distributed Systems
Can you describe your experience with building large-scale distributed systems?

In responding to this question, focus on specific projects where you designed and implemented distributed systems. Highlight the challenges you faced and how you scaled those systems, while also mentioning any technologies you utilized, such as Kafka or Redis. Providing metrics related to system performance improvements can also strengthen your response.

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How do you ensure the reliability and performance of your distributed systems?

Discuss your approach to monitoring and testing, ensuring system redundancy, and implementing failover strategies. Share specific tools and methods you've used to achieve reliability and performance, emphasizing your proactive problem-solving skills and ability to optimize system health.

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What challenges have you encountered when working with microservices?

Reflect on specific challenges such as service orchestration, data consistency, or inter-service communication. Share strategies you used to overcome these obstacles, emphasizing your critical thinking and collaborative skills, highlighting instances where your solutions led to enhanced service performance.

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Could you explain your experience with containerization and Kubernetes?

Provide examples of how you've used Kubernetes to orchestrate containerized applications, mentioning how you managed deployments and scaling. Highlight your familiarity with Kubernetes architecture and any specific projects where this knowledge contributed to success.

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What methodologies do you employ when developing scalable data processing systems?

Here, you can discuss data processing frameworks you've worked with and how they provided scalability for your systems. Mention any design patterns, such as batch processing or stream processing, and provide examples to illustrate how you’ve successfully handled large volumes of data.

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How do you stay up-to-date with emerging technologies relevant to your role?

Discuss your routine for continuous learning, whether it’s through following industry leaders, attending workshops, or participating in online communities. Emphasize your commitment to professional development and how you incorporate newfound knowledge into your work or share it with your team.

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What does your collaborative process look like when working with machine learning engineers?

Elaborate on how you approach teamwork with machine learning engineers, focusing on communication and integration of AI models into existing systems. Provide examples of successful collaborations that resulted in high-impact features or improved algorithms.

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Can you detail a time when you identified a creative solution to a technical problem?

Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to describe a challenging problem and the innovative solution you implemented. Highlight your analytical skills and how your solution led to positive outcomes for your project or team.

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How do you prioritize tasks in a fast-paced engineering environment?

Discuss the frameworks or tools you use to manage your tasks, and provide an example of how you handled competing priorities effectively in your past roles. Stress the importance of communication and flexibility in your approach to ensure project deadlines are met.

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What steps do you take to ensure effective documentation of your systems?

Emphasize the importance of documentation in fostering knowledge sharing and system maintenance. Discuss your practices for creating thorough, up-to-date documentation, and how this has benefited your teams and projects in the past.

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L By LANAI
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Full-time, on-site
DATE POSTED
January 27, 2025

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