Early-Stage Backend & Cloud Architect (GCP)
Early-Stage AI Platform | Full-Time Preferred - Contract Considered | Remote (US ONLY)
About Field 9
Field 9 is an early-stage AI company building a secure, scalable video processing platform for healthcare environments.
We are past the idea stage. We have a working prototype, real-world validation, and a committed integration partner. Our target is production integration within six months. We are now hiring the architect who will design and harden the production foundation. This role is foundational. The architecture you build will define how this system scales for years.
The Platform
Our system ingests large-scale video securely, processes it using managed foundation models (Vertex/Gemini), and produces structured outputs that power downstream systems.
The AI-first approach is non-negotiable. We are not building custom video models or research experiments. The mandate is to architect everything around the managed AI layer so the system is secure, resilient, and scalable.
This platform must ultimately scale to millions of hours of processed video. That means designing for volume, failure handling, and operational clarity from day one.
Responsibilities
You will own the production architecture on GCP. This includes:
- Designing secure, scalable video ingestion workflows
- Implementing event-driven, asynchronous processing pipelines
- Defining structured output storage and schema versioning
- Establishing Infrastructure as Code (Terraform baseline)
- Building clean environment separation (dev, staging, production)
- Designing monitoring, logging, and alerting systems
- Creating HIPAA-aware security boundaries and audit controls
- Ensuring deployment processes are reliable and repeatable
- Designing cost-aware scaling strategies
You will define the blueprint within clear guardrails and constraints.
How We Work
We’re early-stage, which means two things:
- We move fast.
- We care about building it right.
We brainstorm hard. We debate ideas. We whiteboard. We challenge each other. We change direction quickly when we learn something new. And then we lock in and execute.
We value thoughtful debate and clear reasoning. Bring your perspective. Challenge assumptions. If you see a better path, say it. We’re open to better logic, better evidence, and better arguments. Strong opinions are welcome — as long as they’re grounded in substance and open to refinement.
If the reasoning holds, we pivot. If the data changes, we adapt. We operate on a simple principle: disagree, then commit. Once a direction is chosen, we move with focus and intensity. No lingering resistance. No passive drag. We align and execute.
We’re building something ambitious, and we genuinely enjoy the process — the exploration, the iteration, the breakthroughs, the moments when a clean architectural decision unlocks speed and scale. We think big, we move fast, and when it’s time to deliver, we deliver.
What We’re Looking For
We are seeking someone who has:
- Architected production systems from scratch
- Owned GCP infrastructure decisions end-to-end
- Designed asynchronous, queue-based architectures
- Built systems that handled meaningful scale
- Worked within regulated or security-sensitive environments
You should think in systems, not tools.
Structure
We prefer full-time or consider a structured contracts (20–40 hours/week).The engagement begins with a defined 90-day build phase with milestone-based evaluation. For the right person, this role can evolve into long-term architectural leadership.
Application
Please send:
- A production system you architect from zero.
- A brief explanation of how you would design a secure, scalable AI-driven video processing pipeline on GCP using managed foundation models.
- Your availability (full-time or contract).
Concise responses are appreciated.
If you build systems that scale, stay simple, and don’t break under pressure, we should talk.
