Software Engineer, Backend

Job description

ABOUT BASE Base is America’s next-generation power company. We’re rebuilding the foundation of modern civilization–electricity–by deploying a vast network of distributed batteries that is transforming today’s fragile, centralized grid into a resilient and abundant system. We are engineers, operators, and creatives solving some of the most complex, interdisciplinary challenges of our time. ABOUT THE ROLE At Base Power, we’re building BaseOS — the operating system that runs the modern power company. It coordinates thousands of distributed batteries, powers our internal operations, and enables us to deliver reliable, low-cost electricity at scale. As a senior engineer on this team, you won’t just build services. You’ll define how the system works. You’ll make architectural decisions, set engineering standards, and own critical systems that the company depends on every day. Your work will span the full surface area of Base — from real-time energy control to deployment logistics to the tools our teams use to operate in the field. This is a role for engineers who want to take end-to-end ownership of systems that interact with the physical world and operate under real constraints. The software you write will directly impact how power flows across the grid. What You'll Do - Own critical systems: Design, build, and operate core services that power BaseOS. You are accountable for reliability, performance, and long-term scalability. - Drive architecture and standards: Make foundational decisions on system design, data models, and service boundaries. Raise the bar for how we build and ship software across the team. - Operate across the stack: Work in Golang and Python across backend systems, APIs, and infrastructure. You’re comfortable going from application logic down to infrastructure when needed. - Build systems that coordinate the real world: Develop workflow systems using tools like Temporal to manage deployments, device control, and operational processes at scale. - Own infrastructure as a product: Use Terraform and modern cloud platforms (primarily AWS) to build reliable, repeatable systems. Treat infrastructure as a core part of the product. - Work across domains: Partner closely with hardware, deployments, and operations to solve problems that don’t fit neatly into software. You translate real-world constraints into clean system design. - Set the pace: Move quickly, make decisions with imperfect information, and take responsibility for outcomes. You help the team operate with clarity and urgency. What We're Looking For - 2+ years of professional software development experience, with a track record of owning and shipping production systems - Strong proficiency in a backend language (Go, Python, Java, or similar), with the ability to write clear, maintainable, and well-tested code - Experience building and operating distributed systems, with an understanding of reliability, scalability, and failure modes in production environments - Familiarity with modern cloud infrastructure (AWS or GCP) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), with comfort owning services in production - Experience with infrastructure as code (Terraform or similar) and an appreciation for treating infrastructure as a core part of the product - Ability to design systems end-to-end, from API design through implementation and operation, with sound engineering judgment - Product intuition, with the ability to think beyond implementation and toward user experience, operational impact, and business outcomes - Strong cross-functional instincts, with the ability to work effectively with hardware, deployments, and operations teams on real-world problems - High ownership and accountability, with a bias toward action and a willingness to step in wherever needed to move the system forward - Clear communication and strong opinions, with the ability to drive technical decisions while remaining open to new information - Bonus: Experience with IoT systems, real-time control systems, workflow orchestration (e.g., Temporal), or DevOps practices About the Team America's power grid is failing—electricity costs have risen even as generation gets cheaper, and blackouts are becoming more common. We're building the software that fixes it. Our team owns the entire stack: firmware that controls batteries in thousands of homes, trading algorithms that buy and sell power in real-time markets, distributed commanding systems that orchestrate a growing fleet as a single grid asset, factory software for our Austin manufacturing line, and the product experience that makes it all invisible to homeowners. If you want to write code that physically moves electrons, ships hardware, and reshapes critical infrastructure, this is the job. Please note: Base is a startup, which means priorities shift and evolve quickly. Your role may expand or change based on the needs of the business at any given time, so the responsibilities listed may not be exhaustive. OUR VALUES - First Principles Thinking: Question assumptions. Principles > rules. - Operate at Base Pace: Focus on what matters, act quickly, and learn by doing. - Give & Get Feedback: Be direct, be humble, and maintain a growth mindset. - Everyone’s an Owner: Follow through on commitments and own results. - Strong Opinions, Loosely Held: Drive clarity and make calls with imperfect information. - Committed to the Mission: Rebuilding the grid is a big challenge. We work hard because we care deeply about the impact we’re creating. We work in-person. It’s not a 9-to-5. We are all-in. - Fun & Optimism Coexist with Grit: Collaboration and celebration coincide with the intensity of building real things. DO THE BEST WORK OF YOUR LIFE AT BASE.