Backend Developer

Riser’s goal is to enable every individual to be successful in their career. We believe fulfilling careers require mastery of soft skills such as critical thinking, perseverance, creativity, and communication.

With a behavioral psychologist as part of the founding team, we are building a science-backed learning platform designed to improve retention, support positive habit formation, and produce meaningful behavior change. Riser will also include a proprietary AI-powered Coach that supports users throughout their career journeys.

About the Role

Riser is seeking a smart, motivated Backend Developer to help build, secure, and scale the systems that power our platform. This role will work closely with the product team, frontend developers, and external development partners.

As part of a lean, early-stage team, you will take ownership of backend development while also contributing to testing, deployment, documentation, security, and product improvement. This is the perfect opportunity for an individual who is hungry to move fast, have fun, and be a big part of creating an amazing technology platform from the ground-up.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, test, and maintain backend services, APIs, databases, and integrations.
• Translate product requirements into practical, scalable technical solutions.
• Develop integrations with AI services, authentication platforms, and third-party tools.
• Write maintainable code and participate in peer code reviews.
• Create and maintain automated unit and integration tests.
• Support continuous integration, deployment, and production environments.
• Monitor system performance and resolve defects, security vulnerabilities, and technical debt.
• Maintain clear technical and operational documentation.
• Apply secure development practices and help ensure systems meet SOC 2 security and compliance requirements.
• Participate in testing, issue triage, and ongoing product improvement.

• 7 years of professional backend software-development experience.
• Experience building and supporting production software applications.
• Strong experience with a backend language such as Java, Python, JavaScript, or TypeScript.
• Experience designing and maintaining RESTful APIs and third-party integrations.
• Strong knowledge of relational databases, including schema design, querying, migrations, and performance.
• Experience with Git, code reviews, automated testing, and build automation.
• Familiarity with continuous integration and deployment practices.
• Experience with AWS or another major cloud platform.
• Working knowledge of Unix or Linux environments and container-based deployment.
• Understanding of, and experience with, application security, cloud security, data protection, and secure access controls.
• Familiarity with SOC 2 requirements, including access management, change management, system monitoring, incident response, and audit documentation.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership within a lean team.

Experience with PostgreSQL, Docker, Kubernetes, serverless architecture, event-driven systems, AI integrations, or supporting a SOC 2 readiness or audit process is a plus.

We are looking for someone who takes pride in building reliable, secure products and is excited to have a meaningful impact on an early-stage company.

3.93.9 out of 5 stars Alexandria, VA 22308 Hybrid work $125,000 - $145,000 a year - Full-time, Pulled from the full job description

• Health insurance
• Paid time off