Engineering Leader, Backend

911 is the backbone of American public safety…but, for too long, the professionals that dedicate their lives to answering our calls have been let down by the technology that serves them. Our mission is to change that. 

We aim to ensure that every emergency receives a perfect response; a bold vision requires bold action from our team, working hand-in-hand with the professionals we serve. 

Since the public launch of our first public safety product in the fall of 2021, our technology has helped streamline millions of 911 calls in communities around the country. We’ve revolutionized what’s possible in emergency response by applying cutting-edge AI to the most critical challenges facing first responders. Our partners span 49 states and collectively protect more than 90 million people.

Backed by more than $130 million in funding led from investors like General Catalyst, Andreessen Horowitz, and First Round Capital, we're scaling rapidly to become a core component of emergency calls nationwide, driving the future of emergency response toward a safer, more agile system.

At Prepared, you’re not simply part of a team — you’re a key force in a mission that truly matters. Your contributions here will shape the future of emergency services, playing a vital role in creating a safer, more connected world.

Prepared is hiring a Staff Backend Engineer with a clear, accelerated path to Engineering Manager. You’ll start as a hands-on technical leader, contributing directly to our most critical backend systems. Within 3–6 months, you’ll transition into an Engineering Manager role, taking full responsibility for a small, high-impact team.

• As a Staff Backend Engineer, you'll:

  • Build core infrastructure in backend domains like audio/video processing and generative AI

  • Own major initiatives end-to-end, from architecture to deployment

  • Raise the bar on engineering quality and stability in mission-critical systems

  • Collaborate cross-functionally with product, design, and go-to-market

  • Mentor less experienced engineers and lead by example
    

  After 3-6 months, you'll transition into an Engineering Manager role, responsible for:

  • Leading a small, fast-moving team (2–5 engineers)

  • Growing and mentoring talent while maintaining a high bar for performance

  • Balancing technical contributions with team leadership

  • Driving roadmap delivery through strong cross-functional collaboration

• We’re looking for someone who is looking for an engineering management role —but still enjoys solving hard engineering problems and wants to start their management career at Prepared in a more hands-on role.

  You have:

  • 7+ years of software engineering experience

  • 2+ years of management, tech lead, or informal leadership experience

  • Experience with distributed systems at scale

  • Familiarity with AWS, Kubernetes, Terraform, or equivalent infrastructure tools

  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills
    

  You want:

  • To remain or transition into formal people management.

  • To lead while staying technical and hands-on

  • To work in a high-trust, low-ego team

  • To build software that impacts real-world emergency response

• Backend: Ruby on Rails, Golang

• Frontend: React

• Infra: AWS, Kubernetes, Terraform

The base pay for this role is $180,000-$210,000 per year + company equity. You are also eligible for employee benefits, participation in Prepared’s unlimited vacation program.

🌎 Remote-First Culture
🩺 Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefits
💸 401k + Free Financial Advisors with Betterment
📱Monthly Cell Phone Stipend
🏖️ Unlimited Time Off + 15 Observed Holidays
🚼 12 Weeks of Paid Parental Leave (birthing + non-birthing parents)
🚨 Visit a PSAP (911 Center)
🏢 WeWork Membership for All Employees
✈️ Annual Company Offsite
🔮 AI Tools like ChatGPT + NotionAI
🏠 $500 Work from Home Budget
📚$350 Annual L&D Stipend

Want to learn more about Prepared? Check out the links below.

• General Catalyst | Our Investment in Prepared: Bringing AI to the Frontlines of Public Safety

• Anoka County 911 center testing AI to screen nonemergency calls, ease workload

• NBC Today Show | 911 callers can now share video of emergencies with dispatchers

At Prepared, we are committed to building a safer and more connected world, and we believe that fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion is essential to achieving this mission. We are a proud equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We actively seek to create an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued and everyone has the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to our mission of improving public safety and emergency response for all communities.

Prepared is not sponsoring visas at this time.