The Principal Backend Developer is a high-impact technical leadership role responsible for the architectural vision, scalability, and robust performance of Finaira's core server-side systems. This role serves as the ultimate technical authority for our backend ecosystem, driving the development of the AI-powered FinTech engines that power our global solutions. You will be responsible for bridging the gap between complex business requirements and elegant, high-performance engineering, ensuring our systems are secure, resilient, and future-proof.
The difference you will make
- Architect and oversee the design of highly scalable, distributed backend systems and microservices that support Finaira's high-frequency FinTech and AI operations
- Define and drive the long-term technical roadmap for the backend stack, ensuring alignment with emerging technologies and long-term business objectives
- Lead by example through hands-on development of mission-critical features, setting the gold standard for code quality, security, and performance
- Mentor and elevate a team of senior and mid-level developers, fostering a culture of deep technical inquiry, peer review excellence, and continuous learning
- Optimize system performance and reliability by identifying bottlenecks, re-engineering legacy components, and implementing sophisticated monitoring and observability patterns
- Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Data Scientists, and Frontend Leads to ensure seamless integration of AI models and unified user experience
- Establish and enforce engineering best practices, including rigorous API design standards, comprehensive documentation, and advanced CI/CD automation
- Mitigate technical debt and risk by making informed build-vs-buy decisions and ensuring architectural consistency across different service domains
Requirements
What you will bring to the role
- Education: Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field
- Experience:
- 8+ years of progressive experience in backend software development, with a focus on enterprise-grade distributed systems
- 3+ years in a Principal, Staff, or Lead Architect role, providing technical direction to multiple engineering squads
- Proven track record of successfully deploying and maintaining high-traffic, low-latency applications within the FinTech, Banking, or high-scale AI sectors
Technical Skills:
- Expertise in modern backend languages, with mastery in at least two (e.g., Python, Go, Java, or Node.js)
- Deep understanding of microservices architecture, event-driven design, and message brokers (e.g., Kafka, RabbitMQ)
- Extensive experience with both SQL (PostgreSQL, MySQL) and NoSQL (MongoDB, Cassandra, Redis) databases, including schema design and query optimization
- Strong proficiency in cloud-native technologies (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and container orchestration using Kubernetes and Docker
- Proven track record of building production-grade observability frameworks and SRE practices, including SLA/SLO definition, incident response playbooks, and post-mortem culture for large-scale distributed systems
- Advanced knowledge of API security standards (OAuth2, OIDC, JWT) and implementing Security by Design in financial environments
- Familiarity with integrating Large Language Models (LLMs) or Machine Learning pipelines into production backend environments
- Soft Skills:
- Strong ownership and accountability for assigned work
- Clear and professional verbal and written communication
- Effective time management and task prioritization
- Analytical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Ability to work independently, collaborate effectively and mentor junior team members
- Ability to actively listen to customers and accurately understand their needs, expectations, and challenges
- Adaptability and learning agility in a fast-paced environment
- Strong attention to detail and a commitment to quality
- Receptiveness to feedback and continuous improvement mindset
