Principal Software Engineer - Backend
Role details
Job location
Tech stack
Job description
We're looking for a Principal Backend Engineer to lead the design and development of our backend systems, enabling rapid, high-quality product releases in a fast-moving environment.
Requirements
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SaaS Expertise: Experience working in a SaaS company is required.
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Architecture & Leadership: Lead the architecture, development, and optimization of scalable backend systems; provide technical mentorship and leadership within an agile, fast-paced startup team.
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Polyglot Backend Development: * Expert in Node.js for building high-performance applications.
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Proficient in Python development for backend services, automation, or data processing.
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Cloud Infrastructure (GCP): Proficient with Google Cloud Platform (GCP), including BigQuery, Cloud Run, Cloud Functions, App Engine, Compute Engine, and GKE.
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Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Hands-on experience using Terraform to provision and manage cloud resources efficiently and consistently.
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Observability & Monitoring: Skilled in implementing observability tools (e.g., Datadog, New Relic, or GCP Cloud Monitoring) to ensure system health, logging, and proactive issue resolution.
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Data Management: * Experience with Redis, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, and Firestore for scalable data storage.
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Experience designing and maintaining data pipelines and working with large datasets.
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Networking & Orchestration: * Skilled in Docker and Kubernetes (GKE) for container orchestration.
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Strong understanding of VPC, load balancers, and cloud networking fundamentals.
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DevOps & Security: * Hands-on experience building and managing CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins.
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In-depth knowledge of OAuth, SAML, and secure authentication/authorization mechanisms.
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Familiar with infrastructure security best practices: secret management, service account keys, encryption, and secret rotation.
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Performance & Reliability: * Experience with system performance tuning, scaling, and fault tolerance.
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Proven ability to deliver production-grade, maintainable code under tight timelines.
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Media Processing (Plus): Experience with video transcoding, FFmpeg, and HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) is a strong plus., * Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience)
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10+ years of experience in backend software engineering, with a strong track record of building and scaling production systems
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Experience in a SaaS or cloud-native environment is required
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Prior experience in a Principal, Staff, or Senior Lead Engineer role, with demonstrated ownership of architecture and system design
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Proven ability to lead complex technical initiatives and mentor engineering teams
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Experience working in fast-paced startup or high-growth environments is strongly preferred
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Exposure to AI/ML-driven platforms, data-intensive systems, or industrial/manufacturing domains is a plus