Senior Backend Engineer, Voice AI

Via is on a mission to create public transportation systems that provide far greater access to jobs, healthcare, and education. Our platform serves as the technology backbone for modern transit networks, transforming antiquated and siloed public transportation systems into smart, data-driven, and efficient digital networks. With hundreds of agency partners around the world, Via is recognized as the leading transportation technology and service provider globally. As a Senior Backend Engineer, Voice AI, you will build the technology powering Via’s Voice AI agent - the seamless, next-generation conversational interface for our customers. This is a rare opportunity to own cutting-edge, mission-critical AI systems that directly shape the daily experiences of hundreds of thousands of riders. You will have end-to-end backend ownership, working with the most advanced LLMs in the market and a team that values innovation and high-quality craft. We are looking for a high-agency engineer who thrives in unknown territories, continuously pushes the boundaries of what AI agents can do, and is passionate about mentoring others and driving our technical vision forward. About the Role: Voice AI Ownership: Lead the end-to-end development of Via’s customer-facing Voice AI agent, creating seamless, natural, and highly responsive conversational experiences. Full-Stack Architecture with BE Focus: Architect and ship features across our stack, leveraging your deep professional backend expertise to build the robust, scalable services that power real-time AI interactions. Cutting-Edge Exploration: Dive fearlessly into unknown territories. You will continuously evaluate, integrate, and deploy the most up-to-date LLMs and AI providers in the rapidly evolving market. Product Initiative: Drive the product forward. You don’t just execute tasks; you proactively propose initiatives, suggest new tools, and conceptualize innovative ways to make our AI agent smarter and more intuitive. Team Mentorship & Growth: Elevate the engineers around you. Share your knowledge, lead by example, and actively help fellow team members grow professionally in both standard software engineering and emerging AI paradigms. About You: Experience: 5+ years of professional full-stack experience, with a proven, exceptionally strong foundation in backend engineering and shipping production-grade systems. The AI Advantage: You are deeply fascinated by the AI space. Prior experience with Python, prompt engineering, working directly with LLM models, and building AI agents is a significant advantage. Fearless Learner: You thrive in ambiguity and are eager to learn the intricacies of building seamless AI agents. You proactively keep your finger on the pulse of the latest market tools and models. High Agency Team Player: You are highly collaborative but operate with immense ownership. You take the initiative to identify product bottlenecks or feature gaps and work seamlessly with the team to solve them. Le...