Hi Auto is the most trustworthy AI order taker for drive-thrus. Built for scale.

Hi Auto is a reliable AI order taker for drive-thrus, purpose-built for high-volume QSRs. It helps brands consistently deliver faster, error-free service with over 93% order completion and 96% accuracy, at scale.

With full control over scripts, upsells, and voice, brands can fine-tune drive-thru operational performance across all locations. At the same time, franchisees get the flexibility to adjust menus, LTOs, and regional offers. And with a built-in labor optimization process, Hi Auto reduces employee stress and turnover, saving hours of labor each day and improving the guest experience.

Growing quickly, Hi Auto has the largest number of voice AI drive-thru restaurant deployments, competing directly with both big tech and restaurant tech players.

We are seeking a Staff Engineer in Europe to join our Infrastructure team.

About the role:

Our backend is developed all in Python running in the cloud over k8s. It's not a typical backend interacting with a UI frontend, handling audio streams in real-time. Our systems integrate with a large number of third party services. Because of the myriad of challenges and the fast pace of a startup, each team member gets to experience a lot of professional growth and ownership. In this role, you will:

• Own parts of our core backend infrastructure, which is a complex, real-time distributed system written in Python and Rust
• Own big initiatives end-to-end and deliver them with minimal guidance
• Troubleshoot highly complex production issues
• Constantly improve our development velocity while maintaining a very high reliability standard

Qualifications:

• BSc in Software Development or equivalent industry experience
• Previously a Staff or Principal Engineer at a startup company
• 10+ years of experience in Python development
• Strong Python Asyncio experience
• Strong software design skills
• Excellent communicator in writing and orally
• Significant experience with at least one strongly typed language (Rust, C++, Go, Swift, Java, etc)
• Deep understanding of Networking Protocols, Operating Systems
• Deep knowledge of Python Profiling
• Experience in delivering and troubleshooting a production-grade cloud-based distributed system
• Experience in building and troubleshooting a real-time low-level system (e.g. kernel, drivers, RTOS)
• Kubernetes and Helm experience
• Experience with different observability stacks
• Strong LLM prompting skills, but also being able to work without them
• Experience with gRPC and its troubleshooting
• Being a contributor or maintainer of an open-source package

Bonus

• An understanding of one of the following: WebRTC, STUN/TURN, SIP, RTP, HLS, RTMP
• Having worked with Rust and PyO3
• Audio programming experience

Qualities We're Looking For:

Fast - you know you're a 10X engineer, not just yet another senior engineer

Resilience – being able to balance planned work with real-time issues in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment

Strong communication skills – in both written and verbal communication, with the ability to produce crisp and clear documentation

Problem solver

Extremely Strong ownership and independence

Join us to be a part of an amazing team with great vibes, interesting and unique challenges, and an opportunity to influence and build something big.