Software Engineer

ABOUT IDEOGRAM

Ideogram’s mission is to make world-class design accessible to everyone, multiplying human creativity. We build proprietary generative media models and AI native creative workflows, tackling unsolved challenges in graphic design. Our team includes builders with a track record of technology breakthroughs including early research in Diffusion Models, Google’s Imagen, and Imagen Video. We care about design, taste, and craft as much as research and engineering – shipping experiences that creatives actually love.

We’ve raised nearly $100M, led by Andreessen Horowitz and Index Ventures. Headquartered in Toronto with a growing team in NYC, we're scaling fast, aiming to triple over the next year. We're a flat team with a culture of high ownership, collaboration, and mentorship.

Explore Ideogram 4.0 https://ideogram.ai/models/4.0/, Enterprise https://ideogram.ai/enterprise/, API https://ideogram.ai/api-learn/, Open Source https://ideogram.ai/licensing/, Character https://ideogram.ai/features/character and Custom Models https://ideogram.ai/features/custom-models/ blog posts, and try Ideogram at ideogram.ai http://ideogram.ai.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As a Software Engineer at Ideogram, you'll build the products that put generative AI directly into the hands of creators, and build the infrastructure that will allow us to accelerate model development. You'll work across the entire stack, from crafting delightful user experiences to optimizing backend systems that serve millions, with a relentless focus on shipping features that users love. We're looking for someone who combines product instinct with strong technical ownership, user empathy, and the ability to move fast in an evolving AI landscape.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

Product & AI Mindset

• Deep curiosity about generative AI and genuine excitement about its potential to empower creators
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and turn open-ended problems into concrete technical direction
• Knowing when to add structure and when to keep things simple
• Keeping unnecessary complexity out of the system
• Bridging the gap between product intent and technical reality
• Helping others get value from AI tools without overengineering

AI-Native Software Engineer

• Experience building and shipping software with real user impact
• Comfortable working across frontend and backend systems
• Familiarity with cloud infrastructure and modern web technologies
• Can design APIs and data models that support evolving product needs
• Use AI-native engineering tools (e.g., Claude Code, Codex, or similar) to meaningfully accelerate development velocity, debugging, and codebase comprehension

Ownership & Execution

• Self-starter who takes initiative to identify opportunities and drive them to completion
• Operates with urgency. You ship incremental value and iterate based on real user feedback
• Comfortable working with minimal direction in a fast-moving environment
• Takes responsibility for outcomes, not just code, you care about whether users love what you build

Collaboration & Communication

• Can explain technical concepts to both engineers and non-technical stakeholders
• Seeks feedback, acknowledges mistakes, and learns quickly
• Pushes for quality through constructive code review and collaboration
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, related field, or equivalent practical experience

OUR STACK

We primarily use React and Python. Familiarity with the following technologies is a plus, but not required:

• OpenAPI & gRPC
• Kubernetes
• Redis & Memcached
• GCP, Google Bigtable, Google BigQuery, Google Spanner, Google Pub/Sub
• Docker & Terraform
• Cloudflare

NICE TO HAVE

• Experience integrating ML models into production applications (inference, prompt engineering, fine-tuning workflows)
• Track record of shipping consumer-facing AI products or features
• Contributions to design systems, component libraries, or developer tooling
• Experience with experimentation frameworks and feature flagging
• Familiarity with real-time systems or high-throughput applications

OUR CULTURE

We’re a team of exceptionally talented, curious builders who love solving tough problems and turning bold ideas into reality. We move fast, collaborate deeply, and operate without unnecessary hierarchy, because we believe the best ideas can come from anyone.

Everyone at Ideogram rolls up their sleeves to make our products and our customers successful. We thrive on curiosity, creativity, and shared ownership. We believe that small, dedicated teams working together with trust and purpose can move faster, think bigger, and create amazing things.

Ideogram is committed to welcoming everyone — regardless of gender identity, orientation, or expression. Our mission is to create belonging and remove barriers so everyone can create boldly.

WHAT WE OFFER

💸Competitive compensation and equity designed to recognize the value and impact of your contributions to Ideogram’s success.

🌴 4 weeks of vacation to recharge and explore.

🩺 Comprehensive health, vision, and dental coverage starting on day one.

💰 RRSP/401(k) with employer match up to 4% to invest in your future from the moment you join.

💻 Top-of-the-line tools and tech to fuel your creativity and productivity.

📍 Toronto HQ perks: Steps from Union Station and the PATH, with daily in-office lunches and dinners.

🔍 Autonomy to explore and experiment — whether you’re testing new ideas, running large-scale experiments, or diving into research, you’ll have access to compute/resources you need when there’s a clear business or creative use case. We encourage curiosity and bold thinking.

🌱 A culture of learning and growth, where curiosity is encouraged and mentorship is part of the journey.