Senior Software Backend Engineer, Foundations

Remote (United States)

Job Details

Location: United States

Workplace: Remote

Employment Type: Full-time

Experience: 4+ years of software development experience, including ownership of complex backend systems

Core Areas: Backend Engineering, Python, Go, Platform Engineering, Distributed Systems, Linux, Identity and Access Management, Authentication and Authorization

Compensation: $165,000–$195,000 annually, plus equity and bonus opportunities;

About the Role

The Senior Software Backend Engineer, Foundations is responsible for designing, developing, and delivering core backend services that support identity, authentication, access control, and shared platform infrastructure. This position involves owning complex engineering components from initial design through production, resolving challenging technical problems, and serving as a technical expert within a platform engineering team.

The role requires strong backend development experience with Python or Go, solid Linux and distributed systems fundamentals, and experience building reusable platform components. Working closely with product stakeholders and engineering teams, the engineer will make technical design decisions, improve system reliability and maintainability, mentor other engineers, and contribute to the delivery of foundational services used across the engineering organization. The position reports to the Foundations Engineering Manager.

What You'll Do

• Design, develop, and maintain backend services that support shared platform functionality and core engineering infrastructure.
• Serve as a technical subject matter expert in a foundational platform area, such as identity management, authentication, or access control.
• Take ownership of complex backend components throughout the software development lifecycle, from technical design and implementation to production delivery.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to develop reusable platform services and shared technical components.
• Break down large engineering initiatives into clearly defined milestones, track delivery progress, and communicate technical risks and project status proactively.
• Investigate, troubleshoot, and resolve complex software engineering and distributed systems problems.
• Identify technical debt, architectural risks, and maintainability concerns before they become significant operational or business challenges.
• Mentor engineers through technical pairing, code reviews, and software design reviews.
• Document architectural decisions, implementation approaches, and technical trade-offs through design documentation and engineering discussions.
• Partner with product stakeholders and other engineering teams to align backend development priorities with broader product and platform requirements.

Qualifications

Required Experience

• At least 4 years of professional software development experience, including direct responsibility for complex backend systems.
• Professional backend programming experience using Python or Go.
• Experience in Platform Engineering or developing shared platform services and reusable software components.
• Demonstrated experience organizing complex engineering projects into actionable milestones and delivering work within established timelines.
• Experience mentoring software engineers through code reviews, design reviews, and technical guidance.

Required Skills

• Strong knowledge of Linux environments and distributed systems fundamentals.
• Ability to design, implement, and take technical ownership of complex backend services and platform components.
• Strong technical troubleshooting and problem-solving skills for investigating challenging software and systems issues.
• Ability to evaluate technical risks, identify technical debt, and communicate engineering decisions effectively.
• Proficiency in technical design documentation and communicating implementation decisions across engineering teams.
• Ability to collaborate across engineering and product teams to align technical execution with product priorities.
• Experience incorporating artificial intelligence into software development workflows and creating AI-enhanced development tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing or working with authentication and authorization systems, including OAuth, Single Sign-On (SSO), or role-based access control (RBAC).
• Experience with Kubernetes and container orchestration technologies.
• Experience with network management or infrastructure software, including NetBox or similar platforms.
• Contributions to open-source software projects or active involvement in open-source development communities.