Software Engineer, Backend at Mistral (New York, NY)
Mistral· New York, NY·
Role details
Mistral at a glance
A French AI lab building open and frontier-grade large language models, with the full developer and enterprise stack around them.
Mistral is a French AI lab that builds open and frontier-grade large language models and sells the full stack around them: developer tooling, an agent studio, consumer and enterprise apps like Le Chat and Vibe, custom model training, and its own GPU compute. Its edge is deployment control, with open weights, EU hosting, and self-hosting for regulated and sovereign buyers.
$3B+ raised · latest: Series C · 1.7B euros · Sept 2025 · backed by ASML, Nvidia, Andreessen Horowitz, DST Global
Job description
ABOUT MISTRAL
Mistral provides full-stack AI solutions: from frontier models to developer tools, applications, and compute. We partner with enterprises tackling the hardest problems—across high-stakes industries like finance, manufacturing, defense, healthcare, and the public sector—co-creating customized AI systems that they can run on their terms.
We are a dynamic, collaborative team passionate about AI and its potential to transform society. Our diverse workforce thrives in competitive environments and is committed to driving innovation. Our teams are distributed between Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East. We are creative, low-ego and team-spirited.
The Role
We are seeking passionate and skilled software engineers to join our new team in NYC. As a Backend Engineer, you’ll contribute to the development of the core systems powering our three main products, AI Studio, Le Chat & Mistral Code, shaping how users and developers interact with our AI platform at scale. You’ll work on building reliable, high-performance backend systems and APIs that serve millions of users and developers. Your work will directly impact the developer and user experience, making it more engaging, efficient, and intuitive. We welcome engineers from mid-level to senior and staff engineers who are eager to learn, collaborate and ship impactful products.
What You Will Do
Depending on your skills and field of expertise, you will be involved in key components of our technology, including:
Backend Development
- Design, develop and maintain scalable, robust backend features and APIs using modern frameworks.
- Ensure high performance and reliability across our distributed systems.
- Contribute to systems powering inference, billing, AI tooling, observability, and developer experience.
System Architecture
- Design and implement efficient, secure and scalable architectures that support our fast-growing products.
- Collaborate with infrastructure teams on deployment, monitoring, and performance optimization.
Code Quality
- Write clean, maintainable and well-documented code.
- Participate in code reviews and contribute to technical standards and best practices.
Cross-functional Collaboration
- Collaborate with product managers, platform engineers, and AI/ML teams to design, build, and deliver scalable model-as-a-service solutions for developers and enterprise users.
- Partner with teams across AI Studio, Le Chat & Mistral Code to ensure consistent platform-wide experience.
Problem-Solving & Innovation
- Tackle complex engineering challenges, from distributed systems to AI product integration.
- Stay up-to-date with new technologies (e.g., AI/LLM integration, observability, or backend frameworks) and bring them into production when relevant.
What We're Looking For
- Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
- Proficiency in Python or another backend language (Golang, Kotlin, C#). Engineers are assessed in their preferred language during a live coding session.
- Strong understanding of backend fundamentals: APIs, databases, caching, messaging systems and distributed architectures.
- Strong problem-solving abilities and attention to detail.
- Ownership mindset capable of shipping end-to-end features with minimal oversight.
- Excellent communication skills and collaborative attitude.
- Team-oriented, low-ego mindset and curiosity for learning.
Now, it would be ideal if you had experience with:
- Full-stack exposure
- Working closely with an API & developer ecosystem
- Deploying software to a diverse set of environments (cloud, on-premises, etc.)
- Infrastructure management (Docker, CI/CD, Kubernetes, Helm, Terraform...)
- AI/ML engineering
- Observability and monitoring tools (Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog…).
- UX and product-centric mindset.
Hiring Process
- Introduction call - 30 min
- Live-coding interview - 45 min
- System Design interview - 45 min
- Hiring Manager interview - 30 min
- Deep Dive Interview (only for leads & staff engineers) - 60 min
- Culture-fit discussion - 30 min
- Reference checks
WHAT WE OFFER
We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your well-being, growth, and work-life balance. Benefits vary by country and may include healthcare coverage, parental leave, retirement plans, relocation support, wellness programs, meal and transportation allowances, and other location-specific perks.
For the most up-to-date details on benefits available in your location, please refer to our Benefits page app.notion.com
PRIVACY POLICY
Your privacy matters to us. You can learn more about how we handle your personal data in our Applicant Privacy Policy legal.mistral.ai
Why work at Mistral
- Culture: Flat structure, high ownership, low ego, and a "builders, not order takers" mentality. The company values audacity, speed, rigor, and customer centricity.
- Remote/Hybrid/Office: Based in Paris (15 rue des Halles); relocation support and visa sponsorship offered. Specific remote/hybrid policy not detailed, but global team suggests flexibility.
- Notable perks and benefits (from careers page):
- 20 weeks paid parental leave for all birthing parents.
- 100% employer-sponsored medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents.
- 6% 401k match (US) / 5% pension contribution (UK).
- Childcare support (reserved daycare seats or financial assistance).
- Meal allowances and transportation support.
- Fitness and wellness subsidies.
- Relocation and settling-in services.
- Financial and career planning support.
- Team composition: 900+ employees from 30+ nationalities; 50% female leaders.
- Interview process: For science, product, and engineering roles: intro conversation → 2-5 technical exercises → 1-3 interviews (hiring manager + teammates) → values conversation → reference checks.