Backend Software Engineer: Applications at Deepjudge

About us: DeepJudge is Switzerland’s leading AI and ICT scale-up, transforming how law firms and legal departments access and leverage their knowledge. Founded by former Google search engineers with PhDs in AI from ETH Zurich, and backed by top-tier Silicon Valley investors, we are building the intelligence layer that powers the legal industry. Every firm can license the same AI models, but no two firms share the same institutional knowledge. Decades of experience, work product, and precedent are often trapped across systems, underused and inaccessible. DeepJudge makes this expertise instantly available through world-class enterprise search and AI infrastructure, enabling firms to automate workflows, build knowledge-powered applications, and turn experience into a lasting advantage. Our technology is trusted by many of the world’s leading law firms, including Gunderson Dettmer, Holland & Knight, Arent Fox, and Cozen O’Connor. Headquartered in Switzerland with a growing team across North America, we are expanding rapidly and shaping the future of how professional knowledge is discovered and applied. At DeepJudge, we move fast, think rigorously, and care deeply about what we build. We combine cutting-edge research with close collaboration with our clients to deliver solutions that truly make an impact. If you want to be part of a team defining how AI transforms high-stakes knowledge work, this is the place to do it. About the role: At DeepJudge, we value engineers who care deeply about building high-quality systems while iterating quickly. As a Backend Software Engineer in the applications team, you’ll be building the backbone that powers our web application and its core capabilities. You will participate in design discussions from an early stage, helping shape both new and existing features, and you will soon be responsible for taking the technical lead on delivering large and complex backend systems changes. You’ll be primarily working in our Python application backend, with occasional exposure to other services written in Rust, C++, and Go. The system consists of several microservices that are deployed into a large number of heterogeneous clusters, both in cloud and on-premises environments. A key part of the role will be reasoning about system performance and managing resources effectively across these different deployment contexts. Your responsibilities will include: - Design, develop, and maintain efficient, scalable backend services using modern tools and frameworks - Contribute to architecture and design decisions for new and existing systems - Review code and contribute to a high standard of code quality and maintainability - Improve how we work by improving tooling, refining processes, and sharing knowledge You're a great fit if you: - Have a Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent practical experience - Have 3+ years of professional experience working as a Software Engineer, ideally in a scale-up or fast-growing environment - Are highly proficient in one or more backend programming languages (as well as their ecosystems) such as Python, Rust, Go, or C++ - Are comfortable working with highly concurrent/asynchronous code - Have solid experience working with databases (SQL and/or NoSQL) - Are comfortable with modern web architectures and cloud platforms - Have experience owning projects end-to-end, from planning and implementation to maintenance and observability - (Nice to have) Have experience integrating with LLM providers and building products that make heavy use of LLMs to deliver real user value - (Nice to have) Have experience with streaming and/or message queue systems such as Redis Streams, Kafka, or RabbitMQ - (Nice to have) Experience working with Kubernetes, including deploying services and debugging running workloads in a production environment What you can look forward to: - Location: Office 5min walking distance from Zurich central station, where we primarily work on site - Collaborative and supportive work environment - Potential for professional growth and advancement within the company - Ownership and ability to impact the company, product, and culture At DeepJudge, we believe great teams are built on diverse perspectives and experiences. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and are committed to fostering an inclusive, high-performance culture where everyone can thrive. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If this role excites you, but you feel you don’t meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway and tell us why you’d be a great fit.