Backend Architect

Job Description You will be responsible for owning and architecting the backend platform for a next-generation collaborative product. Your key responsibilities will include: - Designing scalable APIs, backend services, and service boundaries using TypeScript and Node.js. - Building and scaling real-time multiplayer infrastructure powering collaborative user experiences. - Architecting distributed systems with a strong focus on reliability, scalability, and performance. - Designing and managing database schemas, storage systems, migrations, and consistency models. - Building authentication, authorization, RBAC, workspace management, and multi-tenant platform capabilities. - Developing backend foundations that support AI-powered product features and future AI infrastructure. - Driving key technical decisions across backend architecture, cloud infrastructure, and platform engineering. - Establishing engineering standards, architectural patterns, code quality practices, and operational excellence. - Conducting architecture reviews, technical design discussions, and code reviews. - Collaborating closely with product, design, and AI teams to build scalable platform capabilities. - Remaining deeply hands-on with implementation while providing technical leadership across backend systems. You are a great fit for this role if you: - Have 1015 years of software engineering experience with deep backend architecture expertise. - Have 34+ years of recent hands-on experience building production systems using TypeScript and Node.js. - Possess strong experience designing distributed systems, microservices, and cloud-native architectures. - Have built scalable APIs, backend platforms, and high-performance data-intensive systems. - Have experience with real-time systems, WebSockets, collaborative applications, or multiplayer architectures. - Are highly proficient in database design, PostgreSQL, data modeling, and scalability best practices. - Have designed and implemented authentication, authorization, RBAC, and multi-tenant SaaS architectures. - Have experience with Kubernetes, Terraform, CI/CD pipelines, and modern cloud infrastructure. - Are comfortable making high-impact architectural decisions while remaining an active contributor to the codebase. - Have strong system design skills and can balance long-term architecture with rapid execution. - Thrive in fast-moving startup environments and enjoy solving complex engineering challenges. Nice to have: - Experience as a Backend Architect, Staff Engineer, Principal Engineer, or Technical Lead. - Experience building collaborative products, design tools, productivity platforms, or SaaS products. - Familiarity with CRDTs, Operational Transformation, synchronization engines, or multiplayer systems. - Exposure to AI infrastructure, AI-native products, or backend systems supporting AI workflows. - Experience working in monorepo environments and large-scale platform architectures. - Strong background in observability, reliability engineering, monitoring, and performance optimization. - Experience building highly available systems serving large-scale user bases. - Previous experience in high-growth startups building products from 01 and scaling them successfully. Job Description You will be responsible for owning and architecting the backend platform for a next-generation collaborative product. Your key responsibilities will include: - Designing scalable APIs, backend services, and service boundaries using TypeScript and Node.js. - Building and scaling real-time multiplayer infrastructure powering collaborative user experiences. - Architecting distributed systems with a strong focus on reliability, scalability, and performance. - Designing and managing database schemas, storage systems, migrations, and consistency models. - Building authentication, authorization, RBAC, workspace management, and multi-tenant platform capabilities. - Developing backend foundations that support AI-powered product features and future AI infrastructure. - Driving key technical decisions across backend architecture, cloud infrastructure, and platform engineering. - Establishing engineering standards, architectural patterns, code quality practices, and operational excellence. - Conducting architecture reviews, technical design discussions, and code reviews. - Collaborating closely with product, design, and AI teams to build scalable platform capabilities. - Remaining deeply hands-on with implementation while providing technical leadership across backend systems. You are a great fit for this role if you: - Have 1015 years of software engineering experience with deep backend architecture expertise. - Have 34+ years of recent hands-on experience building production systems using TypeScript and Node.js. - Possess strong experience designing distributed systems, microservices, and cloud-native architectures. - Have built scalable APIs, backend platforms, and high-performance data-inten