Senior Backend Engineer - Search at Sana

Stockholm, Stockholm County, Sweden

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Not SpecifiedCompensation

Senior (5 to 8 years)Experience Level

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

Artificial Intelligence, TechnologyIndustries

Requirements

Strong expertise in Vespa or similar search engines, vector databases, and embedding models
Experience architecting and scaling search systems for enterprise-scale knowledge discovery (handling 10-100x volumes, billions of documents, millions of queries, sub-second latency)
Proficiency in hybrid search systems blending keyword search with semantic understanding
Knowledge of intelligent ranking, personalization systems, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) with large language models
Expertise in search performance optimization (query parsing, index design, distributed systems, caching)
Ability to design for multi-tenant environments, strict latency SLAs, 99.99% uptime, and observability frameworks
Deep understanding of search infrastructure (index optimization, query planning, distributed retrieval)
Hands-on implementation balanced with system design and mentoring on search best practices and IR fundamentals

Responsibilities

Architect and scale search infrastructure to handle billions of documents with sub-second response times in multi-tenant environments
Design hybrid search systems using vector databases and retrieval models
Build intelligent ranking and personalization systems that learn from user behavior
Collaborate with AI engineers to integrate LLMs into the search pipeline for RAG systems
Optimize search performance across the stack, from query parsing to distributed architecture
Lead development of search observability and quality frameworks with metrics and regression detection
Work closely with product and design teams to shape knowledge discovery features
Proactively identify and resolve search quality issues, mentor on best practices, and drive evolution to AI-powered search

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

Vespavector databasesembedding modelsretrieval systemsranking algorithmssearch APIshybrid searchsemantic searchbackend engineering

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

What are the key skills required for this Senior Backend Engineer role?

Strong expertise in Vespa or similar search engines, vector databases, and embedding models is essential. Proficiency in architecting search systems, hybrid search, ranking algorithms, and integrating large language models is also required.

Is this a remote position or does it require office work?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What does the engineering team look like at Sana?

You'll join a talented engineering team collaborating closely with backend, search, AI, and infrastructure engineers to shape search architecture.

What is the salary or compensation for this role?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What makes a strong candidate for this position?

Candidates with experience architecting scalable search systems for billions of documents, hybrid search with semantic AI, and optimizing for sub-second latency while integrating LLMs will stand out.

Sana

Health benefits for small businesses

About Sana

Sana Benefits provides health insurance solutions specifically designed for small businesses. Their offerings include comprehensive health plans that cover medical, dental, and vision needs, along with additional services like virtual care, maternity support, and lab imaging. These plans aim to be affordable and accessible, helping small businesses offer quality health benefits to attract and retain employees. Unlike traditional health insurance providers, Sana simplifies the management of these benefits, allowing businesses to easily handle tasks like open enrollment and employee changes. The company focuses on customer satisfaction, boasting a high renewal rate, which reflects its commitment to providing valuable services that meet the needs of small businesses.

Austin, TexasHeadquarters

2017Year Founded

$103.9MTotal Funding

SERIES_BCompany Stage

HealthcareIndustries

201-500Employees