Job Description

?? Job Description: Sr Backend Developer (Python, FastAPI, AI-Aware) Location: Remote or Hyderabad (preferred) Type: Full-time / Tech co founder - equity only - NO SALARY TILL WE RAISE seed funding Level: Mid to Senior (6?8 years experience) ?? About Nova Nova is not another swipe-and-ghost dating app. We?re reimagining dating for Gen Z and Millennials in India ? built around emotional connection, consent visibility, and intelligent matchmaking. Our vision is to build a conversation-first platform that promotes intentionality, emotional safety, and real compatibility using AI-driven insights and behavioral analysis. ?? Role Overview We?re looking for a backend engineer who loves building clean, scalable APIs, but also has curiosity (and basic competence) around natural language processing and intelligent systems. You?ll work closely with our mobile dev and product team to build Nova?s core engine ? from chat infrastructure to our AI-based compatibility layer and behavioral safety signals. ?? What You'll Do Build and maintain scalable APIs using FastAPI Design relational schemas using PostgreSQL for users, matches, profiles, and chat Implement and optimize real-time chat systems (using WebSockets or Firebase) Integrate LLMs via APIs (OpenAI, Claude, Cohere) to extract emotional & safety insights from chats Build and iterate text classification pipelines (toxicity detection, vibe scoring, ghosting patterns) Implement work/profile verification systems (e.g., email OTPs, LinkedIn screenshot check) Collaborate on matchmaking logic, including Operation Manmadha (our AI-enhanced compatibility algorithm) Build admin/moderation tools for trust, safety, and manual interventions ??? Skills & Experience? Required 6+ years of backend development experience (preferably with Python & FastAPI) Deep understanding of REST API design, auth (JWT), and async architecture Experience with PostgreSQL and Redis (or similar cache systems) Familiarity with WebSockets or other real-time communication protocols Exposure to OpenAI/Cohere APIs or similar ? able to build LLM-based pipelines Comfortable with prompt engineering, LLM outputs, and chaining logic Experience writing modular, testable code and working in CI/CD environments ?? Nice-to-Have Experience with Hugging Face Transformers, spaCy, scikit-learn, or PyTorch Exposure to chat risk classifiers, toxicity detection, or sentiment analysis Understanding of Gale-Shapley algorithm or other matchmaking logic Knowledge of Firebase for presence/chat or file storage Prior work in dating apps, mental health, or trust/safety tech ?? Traits We?re Looking For You think like a product builder, not just an API writer You?re excited about LLMs, user trust, and emotional tech You write code that?s easy to read, easy to test, and easy to scale You?re proactive ? suggesting improvements and not waiting for specs You care about making online dating safer, healthier, and more human ?? What We Offer Chance to build India?s most thoughtful dating platform Work with a small, ambitious founding team with design, product, and film experience Freedom to experiment with cutting-edge AI A strong culture of autonomy, empathy, and no bullshit Competitive pay + equity (for long-term hires) ?? How to Apply Email your CV or GitHub/LinkedIn profile to [email protected] with the subject line: ?Backend Dev ? Nova ??? Tell us: One project you're proud of Your comfort level with AI integration Why Nova?s mission matters