Application Guide
How to Apply for Backend Engineer (Monitoring)
at Apollo Research
🏢 About Apollo Research
Apollo Research is a UK-based organization focused on AGI safety, specifically building practical monitoring tools to reduce risks from AI systems. What makes them unique is their direct application of AI research to real-world safety problems, working closely with researchers to create scalable solutions for monitoring AI agents. This is an opportunity to contribute to AI safety at a fundamental level in a small, high-impact team.
About This Role
As a Backend Engineer (Monitoring), you'll design and implement scalable systems to process and analyze large volumes of AI agent logs in real-time, building data pipelines for agent trajectory data and optimizing databases for both high-throughput writes and complex analytical queries. This role is impactful because you'll be creating the infrastructure that makes AI agent safety monitoring accessible at scale, directly contributing to reducing risks from advanced AI systems.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day involves designing and implementing backend systems for processing AI agent logs, optimizing data pipelines for real-time analysis, and collaborating with monitoring engineers and researchers to translate safety requirements into technical solutions. You'll be architecting database schemas for agent trajectory data, implementing reliability features, and working closely with the team to ensure systems can scale with sub-second latency for critical monitoring operations.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Apollo Research Is Looking For
- Has experience designing and implementing scalable backend systems capable of processing large volumes of data in real-time with sub-second latency
- Possesses strong database architecture skills, particularly with schemas and data models optimized for both high-throughput writes and complex analytical queries
- Has built and maintained data processing pipelines for extracting, transforming, and storing trajectory or log data efficiently
- Thrives in high-paced environments and enjoys working closely with researchers to translate AI safety concepts into practical engineering solutions
📝 Tips for Applying to Apollo Research
Highlight specific experience with real-time data processing systems and mention technologies you've used for handling large volumes of streaming data
Demonstrate your understanding of database optimization for both write-heavy and analytical workloads - include concrete examples from past projects
Show how you've implemented reliability features like error handling, retry logic, and graceful degradation in previous systems
Explicitly connect your experience to AI/ML monitoring or agent systems if you have it, or explain how your skills transfer to monitoring AI agents
Submit early since they review applications on a rolling basis and aim to fill the role quickly - don't wait until the January 2026 deadline
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your experience building scalable backend systems for processing large volumes of data in real-time', 'Specific examples of designing database schemas and data models optimized for both high-throughput writes and complex queries', 'How your approach to system reliability (error handling, retry logic, graceful degradation) aligns with monitoring critical AI safety systems', "Why you're specifically interested in AGI safety monitoring and working closely with researchers at Apollo Research"]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Apollo Research's specific focus areas in AGI safety and their published research or technical approaches to AI monitoring
- → The team structure and who you'd be working with (CEO, monitoring engineers, Evals team software engineers)
- → Their technical stack and infrastructure choices for AI agent monitoring systems
- → Their company culture and approach to balancing research with practical engineering implementation
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Focusing only on generic backend engineering experience without connecting it to data processing, real-time systems, or monitoring applications
- Not demonstrating understanding of database optimization trade-offs between write throughput and analytical query performance
- Applying with a generic AI/ML background without showing how it relates to monitoring, safety, or working with researchers on practical implementations
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Apollo Research!