JOB SUMMARY

The Senior Backend Engineer II operates beyond individual feature ownership and takes responsibility for major backend subsystems, multi-cycle initiatives, and complex technical challenges that impact multiple teams.

This role works closely with Engineering Managers, Product, and fellow engineers to lead scalable, reliable, and secure backend solutions and is expected to clarify ambiguous problems, lead technical design efforts, and elevate engineering standards across the Backend pillar.

Success in this role is measured not only by the delivery of high-quality systems but also by the ability to create technical leverage, strengthen reliability, and increase the organization's execution capacity.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Be accountable for the technical health, scalability, and long-term sustainability of a defined backend subsystem or domain.
• Lead complex technical initiatives spanning multiple cycles with end-to-end responsibility from problem framing to measurable stabilization.
• Design robust backend architectures and implementation plans that reduce operational risk and improve system performance.
• Break down ambiguous or loosely defined problems into clear technical strategies with explicit trade-offs.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering Managers and Product to align technical solutions with business priorities and customer needs.
• Improve backend reliability by proactively identifying systemic risks, technical debt, and architectural bottlenecks within the domain and lead remediation before they impact teams or customers.
• Contribute hands-on to the backend codebase, delivering high-quality, secure, well-structured, and maintainable code.
• Raise engineering standards through thoughtful code reviews, documentation, and technical guidance.
• Mentor mid-level and senior engineers across the Backend pillar, supporting their growth toward greater technical ownership.
• Support production stability by actively participating in debugging, root cause analysis, and long-term remediation efforts.
• Contribute to evolving backend development practices, testing strategies, CI/CD workflows, and performance optimization efforts.
• Act as a technical reference point within a defined backend domain, fostering alignment and reducing cross-team friction.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• 9+ years of relevant experience as a Backend Engineer, with demonstrated ownership of complex systems or subsystems.
• Strong experience with Ruby on Rails (preferred) or comparable backend frameworks.
• Proven experience designing and implementing scalable APIs and backend services.
• Strong expertise in PostgreSQL and database design; familiarity with NoSQL or vector databases (e.g., Qdrant, Pinecone, or Weaviate) is a plus.
• Deep understanding of software design principles, testing strategies, CI/CD, and backend reliability practices.
• Experience working with distributed systems, background jobs (e.g., Sidekiq), caching layers (e.g., Redis), and cloud infrastructure (AWS preferred).
• Familiarity with modern AI/ML services or data-intensive workflows is desirable.
• Experience leading technical initiatives or large refactors across teams is highly valued.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to operate effectively in complex, evolving environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in a collaborative, remote-first setting.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience.
• Demonstrates AI literacy, with the ability to leverage AI tools to enhance productivity, decision-making, and quality of work while applying sound judgment and critical thinking.