Principal / Staff Backend Engineer
Clera
Principal / Staff Backend Engineer at Clera is a full time role based in Remote · United States (remote). The listing states pay of $150k–$250k. It was published on 5 August 2026 and was open at last check.
| Role | Principal / Staff Backend Engineer |
|---|---|
| Company | Clera |
| Location | Remote · United States (remote) |
| Employment type | Full Time |
| Pay (as listed) | $150k–$250k |
| Published | 5 August 2026 |
| Status | Open at last check |
About the Role
A fast-growing proptech startup rebuilding the operating system for US real estate is looking for a Principal / Staff Backend Engineer to own the backend end to end. The company's AI-powered platform automates real estate transaction coordination — reading contracts, tracking deadlines, drafting paperwork, and enabling agents and brokerages to manage transactions from anywhere.
The founding team includes a second-time entrepreneur with deep real estate industry experience, and the company is backed by investors with unicorn-building track records in the real estate vertical. Having achieved its first revenue in early 2026 and growing month over month, this is a seed-stage company with strong early traction and significant upside.
You would report to and partner closely with the CTO, becoming the primary technical owner of the platform's architecture, data layer, and infrastructure.
What You'll Do
- Own backend architecture, databases, and infrastructure end to end
- Set and raise the engineering bar for a platform that handles real estate transaction contracts — enterprise-grade care about downstream consequences, not just fast shipping
- Build AI-natively: AI tooling is treated as a first-class part of the engineering workflow with a substantial annual AI/token budget
- Make key architectural decisions and delegate effectively as the team scales
- Collaborate closely with a small, high-caliber team in a high-ownership, high-impact environment
What We're Looking For
Required:
- Staff or principal-level backend engineering depth — strong in systems design, databases, and infrastructure
- Fully AI-native development workflow: you actively and effectively use AI tooling as a core part of how you build, not an afterthought
- Based in the United States (fully remote within the US is fine)
- Comfortable with high-intensity startup pace (~50 hours/week sustainably)
- Exceptionally sharp — raw intelligence and a clear track record of capability matter more than years on a résumé
Nice to Have:
- Enterprise-grade engineering mindset — careful about downstream consequences in a product that owns legally significant transaction contracts
- Experience in proptech, legaltech, fintech, or other regulated/high-stakes verticals
- Background at companies handling complex document workflows, contract management, or compliance-sensitive data
Compensation & Benefits
- Base salary: up to $250,000 (range: $150,000–$250,000)
- Equity: meaningful equity stake with upside that scales with commitment
- Substantial annual AI tooling / token budget
- Full-time position
Location
- Fully remote within the United States
- No visa sponsorship available — must be authorized to work in the US
Originally posted on Himalayas
Create your free OnJob profile to apply — we'll take you to Clera's application after sign-up. · Posted 5 Aug 2026.
Principal / Staff Backend Engineer at Clera — questions answered
What does the Principal / Staff Backend Engineer role at Clera pay?
The Principal / Staff Backend Engineer at Clera listing states pay of $150k–$250k for the Remote · United States (remote) position. That figure is taken directly from the employer's own posting as published, not estimated or averaged from other roles.
Is the Principal / Staff Backend Engineer role at Clera remote?
Yes — Clera advertises this Principal / Staff Backend Engineer role as remote, tied to Remote · United States, and it is listed as full time work. Remote terms come from the employer's own posting, so confirm the expected working hours, timezone and any on-site days with Clera before you apply.
Is the Principal / Staff Backend Engineer role at Clera still open?
The Principal / Staff Backend Engineer posting at Clera was open at OnJob's last check of the employer's careers page, having been published on 5 August 2026. OnJob re-checks source listings on each build and marks a role closed once it disappears, but listings can close without notice, so the employer's own page is the final word.
How do you apply for the Principal / Staff Backend Engineer role at Clera?
Apply to the Principal / Staff Backend Engineer at Clera role through OnJob with a free profile: OnJob scores your fit against the listing, shows the skills lowering that score, and submits an ATS-ready profile to Clera's own application page. Creating a profile is free and needs no card.
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