Founding Engineer - Backend-Focused Full-Stack

Seoul, South Korea (Remote-friendly) • Full-time

The Mission

If you're a top 1% engineer who gives a damn about AI ethics, join us

Creators' images are being scraped and used by AI systems without permission or compensation. It could be your face, or your image too.

We're building the platform to protect and monetize creators' digital identities ethically.

We made casting models as easy as booking a hotel room. In 2 years, we grew from 50 → 3,000+ creators and generated 1M in transactions, loved by Korea's top brands.

Now we're building face-detection and licensing infrastructure to protect creator IP in the AI age.

Your mission: Rebuild our marketplace for 5x revenue growth, take it global, then build the IP protection layer.

About Spotlite

Spotlite is a Seoul-based startup protecting creator rights in the AI age.

Traction:

3,000+ professional models across Asia, North America
Samsung, Musinsa, Kolon, Sulwhasoo, etc. Top brands of Korea are our clients.
Learn more about our journey on CEO Official Mag

What we're building:

Now: Transparent marketplace connecting brands and creators (https://spotlite.global)
Next: Digital identity protection using face-detection, vector search, and AI agents
Then: Likeness licensing platform (creators authorize AI-generated content, get paid. Think PimEyes/Lenso.ai for creator protection + ethical IP licensing

The Role

This is a founding engineer role. You'll rebuild the product from marketplace to IP protection platform.

What You'll Do

Months 1-3: Marketplace Foundation

Audit codebase and create rebuild strategy
Fix critical systems (chat, notifications, booking funnel)
Rebuild core user flows for conversion optimization

Months 3-6 Global Expansion

Payment optimization for international markets
US market launch infrastructure

Who You'll Work With

Bilingual PM (Korean-English) - product strategy
Operations team (Korean-English) - user workflows
Founders - company direction (Korean & Canadian)

Who You Are

Requirements

Bilingual: Korean AND English - Essential for daily collaboration with team (70% Korean, most fluent in English)
5+ years of software engineering with shipped products
Backend expertise: TypeScript, NestJS, Node.js, PostgreSQL, AWS (or similar stack. But we're open to completely revamp the current product - your suggestion matters.
Frontend capable: Can ship UI with design systems
Product intuition - Experience with 0→1 consumer products

Nice to Have

Marketplace or platform experience
Computer vision or AI/ML systems
Early startup (<10 people) experience

You'll Thrive If You

Care about AI ethics and creator rights
Embrace "don't build too much" philosophy (we learned this the hard way)
Move fast without breaking everything
Enjoy startup constraints (7-person team)
Want to make technical decisions, not just execute
Value team culture and mission alignment

Our Team

7 people, international (Korea, Canada, USA, Indonesia):

2 Co-founders (Korean, Canadian)
1 Product Manager (Korean-English bilingual)
2 CX/Operations
1 Junior Full-Stack Engineer
1 Accounting/Operations

Current:

Frontend: TypeScript, NextJS, React
Backend: NestJS, Node.js
Database: PostgreSQL
Infrastructure: AWS

You'll influence: What we keep, replace, and add as we rebuild.

What We Offer

Compensation:

Competitive salary (commensurate with experience)
Equity (founding team role)

Work Environment:

Remote-friendly with flexible hours
Seoul office available
English-speaking environment in Korea
Small team = direct impact on company success

Benefits:

Health insurance
Unlimited PTO
Equipment and tools of your choice
Visa sponsorship available

How to Apply

Send us:

Resume or LinkedIn
Brief note (3-5 sentences):
- Why this mission resonates with you
- One marketplace/consumer product you've built or rebuilt
- Your Korean and English proficiency levels
- (Optional) Experience with vector search, computer vision, or IP protection

Contact: hannah@teamspotlite.com

We review applications on a rolling basis. If you're bilingual (Korean-English) with strong full-stack fundamentals and backend focus, apply even if you haven't worked on IP protection—we'll build that together.

Learn More

Platform: https://spotlite.global

Featured: CEO Official Mag Article, Meet the founder on Youtube

Spotlite is an equal opportunity employer. We hire based on merit, skills, and mission alignment. If you're passionate about protecting creator rights and have relevant experience, we encourage you to apply.

Product Engineer