Senior Backend Engineer

The position reports to the
Head of Engineering

Job Overview

We are looking for a highly-skilled technical expert to join our growing retail IT team at TIME as a Senior Backend Engineer. With a strong background in building scalable, high-performance, and secure applications, the ideal candidate will be an expert with our core technologies: Go, PostgreSQL, Redis, and Docker.

You will be a key technical contributor and mentor within our development team. Your role is to tackle the most complex technical challenges, own large-scale features from design to deployment, and elevate the skills of the entire team through mentorship and by setting a high bar for code quality. As we practice Scrum, your experience and ability to guide others within an Agile environment are essential.

Your work life:

• Backend Architecture: Lead the design, development, and maintenance of our backend systems, ensuring they are scalable, reliable, and maintainable.
• API & Service Development: Architect, build, and own scalable and secure backend services and APIs using Go, with a focus on high availability and low latency.
• Database Expertise: Own the backend database architecture. Design, optimize, and maintain complex schemas in PostgreSQL, focusing on performance tuning, indexing, and scalability. Implement and manage caching strategies using Redis.
• Security & Quality: Champion and enforce secure coding best practices across all backend services. Conduct thorough code reviews to ensure high standards of quality, performance, and security.
• Mentorship: Mentor and guide junior and mid-level engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and collaborative problem-solving. Help unblock team members and provide constructive technical feedback.
• Collaboration: Collaborate closely with front-end engineers, product owners, and designers to define clear API contracts and deliver seamless features.
• Agile Process: Actively participate in all Scrum ceremonies (sprint planning, stand-ups, reviews, retrospectives), helping to improve team velocity and processes.
• Troubleshooting: Own advanced troubleshooting for complex backend issues, including performance bottlenecks, data integrity problems, and service outages.
• Process Improvement: Drive the continuous improvement of our backend stack and development processes by evaluating and recommending new technologies and practices.

To be considered, you'll need:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Experience: 3-5+ years of proven experience as a Backend Engineer, with demonstrable experience in a senior capacity, mentoring other engineers and tackling complex technical challenges.

Technical Skills:

• Backend Language: Deep expertise in backend development, with a strong preference for Go. (Experience with Java or Python is also valuable).
• Architecture: Strong mastery of server-side architectural patterns (e.g., microservices, event-driven), OOP, and SOLID principles.
• API Design: Expertise in RESTful API design principles and best practices for building, securing, and versioning APIs.
• Security: Proven experience implementing and championing secure coding practices (input validation, authentication, authorization, etc.).
• SDLC: Extensive experience working within an SDLC and using modern software engineering tools and practices (Confluence, JIRA, Scrum/Agile methodologies).
• System Design: Proven ability to translate complex business requirements into robust and scalable backend system designs.
• Databases: Advanced skills in relational database design (particularly PostgreSQL or MySQL), including query optimization, indexing, and performance tuning.
• Caching: Strong experience with in-memory data stores like Redis for caching and session management.
• Testing: Strong advocacy for TDD/BDD and extensive experience with unit and integration testing frameworks.
• DevOps: Proficiency with containerization technologies, particularly Docker, for application development, packaging, and deployment.
• Git: Expert-level experience with git, including branching strategies and CI/CD integration.

Soft Skills:

• Exceptional problem-solving skills and the ability to troubleshoot and resolve the most complex issues.
• Excellent communication and mentorship skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Adaptable mindset with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• A strong sense of technical ownership and a commitment to quality.

Added Advantage

• Deep experience with AWS services (e.g., EC2, ECS, RDS, Lambda, S3) and cloud-native architecture.
• Experience designing and managing CI/CD tools and pipelines, particularly Bitbucket Pipelines.
• Previous experience in the telecommunications industry, particularly with Business Support Systems (BSS).
• Proficiency with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices (e.g., Terraform).

Our Commitment to You

At Time, we believe great work deserves great support. Here's what you can look forward to

when you join us:

• Comprehensive medical coverage for you and your immediate family, including outpatient care, hospitalisation, dental and optical benefits.
• Wellness support with an annual spending account for health-related needs, alternative treatments, or even paid-up premiums for personal insurance.
• Employee assistance during life's big moments, from celebrations to times of bereavement.
• Learning & growth opportunities through dedicated time for learning, access to LinkedIn Learning and rewards for upskilling.
• Cash rewards for recognised certifications and full reimbursement for up to two approved professional memberships each year.