At a Glance
- Tasks: Build interactive systems combining AI and animation from scratch.
- Company: Innovative startup focused on creating expressive digital characters.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible work environment, and opportunities for rapid growth.
- Other info: Fast-paced environment with a chance to make foundational decisions.
- Why this job: Join a small team to shape the future of interactive character experiences.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in software engineering with strong full-stack skills.
The predicted salary is between 103500 - 126500 $ per year.
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Our client is building a new kind of interactive character experience: combining animation, real-time systems, and AI to bring expressive digital characters to life. We’re developing a platform where characters are not just animated, but responsive, programmable, and part of a living system. This is an early-stage effort with a small team, working directly with the founder to explore, prototype, and ship quickly.
What This Role Is
- A high-autonomy role focused on building new interactive systems from scratch
- A chance to explore and define how AI + animation + real-time interaction come together
- A close partnership with the founder and creative team to shape product direction
- An opportunity to make foundational technical decisions early
What You’ll Do
- Take early concepts and turn them into working interactive systems and product features end-to-end
- Build across the stack: modern frontends (React / Next.js), APIs, and backend services
- Develop systems that support real-time character interaction, including animation triggers, voice, and behavior
- Evaluate and experiment with different technical approaches, including: Live2D pipelines and alternatives; AI-driven motion / video systems (e.g., SeeDance or similar); Voice synthesis and real-time voice transformation APIs
- Work closely with animators to integrate character assets into interactive systems
- Rapidly prototype and test build vs integrate vs buy decisions
- Ensure systems are performant, observable, and production-ready as they evolve
Must Have Skills
- 5+ years of professional experience as a software engineer
- Strong full-stack capability (TypeScript/React + Node systems)
- Experience building and shipping interactive or real-time systems
- Comfort working in ambiguous, fast-moving environments with evolving requirements
- Ability to evaluate multiple technical approaches and form clear, opinionated trade-offs
- Experience integrating external APIs and stitching systems together quickly
- Strong ownership. You can take a concept from idea - prototype - production
Nice to Have Skills
- Experience working with animation systems (Live2D, Spine, Unity, WebGL, or similar); AI media tools (video, motion, or audio generation); Voice synthesis, audio processing, or real-time streaming systems
- Familiarity with event-driven or real-time architectures (WebSockets, streaming pipelines)
Senior Full-Stack Engineer employer: GuruLink
Join a forward-thinking company in downtown Vancouver that prioritizes innovation and employee well-being. With a hybrid work model, you’ll enjoy the flexibility of working three days a week in the office while collaborating with a talented team dedicated to building secure, scalable infrastructure. The company fosters a culture of continuous learning and growth, offering ample opportunities for professional development in an AI-first environment where your contributions directly impact the success of the organization.
