Principal Backend Engineer, Materia AI at Thomson Reuters

Principal Backend Engineer, Materia AI at Thomson Reuters – CAN-Toronto-19 Duncan Street, Canada

Are you excited about building AI-driven software that redefines how professionals work? Join a dynamic and highly skilled team at Thomson Reuters, where we combine the agility and innovation of a startup with the stability and resources of a global leader. As a Lead Backend Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in developing AI-powered systems that enhance accounting workflows through automation, intelligence, and seamless orchestration.

In this role as a Principal Backend Engineer, you will:

Be part of a fast-moving, forward-thinking group that is creating AI-driven software for accounting professionals. You’ll work with top AI and software development experts, leveraging cutting-edge technology to build intelligent and scalable systems. This role is for the CoCounsel for Accounting team, formed from the recent acquisition of the startup Materia.

Design and implement backend services that power generative AI agents and orchestration systems. This role requires both creativity and rigor to ensure our AI-driven solutions are performant, reliable, and adaptable to real-world use cases.

Work closely with AI/ML engineers, frontend developers, product managers, and designers to build robust services that support generative AI experiences. Help to build out our core AI interfaces such as Conversations, Work spaces, Grid, and Knowledge Base.

• Develop and maintain backend services using Python, FastAPI, and Postgre
  
  SQL.
• Implement AI orchestration systems integrating LLMs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and other providers.
• Design APIs and backend logic for real-time AI interactions.
• Help to design our AI Platform to automate many different AI driven tasks across the accounting domain

• Ensure backend systems are secure, scalable, and optimized for AI-driven applications.
• Monitor and enhance system performance, across millions of documents and AI driven interactions
• Work closely with AI researchers, engineers, and product teams to translate AI capabilities into real-world applications.
• Foster a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement, exploring new AI technologies and methodologies.

You are a fit for the position of Principal Backend Engineer if your background includes:

• Bachelors Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Related Field, or Equivalent Experience
• 8+ years of experience in backend development, building scalable web services and APIs.
• Strong Python skills, with experience in FastAPI, Postgre
  
  SQL, and AWS.
• Experience in distributed systems, API and data model design.
• Strong debugging skills and a track record of building production-grade software.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration abilities.
• Passion for AI-driven software and new engineering paradigms.
• A creative problem solver who enjoys exploring new technologies.
• Dedicated to building high-quality, reliable AI-first systems.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

• Experience with AI-driven systems, agent-based architectures, or AI APIs from providers like OpenAI and Anthropic.
• Knowledge of vector databases, embeddings, or search-based AI.
• Strong opinions on backend testing strategies and automation.

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Hybrid Work Model:
We’ve adopted a flexible hybrid working environment (2-3 days a week in the office depending on the role) for our office-based roles while delivering a seamless experience that is digitally and physically connected.

Flexibility & Work-Life Balance:
Flex My Way is a set of supportive workplace policies designed to help manage personal and professional responsibilities, whether caring for family, giving back to the community, or finding time to refresh and reset. This builds upon our flexible work arrangements, including work from anywhere for up to 8 weeks per year, empowering employees to achieve a better work-life balance.

Career Development and Growth:
By fostering a culture of…