Software Engineer, Backend

About the role

What we do

Build the insurance behind the physical world.

The world is building data centers, energy projects, hospitals, schools, and critical infrastructure. Every one of those projects needs insurance to move forward. Yet the process of getting that insurance still depends on scattered documents, manual work, and weeks of back-and-forth.

Shepherd is rebuilding commercial insurance with software, data, AI, and deep underwriting expertise. We started in construction and energy, where understanding the specifics of a project matters and better decisions have consequences far beyond a screen.

We develop insurance products, decide which risks to insure and how to price them, and partner with established insurers to back the coverage. We own the platform our team uses to turn complex submissions into coverage for the builders and operators shaping the world around us.

Real problems. Real ownership.

Our engineers, designers, underwriters, and actuaries build together. The problems span turning messy documents into reliable data, making pricing more precise, and designing AI agents that can take on increasingly complex underwriting work.

The ambition is a platform where experts spend more time on judgment and relationships, supported by software that handles the work around them. Join us to build systems whose decisions help real projects get built.

630+ customers / $500B+ insured project value

Our investors

Capital to build. Partners to grow with.

$67M total funding / $42M Series B in March 2026

Shepherd is backed by Intact Private Capital, Costanoa Ventures, Spark Capital, Susa Ventures, and Y Combinator. In March 2026, we announced a $42M Series B led by Intact Private Capital, bringing our total funding to $67M.

Intact is also a capacity partner. Alongside its investment, Intact works with Shepherd to bring insurance products to market. That relationship connects our platform and underwriting expertise with the resources of a global insurer.

A bigger opportunity ahead

We are investing in new insurance products, our underwriting team, and the path toward autonomous underwriting. For the people joining Shepherd, that means the chance to shape both the technology and the business it makes possible.

Our backing brings together investors who build technology companies and partners who understand insurance. We are building a company that earns the confidence of both.

The Role

We're looking for a talented software engineer who's passionate about what we're building and ready to do the best work of their career. You thrive on ownership, drive results, and care deeply about both technical excellence and customer impact.

You would be our dream candidate if...

You aren't afraid of ambiguity, and it may even excite you

You enjoy shipping product every day (maybe multiple times a day) while maintaining high quality standards

You enjoy wearing multiple hats while solving problems; as an engineer, product manager, and designer

You take end-to-end ownership of features and systems, from conception through release

You care about the built-world and how to improve construction safety and productivity

You care about others' growth and welcome mentoring other engineers — you've led or been a major contributor on significant projects

You have strong opinions, weakly held — you advocate for your ideas but adapt when presented with better solutions

You communicate technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders

You have some experience with insurance – either from a prior InsurTech role or actuarial role

You have experience working with Javascript/Typescript (backend and/or frontend)

You have at least 5+ years of working experience (preferably as a full-stack engineer) with a track record of delivering high-impact products

About the Role

Shepherd's platform consists of three primary elements: data collection, automated underwriting, and policy administration.

You will lead major initiatives and own a large area of Shepherd's product experience, in each vertical while driving technical decisions for your domain

You will work across the stack, even across different disciplines (e.g. underwriting, design, product management)

You will play an integral role in building our culture as the company grows and mentor other engineers as we scale the team

You will balance innovation with pragmatic delivery — staying current with emerging tech while shipping quality products

You will contribute to product strategy and architectural decisions, not just implementation

You will collaborate closely with PM, Mo (CTO) and the insurance team (underwriters, actuaries and more!)

Our Tech Stack

Frontend

React & Next.js

Typescript

GraphQL w/ Apollo

Backend

Node.js

Postgres & Redis

Typescript

GraphQL APIs

How we work

Shepherd runs on four values. Here's what each one means in this seat.

Think big, build big. We exist to protect progress and the industries that rely on it. The work here is aimed at a system that runs on its own, and the roadmap gets sequenced backward from that rather than forward from what's easy.

Win together. We rise as one. We support each other, raise the bar, and celebrate collective success. Come set a standard the rest of the team inherits.

Cross the aisle. Collaboration wins. We listen deeply, work across boundaries, and prioritize shared success over individual lanes. The best product calls here come from engineers who've sat with underwriters and underwriters who understand where the model breaks, and much of this job is listening closely enough on both sides to make that happen.

Go get it. We act with urgency, move with confidence, take smart risks, and push forward with intention. Nobody hands you the roadmap, the data, or the meeting invite. You pull the failing runs, book the time with the underwriters, and decide what matters.

Benefits

🏥 Premium Healthcare

100% contribution to health, dental, and vision

🥕 Fertility benefits and family building support

🏖️ Flexible PTO

Flexibility to take the time off, recharge, and perform

🥗 Daily lunches, dinners, and snacks

We work together, and enjoy meals together too

🖥️ SF, NYC, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago and LA Offices

📚 Professional Development

Access to premium coaching, including leadership development

🏦 Competitive 401(k) Plan

🐶 Dog-friendly office

Plenty of dogs to play with and make friends with in the SF office